Two of the island’s well-loved heritage sites have made it into the top three ’outstanding’ visitor attractions of a UK competition.

The Great Laxey Mine Railway and its special Hop tu Naa event have made the cut along with the Douglas horse trams.

South Tynedale Railway in Alston, northern England, is also on the shortlist for the Heritage Railway Association Award for an Outstanding Visitor Attraction (Small Groups).

The winner will be announced tomorrow (Saturday).

Brian Carr, who has volunteered at the Great Laxey Railway for around a year, shared his delight at the news.

’To make the top three is really a big achievement,’ the Laxey resident said.

’Even if we don’t win it will still be a big thing.

’And to have not one but two sites from the Isle of Man shows we can punch our way above the rest.’

He added that there are 11 volunteers currently after the tragic loss of one member who died recently due to cancer.

’Hopefully it will be a nice commemorative thing for him if we win,’ he said.

Mr Carr will be attending the award ceremony at the Burlington Hotel in Birmingham with his wife Melanie.

The trip is sponsored by the railway and the Steam Packet.

Established in the early 1820s, the railway’s terminus is located at the Valley Gardens, which was once the site of the Great Laxey Mine’s washing floors.

Passengers travel in a small carriage, hauled by a replica of one of the original steam engines through the island’s only railway tunnel and along the line which once carried wagons loaded with the metal ores.

Mr Carr said: ’The Mines Yard terminus of the railway is just a short walk from The Laxey Wheel, the Lady Isabella.

In 2006, the former Snaefell Mine waterwheel was restored to working order on the Valley Gardens.

’No other railway can boast of a waterwheel at each end!’

The railway’s Hop tu Naa trains ran during October 21, 27 and 28, carrying 1,750 people over the three days.

During the event members of the railway dressed up as witches, ghosts and ghouls and would startle visitors by jumping out along the route. Eerie effects were added to the railway with fog and ’scary’ lighting.

The island’s horse trams in Douglas date back to 1876 when Lowton-born man Thomas Lightfoot took advantage of the tourist trade.

The historic site had its 140th anniversary in 2016.

This popular tourist attraction is scheduled to open from April 25 to November 3 this year, but this depends on works being carried out to revamp the promenade.

The changes will see part of the tram line become a single track between the Broadway junction and the Sea Terminal.