| Snaefell | |
|---|---|
| Sniaull | |
.jpg) Snaefell viewed from minor Beinn-y-phott Road, connectingBrandywell on the mountain to minor lowland places in the island's centre | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,037 ft (621 m) |
| Prominence | 2,037 ft (621 m) |
| Parent peak | none – HPIsle of Man |
| Listing | Marilyn,Hardy |
| Coordinates | 54°15′47.8″N04°27′41.8″W / 54.263278°N 4.461611°W /54.263278; -4.461611 |
| Naming | |
| English translation | snow fell |
| Language of name | Old Norse |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsneɪfɛl/ |
| Geography | |
  Snaefell Location of Snaefell in the Isle of Man | |
| Location | Isle of Man |
| OS grid | SC397881 |
| Topo map | OSLandranger 95 |
Snaefell (Old Norse:snjœ-fjall/snjó-fall – snow mountain or snaufjell - area above the tree line) – (Manx:Sniaull)[1] is the highestmountain and the only summit above 2,000 feet (610 m) on theIsle of Man, at 2,037 feet (620.9 m)above sea level.[2][3] The summit is crowned by a railway station, cafe, several communications masts and can be reached by narrow gauge railway.
It is a well-known saying in the Isle of Man that on a clear day sixkingdoms can be seen from the top: theIsle of Man,England,Ireland,Scotland,Wales andHeaven.[4] Some versions add a seventh kingdom, that ofManannán (or thesea).[5]
The summit plaque indicates the directions of five points from Snaefell as well as their distances:
(For some reason, Wales is absent from the plaque).
While highly dependent on weather conditions and visibility, all of the four countries of the United Kingdom can be seen from the summit of Snaefell. This includes much of the southern coast ofDumfries and Galloway inScotland, theLake District in England, the northern coast ofAnglesey in Wales, and theMountains of Mourne inNorthern Ireland. Points in theRepublic of Ireland inCounty Louth can also be seen.[6]
TheSnaefell Mountain Railway has a seasonal electric tram service, typically from April to October, which climbs the four miles (six kilometres) fromLaxey to the summit.[citation needed]
TheA18 Snaefell Mountain Road passes over the slopes of Snaefell, and is the highest section of theSnaefell Mountain Course over which theIsle of Man TT races are held. Walkers often use the car park on this road near theBungalow railway station (last railway stop before the summit) from which there is a rough path to the peak. The trail has sections of gravel, slate stones, grass and rock. While the angle of ascent steepens significantly closer to the summit, specialclimbing equipment is not required. However, caution is required in steep areas as the grass, earth and rocks are often slippery. Average climb time on foot on a dry footpath is about 45 minutes.[citation needed]
Ageodeticmarker embedded in the small, concreteobelisk indicates the true mountain summit. The rockcairn standing nearby has an information plaque on top.[citation needed]
In 1970, the automated weather station at the Snaefell summit recorded a gust of 150 mph (65 m/s) which was one of the highest wind speeds ever recorded in the British Isles.[7] During hurricane storm-force winds, the 120-foot-tall (37 m)Civil Aviation Authority radio mast at the Snaefell summit was damaged and blown down on 2 December 1966.[8]
| Northern Highlands (20) |    | |
|---|---|---|
| Western Highlands (20) | ||
| Central and Eastern Highlands (13) | ||
| Southern Highlands (15) | ||
| Islands (13) | ||
| Scottish Lowlands, England and Wales (13) | ||
| Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (25) | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
