Ferry services sail to four ports in the UK and Ireland

The Steam Packet Company sails between the island and Liverpool, Heysham in Lancashire, Dublin and Belfast.

The company, which has been operating for 175 years, said in a statement the �225 million sale included all vessels, buildings, land holdings and assets.

Macquarie, which has offices across Europe including London and Zurich, said it would be "business as usual".

War vessels

"The day to day operations of the business will continue to be run by local management by their base on the Isle of Man," said Jim Craig, head of Macquarie in Europe.

The company was set up to provide regular services from the island, as previous services were unreliable.

Its vessels and crews were actively involved in World War I and World War II.

The company was sold to the Australian financial group by Manchester-based Montagu Private Equity.