Reporter James Campbell visits Scarlett – on of his favourite places in the Isle of Man – with an alternative look at how you can spend your time there.

I think it is fair to say most people know about Scarlett just south of Castletown.

But many who do visit just pass along the path as they take the field walk to Pooil Vaaish. It is a lovely walk but I am always drawn to Scarlett Point itself and the fascinating rocks.

I went there recently and decided to park up in the centre of Castletown and walk along so I could get a few steps in without traipsing along muddy fields.

But my destination was Scarlett itself. There is always something rewarding here whatever the weather or season.

On wild days when the tide is in you can admire the waves crash over the rocks from a safe distance.

But it is most rewarding on a calmer day when the tide is out, and you can venture further out onto the rocks. An obvious disclaimer here – the rocks can be slippery and uneven so take care!

I’m no geologist but I am fascinated by the rock formations. The area is dominated by limestone rocks which have been quarried for centuries.

Initially the rocks were mined near to the sea before a large quarry was created in the 19th century which is now a waterfilled feature behind the visitors’ centre and home to swans, ducks, moorhens and other waterfowl. During the summer months there is the incredible sight of water lilies in bloom.

The limestone was formed around 330 million years ago, when the Isle of Man lay thousands of miles south of here, near the equator.

The area is also great for fossils. You can spot the remains of crinoids, tiny animals related to starfish, frozen into the rock millions of years ago.

About 65 million years ago the earth’s crust cracked open, allowing molten rock or magma to flow up which left its mark in places like Scarlett with stacks and layers of rock. Many of the volcanic rocks have tiny holes in them where bubbles of gas were released in the molten lava.

Scarlett is also a great place for bird watching with herons, oyster catchers, plovers and cormorants regularly seen. I also spotted a little egret which have become more common in recent years.

But geology and wildlife are not the only elements of interest at this beauty spot.

In an island so rich in folklore it will not be a surprise to find Scarlett has its own other-worldly presence. Although, a shallow and fluctuating pool would not be the obvious backdrop.

But, on the flat rocks there is a pool, often heart-shaped which is reportedly visited by a ghostly presence.

Prior to the Second World War, children coming down to play and swim in the shallow pool would spot a woman dressed in green watching close by. But this was not a malevolent presence but the youngsters felt she was a protective figure.

You can also not fail to notice the almost fluorescent orange tower that overlooks Scarlett Point.

I remember climbing the tower in the mid-1990s when it was all but derelict and you could get amazing views.

It was once a coastguard tower but it was brought back to life in the early 2000s by Ronnie Allcote who turned it into a HAM radio station complete with all the gear, some furniture and even a little kitchen down below.

If you walk a little further on and then clamber down the rocks – it is relatively flat in places – to the water’s edge and look right you can spot the Drinking Dragon and Chicken Rock in the distance.

So next time you take a walk from Scarlett to Pooil Vaaish or Gansey then maybe think about exploring Scarlett Point a bit more. It is not only beautiful but also fascinating.