One of the things I like best about the Isle of Man is that it's so easy to find interesting and varied walks. Here are two that we can do right from our Rose Cottage doorstep:

1. Along the river and the old railway line to Peel, and back via The Raggatt and the Patrick road

We walked most of this when we stayed in Foxdale last spring. The new bit was the stretch by the river near our accommodation, and, of course, the fact that it's now autumn, heading rapidly down the hill to winter.

Which means berries:



And the kswoosh, kswoosh, kswoosh of the leaves on the little pavement that runs along the Patrick road.

And apples in our neighbouring orchard:



Anyway, such a beautiful morning, glowing with colour...







Plenty warm enough to sit on a bench and eat our breakfast sandwich. And when we got caught by a cheeky shower (NOT in the forecast), the Peel Beach Kiosk was on hand to provide a sheltered cup of tea.

2. Up Slieau Whallian

That was yesterday. Today we tackled our local mountain. I can't recollect ever going to the top...

It has a bit of a rep, being known as the place where suspected practitioners of witchcraft would be stuck in spiked barrels, and rolled down the mountain (if they were alive at the bottom, they were clearly in league with the devil, and put to death...). Whether there's any truth in this story I don't know, but here is the Sophia Morrison narrative (published in 1911) that helped to establish the mountain's ill repute.

This is a great walk. It's not a lofty peak (its name, in fact, means "whelp mountain" and the word quallian, which means a whelp or cub, often applies, we're told, to a lowish hill that sits near a higher one). But you definitely feel you've achieved something by the time you've conquered it.

And -- even better -- we reckon we can do this climb again using another route. Our MO this time was to follow the track I call the river bed (because whatever the season it's effectively a watercourse), after which we diverted off to the summit, came back down the same way, and rounded off along Barnell Lane, which hits the Patrick road a little way from our house. Next time, we'll follow the route through the plantation, which gives you different views, I think.



Not that there was anything the matter with the views today. It was beautiful. And so clear, with great views across to Scotland:








Magical. Really.