Ramsey was the landing place of the Viking warrior Godred Crovan around 1079: he was determined to subjugate the Island and make it his kingdom.

On Sky Hill, two miles (3 kilometres) inland, an important battle was fought; this resulted in a period of Viking rule, influencing the development of the Manx nation and many of the traditions that continue today.

Godred's son, King Olaf, was murdered by his nephew Reginald near Ramsey harbour in 1154, and two years later the Chronicle of Man states that the ships of Somerled came to Ramsey during a conflict which would lead to the division of the kingdom of Man and to Somerled taking the Kingship of the Isles (the Hebrides).

On 17 May 1313 Robert the Bruce landed at Ramsey "with a multitude of ships" from the fleet of his friend, Angus Og Macdonald, Lord of the Isles,[5] on his way to capturing Castle Rushen.

Captain François Thurot, a then-famous French privateer, and notorious scourge of the British fleet, was defeated off the north-west of the Island in February 1760.

In previous years Thurot had traded between Ireland and the Isle of Man and had been well liked by many Manx people, and regarded as an intelligent gentleman.

During World War II, thirty boarding houses on the North Shore were requisitioned for the Mooragh Internment Camp.

This is because Ramsey is in a 'rain shadow' just to the north-east of the hills at North Barrule, on the edge of the northern plain of the Island.

Rain clouds coming from the prevailing wind direction, the south-west, tend to lose most of their moisture over the hills before they reach Ramsey.

The port was formerly used as an operating base by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for both cargo and passenger services.

The company operated scheduled services to Liverpool and Whitehaven in addition to which during the summer months steamers would call at the Queen's Pier whilst en-route to Douglas from Belfast and Ardrossan.

The port is the headquarters of the local shipping line Mezeron, as it was formerly for the Ramsey Steamship Company, until it ceased trading in 2014.

Ramsey serves as the main terminus for the northern network of Bus Vannin, providing local services to Andreas,Ballaugh,Jurby, Sulby and Bride.

Services from Hall Caine to Glasgow resumed in early June, aimed primarily at the increased traffic as a result of the TT Races which continued throughout the month.

The Ramsey Ratepayers Association petitioned the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Sir Montague Butler, with a view to his intervening to preserve commercial air operations from Hall Caine.

McGeow, the final commercial flight from Hall Caine Airport departed at 4:15 pm on Saturday, 2 October 1937.

[14][15] Ramsey (Plaza) tram station is the northern terminus of the Manx Electric Railway, and Ramsey is the start of the mountain section of the Snaefell Mountain Course used for the annual Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races.

The Millennium Way footpath ends 1 mi (1.6 km) from the centre of the town on the A3 road at the foot of Sky Hill.

Queen Victoria's Royal Yacht anchored in the bay, when heavy seas made it impossible to enter Douglas Harbour.

The Grove Museum of Victorian Life (Manx National Heritage) is located in the northern suburbs on the A9 (Andreas Road).

Wildlife around Ramsey reflects the mix of landscape: with sandy coast and estuary at Ramsey, wooded glens and rocky coasts just to the south-east, and hills and moors to the south-west, plus Ballaugh Curragh (wooded swamp) and productive farmland inland, and isolated sandy shores and dunes to the north.

The inner harbour footpath (toward Mooragh Park) is a scrap of rich original saltmarsh habitat plus many land plants (also a sun trap).

Just south-east of Ramsey, in Maughold, are rugged wooded glens open to the public, and rocky coasts, headlands and beaches, with much of the area accessible by road, footpath, and electric tram.

There are two separate live folk music nights at the Mitre Hotel, on Thursdays (singaround) and Fridays (Irish session).

The busiest times of year are Shennagys Jiu in March, Cyclefest in May, TT fortnight in late May / early June, (especially Ramsey Sprint Day, when thousands of biking fans visit to watch motorbike drag sprints on Mooragh Promenade), Manx Grand Prix/ Manx Classic motorbike race fortnight in late August, Ramsey National Week in early July, with many music and culture events, and 'Ramsey Rocks' held on the Quayside one Friday in summer.