Where Do We Operate?

Manx National Heritage is the national heritage organisation for the Isle of Man.

The Isle of Man is not a formal part of the UK but the Island itself lies in the middle of the British Isles, set in the Irish sea between England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

The Island comprises 227 square miles (588 square kilometres) of beautiful, unspoilt historic countryside. It measures approximately 32 miles long by 12 miles wide.

The population of around 76,000 is largely accommodated in the four main towns, and over sixty per cent of the Island remains undeveloped.

The cultural influences for the Island originate from the indigenous Celtic peoples who were converted to Christianity by the early missionaries of the Celtic church around 500 AD. The Vikings arrived in the Island around 800 AD and the fusion of cultures took place which is still evident in the archaeology, language and place-names and Parliamentary traditions of the Island.

From Victorian times, the Island developed a thriving tourist industry based upon sand and sea, and much of the Victorian infrastructure remains, including one of the largest functioning networks of steam and electric railways.

The Manx language, one of the Gaelic languages, closer to Irish and Scottish than to Welsh, is still spoken in the Island by a minority, but the primary language is English.

The Island has its own Government, Tynwald, (derived from the Viking term for ‘assembly place’), which operates separately from the UK Government. Manx National Heritage is the statutory body of the Manx Government for museum and heritage operations throughout the Isle of Man.