Snaefell Mountain Railway

Snaefell Mountain Railway

Dating from 1895, Laxey is the starting point for the Snaefell Mountain Railway, a unique Victorian enterprise which winds its way up 2,000 feet to the top of Snaefell. Snaefell is the Island's only mountain, its summit 2036 feet (621 metres) above sea level. The name Snaefell, or Sniaull in Manx, comes from the Norse for Snow Mountain.

MER TramsOn your journey up the mountain there are spectacular views on a clear day. It's the only place in the British Isles where you can see seven kingdoms - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Heaven, Mann and the Sea - just by turning around.

The weather on Snaefell is as famous as the railway itself, while the weather may be sunny and clear down in Douglas, it may be a completely different story at the top of the mountain. You can be standing with your head in the sunshine and your legs in fog!

Services operate at regular intervals between April and September. There is no winter service: the overhead wires on the exposed upper part of the route are taken down to avoid damage from icing.

A range of Special Dining Events offering stunning views, and are held at the Snaefell summit, such as the popular Sunset Dinners, Seven Kingdoms Sunday Lunch and Pie in the Sky, featuring stargazing and supper with the Island's Astronomical Society.

Review

Starting from Laxey, a trip aboard the Snaefell Mountain Railway is one of those Heritage Railway journeys that you miss at your peril! A huge amount of the islands resources have gone into keeping all of the transport systems running on the island and quite rightly so, as a trip on these time capsules really is an experience not to be missed, whether your a railway enthusiast or not. I have only ever seen one other mountain railway of its kind and that is the Snowdon Mountain Railway, based in Llanberis, North Wales and although not as high at just 2,063 feet, Snaefells views are just simply breathtaking and both journeys are just different in their very nature. Built in 1895, these six wooden-bodied electric railcars really were a thing of their time and still are today, despite how far we have come transport wise. A visit to the island is not complete without a trip up the mountain.