While staying in the Isle of Man recently we decided to spend a day travelling on the electric railway which runs between Douglas and Ramsey. This vintage railway was first opened in 1893 and is recognised as the longest narrow gauge railway in the British Isles. We got on the railway at Douglas, and sat in a beautiful Victorian carriage. The seats were quite small, obviously the Victorians were much smaller than modern day adults, but even so the seats were quite comfortable. We were amazed at how reasonable the fare was, it cost us £13 each and that included travelling on the Snaefell Mountain railway. Im sure similar attractions in other parts of the UK would charge a lot more. We travelled north, passing some beautiful countryside and spectacular views. The pace was gentle, but it was so nice and relaxing looking out on such fantastic scenery. At Laxey we changed trains, as we wanted to travel to the summit of Snaefell. Travelling on the Snaefell Mountain railway was another great experience. We passed impressive Laxey Wheel and gradually started to climb up Snaefell, which is the highest peak on the island. As the train climbed higher and higher there were times when you wondered if you would reach the summit, but eventually we got there. On a clear day you can see England, Ireland and Scotland from the summit of Snaefell, and although was a lovely sunny day, there was a mist preventing us from seeing very far. I remember going up Snaefell many years ago with my parents and it absolutely poured down, so this was much better. We wandered round the summit and saw hares and many different birds, it was a lovely day. Before travelling back we went in the cafe at the summit. What a find! The food was delicious and there was plenty of choice. All in all this was one of our best days out on the Isle of Man.
