Lag Ny Keeilley, Eary Cushlin

I ventured out on the first sunny day I could find to do a short recce of an optional extra I was intending to offer on our next U3A walk. Lag Ny Keeilley, the home of a long gone hermit was my destination, and I was starting from the ‘car park’ at Cronk Ny Arrey Laa. I don’t propose to give you a full breakdown of this walk as I shall write it up another time, with a better map and possibly an alternative end-section, but most of this walk is absolutely stunning, especially if you did it as I did, first thing in the morning, before other people have got out of bed.

Having said that, as I started walking down the lane, I bumped into a man with his grandson picking bilberries. There are heaps of bilberries on this island. I did pick a few myself just to check what they were like. I walked down until I reached the footpath sign leading into the Dalby Nature Reserve, only I turned left instead up and over a stile onto the moorland on the lower edge of Cronk Ny Arrey Laa. The light was wonderful and the wild flowers were in abundance, making this a joyous walk. I walked alongside the wall, slightly uphill, until I reached the path leading down from Cronk Ny Arrey Laa, and followed that to Eary Cushlin. This path is becoming worn in places so do take care.

The path to Lag ny Keilley goes to the left in a southerly direction skirting along the bottom seaward edge of Cronk Ny Arrey Laa. Ignore the footpath sign to the right unless you want to visit the waterfall and have a steep climb back up the hill! Our path continues for about 3/4 mile hugging the coastline. It is not particularly exposed but neither is it a particularly easy path. You need to be sure-footed as it is uneven in a number of places and there are gaps in the path on the seaward side, so you may lose your poles if you are not careful. But, it is passable with care, and if you do trip you will get a soft landing :-). It is also very wet in places, made worse by the constant rain we have had recently. There is a bench if you want to stop and enjoy the views, which are spectacular. I sent a Whatsapp to my children with a couple of photos, saying that people go on holiday to get views like these, and here they are on my doorstep.

There is also one rather large boulder you have to navigate, but otherwise it is a narrow packhorse track, going steadily downhill. Before you reach Lag Ny Keeilley, look out for the Holy Well, which no doubt kept the hermit going with a constant supply of fresh water. I didn’t go down to the site itself, but I did take a photo. It looks rather uninspiring from a distance, but it is interesting when you get there, and imagine the life that was lived here, and the visitors it has seen. You can learn more about the site here : https://culturevannin.im/exploremore/places/lag-ny-keeilley-717214/ and here: http://early-med.archeurope.com/british-isles/the-celtic-church/lag-ny-keeilley/

It is a steady climb back to Eary Cushlin. The remaining section is on a stony road up the hill. Altogether this was a 4 mile walk, with 1000ft of ascent, which completely surprises me. I have checked the ascent on a couple of maps and it appears to be correct, but it is not at all difficult.

I shall not include this on my next U3A walk but instead I shall offer it as a separate walk sometime in the future, and maybe include Dalby Nature Reserve which will make it an even more interesting walk.

Below are some examples of the uneven path:

Update: Monday 7th August – found a tick embedded in my leg this morning, despite being fully covered from head to foot during yesterday’s walk. Am awaiting advice from dr as previously I became very ill following a tick bite. So, do be careful if out around bracken this summer. These tiny pesky creatures sit atop grasses and such like looking for passing prey. If you do find one on you, use a tick remover and seek advice sooner rather than later.