During a recent visit to the pub, my friends and I got talking (read: loudly bickering) about the best driving roads in and around the UK, as we tried to find activities to look forward to after the dark and dreary winter months.
While we regaled each other with tales of life-affirming blasts down Cheddar Gorge, Snake Pass and the Wild Atlantic Way, it struck me that all of the things that make these stretches of Tarmac great can actually be found in one place: the Isle of Man.
After getting off the ferry, you’re immediately greeted by long, snaking countryside lanes that lead into twisting wooded sections, then out across dramatic coastal cliff edges and along wild, winding mountain passes.
It’s like one of those billionaire-built private race tracks that bring the best parts of other circuits to a remote part of some Middle Eastern desert except it’s less than three hours from Liverpool.
Of course, the headline attraction is the Snaefell Mountain Course, the 40-mile loop of the island that’s used for the famous TT motorbike races, combining some of the most rewarding technical sections and incredible scenery this side of the Stelvio Pass.
I tackled part of it last year in the original and latest generations of the Skoda Octavia vRS, and it was sensational – genuinely like something out of a film. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road with such breathtaking views all around me, and the abundance of permanent TT infrastructure at the roadside helped to encourage a somewhat competitive driving style…
There are stretches like this all over the island: roads like the A36 (popularly known as The Sloc) combine demanding hairpins and elevation changes, while the Creg-ny-Baa is a moorland route featuring some enticingly long and amusingly undulating straights.
What makes all this even better for those coming from the mainland is that the Tarmac is exceptionally well-maintained (thank the TT) and, outside of rush hour, the traffic is light. But the cherry on top is that quite a few of these incredible roads don’t have a speed limit.
Yeah, just a small thing I wanted to mention. You still have to drive with the utmost caution, of course (and more fool those who attempt to achieve the same eye-watering speeds as a TT bike), but it’s nice to know your fun won’t be spoiled by a camera pointing out the back of a craftily hidden van around the next bend.
And when the tank runs dry and you need a break, there are many places to just enjoy the scenery, from the Victory Cafe that sits at the TT’s 31st milestone (and does a great pie) to the futuristically styled Sound Cafe at Port Erin, where you can sit and do some seal spotting.
So when you’re looking to book your next motoring excursion, save yourself an arduous schlep across Europe and set your sights a bit closer to home.
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