One of the Mountain Course’s most recognisable landmarks may owe its famous name not to history or design, but to a simple reporting mistake.

Kate’s Cottage, located at the 34th Milestone near Keppel Gate on the Snaefell Mountain Course, is now firmly established as part of TT folklore.

However, its origins are said to lie in a shepherd’s dwelling originally known as Tate’s Cottage.

The property was named after mountain shepherd Cecil Rhodes Tate and his wife Gladys, who lived in the area during the 1920s and 1930s while tending livestock on the slopes above the course.

Over time, however, the name is believed to have been altered through a series of misinterpretations in reporting and broadcasting.

One widely repeated account suggests that a 1930s BBC radio commentator mistakenly referred to it as ‘Kate’s Cottage’ during coverage of the TT races, a slip that was then picked up by audiences and subsequent reports.

At the same time, printed references are said to have repeatedly mis-stated the name, with typographical errors gradually reinforcing the incorrect version.

As the TT grew in prominence and coverage expanded, the altered name continued to appear in programmes, reports and commentary, embedding itself in the sport’s language and public memory.

Over time, ‘Kate’s Cottage’ became the accepted form, eventually overtaking the original ‘Tate’s Cottage’ entirely.

Today, the name is officially recognised and used on maps and course references, despite its origins being rooted in error rather than intention.

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