The Travel Blog

How cool is it to walk around an ancient monument or burial ground in the middle of farm pasture?  That's exactly what you see when you visit Cashtal yn Ard (or the Castle of the Heights) on the Isle of Man, near the small village of Maughold at the Northern end of the island.  The monument is actually a megalithic chambered Cairn holding five chambers and extending over 40 meters long that was probably used as a communal burial place for Neolithic chieftains and their families.  The site is estimated to be over 4,000 years old.

The markings on the stones look Celtic and are similar to other monuments on the island.  Walking through the stones and the stark but beautiful landscape of the Isle of Man makes you think back to life 4,000 years ago when people had more primitive needs like eating and surviving the hostile climate as well as surviving competing tribes more than not having a good GPS signal on your smart phone to find the monument.  If you happen to catch Cashtal yn Ard on a sunny day, you can see accross the Irish Sea to the Cumbrian landscape of England.  

Just a few miles and a short hike from the monument, you can also find the village of Maughold and the stunning Maughold lighthouse.  When we visited in April 2015 the lighthouse was beautifly ensconced in an explosion of blooming gorse.

For more information about the Isle of Man and our trip, you can visit our Destinations Web Page under the Isle of Man tab.

Phil & Diane