Snaefell is the Isle of Man’s only mountain, just barely qualifying at 2,036 feet.

Snaefell is the Isle of Man’s only mountain, just barely qualifying at 2,036 feet. The name is Old Norse for “snow mountain” — a leftover from the Vikings who ruled the island for four centuries. On a clear day from the summit you can supposedly see seven kingdoms: England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the sea, and heaven. You can get to the top by electric tram — the Snaefell Mountain Railway has been running since 1895, the only electric mountain railway in the British Isles, built in just eight months. The TT motorcycle races use the mountain road that crosses its slopes. In 1970 the weather station on the summit recorded a 150mph gust, one of the highest wind speeds ever measured in the British Isles. The rock underneath is Ordovician — around 470 million years old — shaped by the same mountain-building event that created the Scottish Highlands.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​