Experience days on the Isle of Man
A plain guide to off-road driving at South Barrule: what actually happens, who it suits, what to bring, and how it stacks up against the other things to do on the island.
Experience days start 19 October 2026. Book ahead for autumn. Earlier dates are unavailable.
What an off-road experience day is
You drive. That is the whole idea. You sit in the driver's seat of a Land Rover Defender 110, an instructor sits in the seat next to you, and you take the vehicle over an off-road course at South Barrule Quarry in the south of the Isle of Man. Climbs, descents, ruts, loose stone, side slopes. The instructor talks you through every section before you commit to it and is beside you the whole time. Nobody is timing you, nobody is scoring you, and if you want another go at something you get one.
It is not a passenger ride and it is not a race. It is closer to a driving lesson than a theme park, except the lesson is on a hill of loose rock and the point is to enjoy it. You do not need to have used low range or a diff lock before. By the end they know what both do and why.
There are three sessions. The Quarry Taster is 60 minutes in the seat and is a good introduction for a first-timer. The Off-Road Experience is two hours in the seat and covers the whole course at a pace where you can get a section wrong and go back for it. The Half Day One-to-One is three hours in the seat, and the whole morning or afternoon block is yours with nobody else booked into it, for people who want to go as deep into the techniques as they can.
All Terrain Academy is a member of the British Off Road Driving Association (BORDA). Experience days are BORDA-certified, and the same company runs professional 4x4 training for employers on the island, delivered by BORDA-qualified instructors. The fun days and the serious ones use the same vehicle and the same ground.
Who it suits
Almost anyone with a full driving licence. Here are a few reasons to give it a go.
A gift for someone on the island
Finding a driving experience gift on the Isle of Man used to mean a ferry or a flight. This one is about 15 minutes from the unit. A gift voucher covers any session, is valid for twelve months, and the person you give it to picks the date. It works for birthdays, Father's Day, Christmas, retirements, and the person who says they do not want anything.
Visitors to the island
If you are here for a week, the TT, a wedding or a work trip, a session fits into a morning or an afternoon and runs in most weather. We meet you in Douglas and take you out to the quarry, so you do not need your own car.
Locals who have run out of ideas
You have walked the glens, done the railways, and been to the Sound more times than you can count. This is something on the island you have not done, and it is not far.
New drivers
Freshly passed and never driven anything heavier than a hatchback. Off road, at walking pace, with an instructor beside you, is a good place to learn what a big vehicle does when the surface is loose. It builds confidence without traffic.
4x4 owners
You have owned one for years and never pressed the buttons. An hour on the course tells you what low range, the centre diff lock and hill descent are actually for, and when to use them.
Groups and teams
Stag and hen groups, families, and work teams. Drivers rotate through the Land Rover while everyone else watches from the assembly point. For a group, ask us about a team day and we quote on the numbers.
How it compares with other things to do on the island
The Isle of Man is good at outdoor days out. Most of them are better in sunshine. This one is not.
The island's best-known attractions are outside: the coastal paths, the glens, the steam and electric railways, the Snaefell Mountain Railway, the TT course, the beaches. All of them are worth doing, and all of them are a different day in the rain. A quarry session runs in most weather, and honestly the course is more interesting wet. If we ever have to call it off for safety, you pick a new date or take a full refund.
Compared with other driving experiences, the difference is that this is not a track and it is not a passenger seat. There is no supercar, no laps, no lap time. You are driving a working 4x4 slowly over ground that a normal car could not cross, and the skill is in reading the surface and letting the vehicle do the work. The focus is on control and confidence over challenging ground.
It is also short. A Taster is 60 minutes in the seat plus about 15 minutes each way to the quarry, so 90 minutes door to door. You can do it before lunch and still walk the Sound in the afternoon if the sun comes out.
| Session | Time in the seat | Good for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarry Taster | 60 minutes | Gifts, first-timers, a spare morning | £155 |
| Off-Road Experience | Two hours | The whole course, at your pace | £265 |
| Half Day One-to-One | Three hours, the whole block is yours | 4x4 owners, anyone who wants the block to themselves | £395 |
All experience prices include VAT, the vehicle, fuel, the instructor, the course and the drive out and back. One driver per session. Spectators come free.
The practical bits
You meet us at Unit 9, Springham Park, Spring Valley Industrial Estate, Douglas, IM2 2QU. Up the road from B&Q, the main Post Office and Office World. We drive out to South Barrule Quarry together, about 15 minutes each way. Anyone coming to watch gets directions to the assembly point.
South Barrule is a working government quarry that we have access to. It has an established off-road course, adapted to suit what we do. It is real ground, which is the point.
Sessions run in two blocks: mornings 09:00 to 12:30, afternoons 13:30 to 17:00. Request an available date and start time. We confirm by email after receiving your deposit. Every session includes the drive out to the quarry and back, about 15 minutes each way, so a Taster at 09:00 runs to 10:30. Arrive 10 minutes before your start.
Anyone with a full UK, Manx or international driving licence. Bring it with you; we need to see it before you drive. You need to be able to climb into a high vehicle without help. Zero tolerance on alcohol and drugs.
Your licence, a warm layer and a waterproof, and sturdy boots or trainers with closed toes. For the half day, a drink and something to eat. You will get muddy.
We drive in most weather. Rain makes the course better, not worse. If we cancel for safety, you reschedule or take a full refund. If you cancel because it is raining, that counts as your cancellation.
Welcome, and free. They sign in at the quarry assembly point, get the same safety briefing, sign the disclaimer, and stay where the instructor puts them. Tell us how many when you book, up to four.
Not at the moment. The Land Rover has two seats, yours and the instructor's. Passengers come back when the rear seats go in.
A 50% deposit by bank transfer holds the date; the details come with your booking code. Prices include VAT. The balance is paid on the day by cash, card or transfer. The booking terms are short and worth reading.
Booking it, or giving it
Pick a session and a day on the booking page, or buy a voucher and let them pick. If you are not sure which session, call 07624 406952 and we will tell you honestly.