Douglas Trip Overview
Your guide is a Viking specialist for the Isle of Man.
Achaeological evidence confirms the presence of Vikings on the Isle of Man. The various findings from burials and settlements and the common use of Viking place names creates a fuller picture of Viking life on the Island.
According to the Irish annals, the Vikings first set foot on Mann in the year 798. By 820 they had conquered and settled here, establishing a prosperous Viking colony.
With its excellent fertile agricultural land and good harbours around the coastline, it was an important base not just for raiding and settlement, but also for trading with Scotland and Ireland. The Island had a central location and was on the sailing route from Scandinavia to Ireland.
We will spend a full day visiting some of the most important Viking sites on the Island, whilst taking in some beautiful Manx scenery along the way.
Additional Info
Duration: 8 hours
Starts: Douglas, United Kingdom
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Douglas Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Douglas, Isle of Man, United Kingdom
Your guide is a Viking specialist for the Isle of Man.
Achaeological evidence confirms the presence of Vikings on the Isle of Man. The various findings from burials and settlements and the common use of Viking place names creates a fuller picture of Viking life on the Island.
According to the Irish annals, the Vikings first set foot on Mann in the year 798. By 820 they had conquered and settled here, establishing a prosperous Viking colony.
With its excellent fertile agricultural land and good harbours around the coastline, it was an important base not just for raiding and settlement, but also for trading with Scotland and Ireland. The Island had a central location and was on the sailing route from Scandinavia to Ireland.
We will spend a full day visiting some of the most important Viking sites on the Island, whilst taking in some beautiful Manx scenery along the way.
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Old Kirk Braddan, Braddan Bridge House Peel Road In Braddan on NW outskirts of Douglas, Douglas
Viking Crosses
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Braaid, Isle of Man IM4, Isle of Man
Leaving Douglas we head a few miles west to the Braaid, the site of two Viking long houses and an Iron Age round house representing occupation here until the 11th or 12th century. The Vikings introduced Scandinavian-style house-building as opposed to the round-houses built before the Viking age.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Castle Rushen, Castletown Square, Castletown IM9 1LD
Heading south now to Castletown, ancient capital of the Isle of Man, we visit the imposing medieval fortress of Castle Rushen. Construction on this site was started in 1100 by Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway.
Duration: 45 minutes
Stop At: Balladoole Heritage Site, Isle of Man IM9, Isle of Man
We travel onward to Balladoole, a 10th century Viking boat burial. A stone-setting in the shape of a ship on the highest point of Chapel Hill, near Balladoole in Arbory parish, marks the place of one of the most spectacular and most intriguing Viking graves in the Isle of Man.
Excavated in 1945 by German archaeologist Gerhard Bersu, it contained a choice selection of grave-goods: such as a shield, a set of richly ornamented harness fittings, spurs and stirrups, buckles and strap slides, a knife and a ring-pin as well as the nails, rivets and washers of a 30 ft long boat.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Peel Castle, Peel
Heading north along the spectacular west coast, we get our first glimpse Peel Castle once home to Christian missionaries, Viking warriors and kings. The Castle stands on St Patrick’s Isle and remains an impressive feature on the Peel coastline. Construction began with the round tower in the 11th century. During archaeological excavations in the 1980’s seven pagan burials were located in the later Christian cemetery. One of the most spectacular of these was the grave of a woman from the Viking age who appeared to hold a high status in society. The grave had several rich grave goods, including a necklace made of beads and an ornate gold decorative pin. The necklace dates to late 900 AD and consists of 73 beads of glass and amber. The beads are all of different size, shape and colour. The number of beads on the necklace and the variety of them makes this one of the most impressive jewellery finds ever. The finds from the excavation can be viewed independently at the museum in Douglas.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: House of Manannan, Mill Road, Peel IM5 1TA
Whilst in Peel we will visit the House of Manannan where the legendary sea god Manannan will guide us through the Island’s rich Celtic, Viking and maritime past. You will see life-size reconstructions of domestic life in ancient times, starting in the Celtic Roundhouse. We will also hear the story of the Viking long ship Odin’s Raven.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Tynwald Hill, Isle of Man IM4 3BP, Isle of Man
Our journey takes us a few miles east to St Johns, and Tynwald Hill, one of the Island’s most distinctive landmarks. The hill is thought to be made from piles of stones bonded together with soil from all the Island’s 17 ancient parishes. Tynwald Hill plays host to an annual open-air meeting of Tynwald, the Island’s parliament. It is believed that the ceremony was established by Norse Viking settlers over a thousand years ago making it the oldest continuous parliament in the world.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Jurby, Jurby, Isle of Man
We then head north to visit the Knock y Doonee Viking boat burial. This burial mound excavated in 1927 was found to contain a boat burial dated to 900-950 AD. The 30 ft long boat was defined by around 300 iron rivets with some decayed wood still attached. The body had been laid in the boat wrapped in a cloak, and accompanied by a sword, shield and spear, along with other domestic articles. A horse and a dog were buried alongside. This is on private land and public access is restricted. Subject to availabilty
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Maughold Village Church, Maughold
Finally, we head east to visit Maughold where we will see some fine examples of the Island’s collection of remarkable Viking carved stone crosses. Since the 5th Century crosses have been used on Mann as memorials and grave stones. When the Vikings settled on the Island, they brought with them their own sculptors, inscribing their stones in Norse after their earlier conversion to Christianity. These stones often pictured their pagan mythology along with runic inscriptions.
Duration: 30 minutes
