Many of us will have been to Langness at some point but, if you are anything like me, you will have immediately gravitated towards Fort Island.

The lure of Derby Fort and the chapel means we can easily neglect the other end of this fascinating peninsula.

But, if you head down there, try turning right towards the lighthouse and you will be rewarded. Of course, if you have time, it is perfectly possible to take in the whole area in one visit.

Last week, I decided to focus on the righthand side of Langness. To extend the walk, I parked in the layby not far after turning in from Derbyhaven. But you can drive right through to a carpark fairly close to the lighthouse.

Once parked up, I headed along the lane which is initially surrounding by golf holes. But before long the views improve and you can look across the bay to Castletown with King William’s College and Castle Rushen clearly visible.

After a short distance there is an eerie-looking dilapidated building, possibly a farmhouse or linked to mining and opposite a memorial to Manx ornithologist Henry Madoc.

During my walk I was accompanied by the haunting but beautiful call of the curlew while I also saw oystercatchers and other wading birds feeding at low tide. There is a wealth of habitats here with saltmarshes, grassland, rockpools and seaweed-strewn shoreline.

I then came to the entrance to the Area of Special Scientific Interest and a distant tower immediately caught my eye.

I headed along the interweaving paths to the tower. To my surprise you could enter it with a bit of a clamber up.

An even greater surprise was the stone steps that spiralled up towards the top but they were very narrow, uneven, eroded and looked slippery. I’m not one for too much health and safety but I was rather shocked by the easy access of something rather dangerous.

I thought it was simply a folly but I later learnt it was called the Herring Tower and actually served an important role as a landmark to warn vessels of the dangerous rocks nearby.

Afterwards, I made my way to the lighthouse which looks pristine. You cannot enter unfortunately but there is a path around the perimeter.

I walked over towards the rocks and was rewarded with a lovely sight of many seals taking a breather there. There must have been dozens but I made sure to keep my distance and not disturb them.

I then stumbled across some fascinating circular structures which looked like stone age hot tubs with half a dozen lined up. I later discovered they were gun emplacements built during the Second World War.

There was also another curious stone structure which was a building within a building. It turned out to be an explosives store with a double wall for protection.

I carried on along the coast as far as I could but the land becomes very fissured and difficult to navigate.

I had two further lovely wildlife encounters. There was heron standing statuesque close inshore and one the way back I also saw one of the largest rabbits I have seen and, no it wasn’t a hare! It reminded my of General Woundwort from Watership Down.

As I returned I was intrigued by an archway which I had to investigate but it meant ploughing through seaweed.

That was my final diversion before heading back to the car. What I thought would be a 40-minute stroll turned into a fascinating two-hour adventure.