There's a great walk that takes you up the hill at the back of Port St Mary, and heads up past the Old Chasms Cafe and through Cregneash.






Eventually, you reach a series of chambered cairns on the top of a hill. This is known as Mull Circle, or Meayll Circle. We did a slightly different version of this route in 2018, when we last visited the Island (and there are more photos in that post). Back then, though, I didn't know much about the origins of the Circle.

I can do no better than quote from this rather atmospheric source:

"The Manx name for the structure is 'Rhullick-y-lagg-shliggagh,' ie, 'the grave-yard of the valley (hollow) of broken slates,' or more literally 'of slate splinters' or 'of shells.'... When entire it was a circle of twelve single kistvaens, but these were arranged in pairs and approached each other longitudinally...

"It has been suggested that the bodies were placed entire in the kistvaens on Meayll and were not subjected to cremation, but charred human bones were, some years ago, discovered in some of the kists. From the forms and arrangement of the chambers, and their elevated position, there can be little doubt that the mode of disposing of the dead on Meayll was cremation. For a long time the burning of the dead was extensively practised in Mann. It was probably generally performed on the tumulus or mound in which the remains were to be placed...

"The Manx tumuli are invariably placed on elevated sites from which the sea is visible... There must have been some special reason for the selection of the elevated positions. When cremation was practised, funeral obsequies were probably performed at night. The more elevated the position of the fire and the more open to the sea the greater the distance at which it might be descried, while the darkness of night would give it brilliancy and distinctness."


On the way back, you skirt Port Erin, and head home via a little footpath that was tidied up by one of the locals as a lockdown project...



The best way to round off this walk is with fish and chips. But if you've done it in the morning, you'll need to go to Port Erin, as the Port St Mary chippie doesn't open until tea-time...