Isle of Man Library

North Barrule via Hibernia

A direct out-and-back from Hibernia via Dreemlang and open moor to North Barrule.

24 Aug 2026Read Guide

South Barrule via the Round Table

A compact out-and-back from the Round Table crossroads to South Barrule's hillfort summit.

17 Aug 2026Read Guide

Cronk ny Arrey Laa from The Sloc: Isle of Man Route Guide

Climb Cronk ny Arrey Laa from The Sloc on a short steep route to a panoramic summit above the Isle of Man’s western coast.

14 Aug 2026Read Guide

Snaefell from the Bungalow

Walk from Bungalow Station to the Isle of Man’s 621 m summit on this short 2.8 km out-and-back GPX. The route gains 208 m and has a 55-minute estimate, with practical advice for steep slippery ground, fast-changing weather and the nearby Mountain Railway.

06 Aug 2026Read Guide

Hill Lists and People

The Dodds: When Three Regional Lists Became One Metric Classification

Between 500 and 600 metres sits a collection of hills that used to be split across Deweys, Donald Deweys and Highland Fives—until the idea emerged in 2014 to unify them under a single name that works across Britain.

02 Nov 2026Read

Simms: the hill category that tidied up the lists

If you've ever wondered why British hill lists seem unnecessarily complicated, Simms offer a rare moment of clarity. Introduced by Alan Dawson in 2010, a Simm is any summit over 600 metres with at least 30 metres of drop all round – a definition that consolidated several older, overlapping lists like Murdos, Corbett Tops, Graham Tops and Hewitts into something more coherent.

28 Sept 2026Read

The Deweys: hills that live in the gap between 500 metres and somebody else's problem

The Deweys are hills between 500 and 609.6 metres that existed in a classificatory blind spot until someone decided in 1995 that perfectly decent hills shouldn't be ignored just because they're not quite tall enough for the more famous lists.

27 Sept 2026Read

THE CLEMS: FINDING THE QUIET CORNERS OF THE COUNTRYSIDE

If you’re looking to get away from the crowds and find the hills that truly command their own space, you need to understand the unique logic of the Clems.

Marilyns: Why a 150-Metre Drop is the Real Test of a Hill

Think altitude is everything? See why a 150-metre drop identifies Britain’s 1,550 Marilyns, and how the list changed in 2025.

The Bridges: Understanding the Real Mountains of England and Wales

A look at George Bridge’s fixed 1973 list of 407 summits, its 2,000-foot and 50-foot origins, and how modern surveys differ.

The HuMPs: The Geography of Independence

Forget the highest peaks and look at the hills that stand on their own—this is the fascinating, mathematical world of the HuMPs.

The Astronomer on the Hill: Getting to Know "Clem" Clements

The astronomer who brought the precision of the stars to the British hills.

Simms: the hill category that tidied up the lists

28 Sept 2026Read

Aircraft History

1 guide

North Barrule and the Isle of Man’s Forgotten Wartime Tragedy

A stone memorial on North Barrule marks the place where an American B-17 struck the hillside with 31 people aboard. It remains the deadliest aviation accident in Manx history, yet many visitors pass beneath the mountain knowing nothing about it.

28 Aug 2026Read

Wildlife and Working Landscapes

1 guide