When being on this island for too long, sometimes we forget how beautiful this Isle of Man really is. From coastal views to mountain views, historic landmarks to wildlife, the Isle of man was ranked the best place to live in the British Isles and 12^th best in the world according to a survey conducted by HSBC. Here is a list of reasons to remind you how lucky we are to call this place home.

1. The Isle of Man benefits from having the oldest continuous parliament in existence in the world today, Tynwald, and it’s stable political infrastructure makes it an excellent place to live and work. Our financial, business and digital sectors are growing daily and there are hundreds of job opportunities available across a variety of sectors. To further this point, the Isle of Man has an unemployment rate below 1% and a population of just over 90,000.
2. The Isle of Man has total independence from the United Kingdom on matters of direct taxation. There is low corporate and personal tax and no inheritance tax or capital gains tax and no stamp duty is payable for house purchases. However, the VAT on the Isle of Man still remains the same as in the UK. The Island has developed into a flourishing and internationally respected business centre with salaries higher than the UK by 19%, on average.
3. This island benefits from the most amazing views. It really does have the best of both worlds as you can get panoramic sea views or peaceful countryside views. The Isle of Man has a total of 24 beaches, with the most popular ones being Peel and port Erin. A drive to the beach is never more than 15 minutes away! Furthermore, there are a range of hills that stretches across the island, the highest of which is Snaefell at 621metres and between these hills lie well defined valleys. There are also 17 national glens.
4. Living on this island allows you to be slightly more environmentally friendly. We encourage residents to shop local. Produce are often grown on land or caught fresh from the sea and sold daily in super markets or at regular farmers markets.
5. Although it’s a small island, you are able to travel off island quite easily there are direct flights to mainland UK and Ireland which can direct you to other places in the world. The isle of man is less than an hour’s flight from London, home to some of the most successful businesses in the world, and recently awarded the prestigious biosphere status for its commitment to protecting wildlife and the environment, and once again named as the safest place in the British Isles. Furthermore, transportation around the island is easily done with convenient bus routes and times.
6. Finally, this island holds many events throughout the year likely the Manx music festival around April/ May, Mananan International Festival held in June, Tynwald day (known as the Manx National Day, two large agricultural shows; the Royal Manx Show in the north and south of the island and the biggest well known festival – the TT, that attracts huge numbers of visitors from across the world.
7. As an extra point as to why living on the Isle of Man is undoubtfully great, this island shares the same public holidays as the UK but also has two extra holidays. The 5^th of July, as mentioned before is the Manx national holiday – known as Tynwald day. Each year on that day, the Manx parliament meets in the open air of Tynwald hill at St Johns. Lastly, there is also a bank holiday for residents on the Friday of TT week. This is known as senior race day and is normally held in the first week of June.

In summary, it is clear that the quality of life we enjoy in the Isle of Man makes us an attractive destination for those looking to relocate to live and work, but it is also fantastic to see how competitive we are on a global scale in terms of political and economic stability, our wellbeing and family offering.

The team at Locate Isle of Man talk to people who have moved or are thinking about making the move on a daily basis. Those who have relocated repeatedly mention;  their joy at finding an improved way of life in a safe and welcoming community, the huge variety of activities in which to get involved outside work and people are often surprised by the job opportunities and career progression available.“  – Alison Teare, Marketing Manager, Locate Isle of Man