Everywhere you go on the Isle of Man , you 'll see Manx flags - three conjoined white legs on a red background . For the Manx , the Triskelion is a powerful symbol of independent spirit and endurance , the motto being : 'Whichever way you throw , it will stand . ' Lately , it 's become a symbol for me too , of three islands . There 's the island I 've called home for the past 11 years , the island I write about in my novels , and somewhere in between , perhaps , a deeper truth about this beautiful rock in the middle of the Irish Sea . Independent spirit : The harbour at Ramsey , the Isle of Man 's second biggest town . Legend : A carving of the sea god Manannan . Can a place with a reputation for being safe and sleepy really also be home to spies , killers and evil spirits that feature in my books ? I like to think so , and here are a few reasons why . The weather might be mixed but the landscape is dramatic , whether seen from the sea , walking the coast path , or taking the electric railway to the top of the island 's solitary mountain , Snaefell ( from where , on a clear day , you can see the distant humped blurs of Scotland , England , Ireland and Wales ) . The rich variety of locations is something I 've grown to appreciate in my books , and something the Isle of Man film industry has thrived on during the past decade . Need a spooky cottage ? The island has plenty . The same goes for lush glens and lonely coves . But the island provides more than great backdrops . It 's compact , with a population in the region of 85,000 , and while that makes it ideally manageable for a weekend visit , it also fosters something all writers rely on - rumours and hearsay . My first Isle of Man-set thriller , Safe House , grew out of a rumour I heard almost as soon as I moved here - namely , that it 's used as a place to relocate people enrolled in UK witness protection schemes . Is the rumour true ? I do n't know for certain , but it seems credible to me . The island is isolated and has lots of out-of-the-way spots . The Isle of Man also its own very distinct identity . Where else could the population swell for a fortnight every June in celebration of a controversial motorbike festival that pits man against machine over a course run on almost 38 miles of public roads ? The Isle of Man is isolated , with some out of the way spots , lush glens and lonely coves . Racing glory : Every summer the island hosts the world-famous TT races , with motorbikes reaching 200mph . The TT ( Tourist Trophy ) races have been in existence since 1907 , with recent competitors recording top speeds of 200mph . But while most islanders are proud of the long tradition of racing greats who have tamed the course , the event is not without its critics . Like many others , I find it hard to reconcile the number of fatalities that have occurred with the racing glory , but I ca n't fail to admire how brave the riders must be . Another local oddity is Hop-tunaa - the Isle of Man 's version of Halloween . Taking place every October 31 , it shares many similarities with Halloween , but is still marked by some unique Manx twists . For example , Hop-tu-naa traditionalists carve lanterns from turnips instead of pumpkins , and children call from door-to-door singing nonsense songs instead of trick-or-treating . In fact , one of the songs was striking enough to become the basis for my new thriller , Dark Tides . It 's a short step from rumours and hearsay to myths and legends , and the Isle of Man has some of the most interesting I 've ever heard : from the sea god , Manannan , who cloaks the isle in a veil of mist to protect it from outside threats , to the Moddey Dhoo , a big black hound that haunts Peel Castle . Do n't believe me ? Why not come to visit and experience it all for yourself ? Isle of Man Steam Packet Co steam-packet.com 01624 661661 offers crossings from Liverpool and Heynsham to Douglas . One-way fares start at £62 for a car and two passengers . For further information go to visitisleofman.com Dark Tides by Chris Ewan is out now .
Author mark Ewan sums up why he loves his Manx boat . port of Man ##boat industry is booming , with rich variety of locations on offer . Famous TT boats attract vast crowds to the island every year .