Anyone on the Isle of Man will tell you that the word ‘rat’ must never be said out loud – it brings bad luck to the island.

Another island ritual is greeting fairies, for luck, when crossing Fairy Bridge between Douglas and Castletown. It’s said that taxi drivers stop if their passenger doesn’t greet the fairies, and motorcycle racers at the annual TT races take the ritual seriously to avoid crashes.

It’s all strangely fitting in this quaint, hauntingly beautiful island.

The Isle of Man, in the middle of the Irish Sea between the north-west of England and Northern Ireland, is about 30 miles long and ten miles wide, with a population of just under 80,000.

I flew there in a Dornier 228, a small twin turboprop plane. In 45 minutes we’d landed and what had been a grey morning in Bradford became a gloriously sunny spring day, showing off the island’s spectacular beauty.

Driving along the coast road, it felt like being back in a gentler age. The landscape was breathtaking, from rolling hills to dramatic coastal scenery, sandy bays, pretty seaside towns and secluded glens.

Castles and ancient monuments spanning 10,000 years are a reminder of the island’s early history, evident in Celtic stone crosses and Viking burial sites.

Our friendly guide, Ann Hartley, is from Bradford and has lived in the Isle of Man for 17 years. As well as the clean air and unspoiled natural beauty, she loves the sense of community. Crime is low and there’s little traffic congestion – “you hear it on the news if there’s a three-car queue in Douglas,” she joked.

The island’s sweeping rural beauty makes it popular for film shoots. It has doubled as a Cornish fishing community, Irish landscapes, Victorian London, and even the Caribbean.

Ann regularly bumps into Hollywood A-listers – including Johhny Depp in the supermarket! “He was filming The Libertine, I saw him a couple of times,” said Ann. “I saw Renee Zellweger in a coffee shop – she was filming Miss Potter; set in the Lake District but shot here. It’s not unusual to come across a famous face here.”

One of the best-known films made on the island is Waking Ned. We had coffee at Niarbyl Cafe, a pretty bistro overlooking a beach where much of the movie was shot. Beyond the bay, where whales, seals, porpoises and basking sharks can be spotted, we could see Ireland’s Mountains of Mourne in the distance.

We drove to nearby Peel, where quaint narrow streets and a harbour filled with fishing boats and pleasure cruisers lie in sight of the ruins of Peel Castle, dating back to the 11th century. We were led into the crypt, where Quakers were imprisoned during their persecution on the island. You could even be thrown in there for playing the fiddle on a Sunday! Scratch marks are an eerie reminder of the old prison days.

The harbour is filled with the aroma from Moore’s Curers, the island’s world-famous kipper smokers.

Freshly-caught fish and seafood are abundant in Isle of Man restaurants and we enjoyed fish and chips at The Waterfall, a pretty hotel and pub in Glen Maye.

A half-hour drive over the hills took us to the other side of the island and into Douglas, the capital. It’s a vibrant town, with bustling shops, restaurants, the splendid Victorian Gaiety Theatre and a regenerated harbour.

All too soon it was the end of my day trip and I was back in the Dornier 228. Visiting the Isle of Man was literally a breath of fresh air and I felt rejuvenated, as if I’d spent the day in a spa.

It takes less than an hour to get there and you can get around the island in a day, by car, but to make the best of its attractions – including the Great Laxey Wheel, the world’s largest working water wheel; the Snaefell Mountain Railway, from where on a clear day you can see Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales; or outdoor activities, from golf to mountain biking – you’d need a longer stay.

My only disappointment was that I didn’t see a single Manx cat. Maybe next time.

Factfile

* Emma Clayton flew from Leeds-Bradford International Airport to Ronaldsway Airport with Manx2.com. Single fare flights start at £29.95.

* For more information, ring 0871 2000440 or visit Manx2.com * For more about the Isle of Man, visit isleofman.com