Plans for £1.3m Isle of Man heritage trail project revealed

A digital impression of a bridge over Glen Wyllin, one of three planned under the scheme

Plans for a £1.3m scheme to extend a cycleway and public footpath have been published by the Manx government.

The project will involve a seven-mile revamp of a section of the island's former steam railway line between St John's and Kirk Michael.

The work is part of a broader scheme to develop an island-wide network of pathways known as the heritage trail.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker said it would be a "fantastic asset for the 21st century".

Extending the network would help more people "get out and enjoy our countryside", he added.

The new section of the heritage trail will go from St John's to Kirk Michael

The heritage trail currently runs along the former railway line between Douglas on the east of the island and Peel on the west.

The new section will deviate from the established route at St John's and travel north along the coast to Kirk Michael.

Three new bridges will be built to connect parts of the trail, replacing ones that were taken down after the closure of the steam railway in the 1960s, and the entire stretch will be resurfaced.

Mr Baker said the project would make the best of an "underused asset" and the new bridges would be a "spectacular" attraction.