Story
Update:
When I was planning to walk the Raad ny Foillan, I thought all these miles I’ll be walking would be good training to do the Parish! So I entered! For any none Manx folk, this walk is an endurance walk around the islands roads calling at all the parish churches starting and ending in Douglas with the route spanning 85 miles, it starts on June 22nd, finishing in the early hours of the next day, so it’s quite a feat!
I always thought the parish walk would be of no interest to me being a completely tarmac course, but over the past couple of months I’ve done a lot of walking and I love a race so bring it on! I’m hoping to get to Kirk Michael 39 miles or Ballaugh 42 miles but at the very least I should get to Peel 32.5 miles. It kicks off on Saturday at 8am, so I expect to be in peel by 3-4pm. So please sponsor me and help our local birds!
From Thursday 16th May I’m walking the Raad ny Foillan, Isle of Man’s 95 mile coastal path. I plan to do this over several days, I was originally planning to do it over 4 days, but realistically it will be 6 or more depending on how my feet feel as I go. I expect to see plenty of seabirds while I’m walking including some of my favourite local birds such as puffin, gannets and choughs, so I have chosen to fundraise for Manx BirdLife who monitor our local birds and undertake conservation projects including establishing a reserve in the north of the island with the help of Isle of Man aggregates and RSPB, the Point of Ayre national reserve is being transformed from a former rubbish dump into a haven for wildlife.
I have enjoyed walking my dogs at the point of Ayre for many years so supporting a project for wildlife on my doorstep in a place I love seems a perfect cause. The walk will take me past this reserve on day 2.
On Thursday I start on Peel promenade, I hope to get to Sartfield Jurby which will be 14.5 miles for day 1. I would have loved to have camped each day where I ended up but I will be returning home each day. Day 2 will be 15 miles to end up in Ramsey, although I may carry on if I feel fit to help reduce the miles on day 3 which will take me to Douglas. Day 4 I plan to get to Castletown, Day 5 to Port Erin and the final day will take me back to Peel. I may take a rest day here or there if necessary and hope to finish the challenge on Wednesday 22nd May but I have a few days available for the rest of the week if needed.
I’ll log the miles on Strava and posts pics of the journey as I expect to see some amazing views and of course lots of birds, and perhaps marine life too.
Please help support our resident birds, they have taken a hit in recent years with bird flu. I have copied a little information from Manx BirdLife’s website below:
“Help us protect Manx birds and their habitats
The Isle of Man is blessed with beautiful, rugged and rolling countryside surrounded by a dramatic coastline. The island is home to spectacular wildlife. Bird species such as Hen Harrier, Red-billed Chough, Peregrine, Black Guillemot, Manx Shearwater, Puffin, Arctic Tern and many more can be found in the Isle of Man. But all of these are under pressure from pollution, changing land use, disturbance and dwindling food supplies.
Manx BirdLife has recorded serious declines in many bird populations due to the growing and changing impact of human activity. Birds such as Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Corncrake and White-tailed Eagle that once were familiar to our island predecessors, have been lost - perhaps forever. Others such as Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Curlew and Whinchat might soon follow them.”
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