Section of Isle of Man's coastal footpath reopens after repairs

The north-eastern part of the Isle of Man's coastal path was closed for a year

A section of the Isle of Man's coastal footpath, damaged by storms, has reopened following repair works.

The stretch of the Raad Ny Foillan from Maughold Head to Port Mooar had been closed to the public in August 2022.

As the time of the closure, the Department of Infrastructure (DOI) said it had suffered "substantial damage".

The main boardwalks have now been replaced, the footpath widened, and a large bridge that had rotted has also been replaced by a shorter one.

A department spokesman said while the work would allow access again, there were "sections which are steep and uneven", and it was "still a challenging section" of the coast path.

The main boardwalks in the area have been replaced

An inspection last summer revealed the condition of the path had "worsened to the point of no longer being realistically passable", a DOI spokesman confirmed.

The replacement boardwalks leading to the headland from Port Mooar beach have been raised and extended "meaning people won't be stepping off into sections which were still boggy in winter", he said.

Access to a section of the beach at Port Mooar has also been made easier via a new boardwalk, which has been installed across a landslip.

The drystone walling used materials from the beach

The work, which included drystone walling to create and widen the footpath, was completed by the department's public rights of way team, with support from local contractors.

Banks in the area have also been cut back and wooden edging installed along damaged areas.

Further work needed on the footpath would be completed as part of the department's usual programme of works, the DOI spokesman said.