2019 Scots Irish Tour - 15 Days/14 Nights

The Scots Irish Tour 15 days/ 14 nights / 26 meals

Day 1: Edinburgh & Royal Yacht Britannia
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Edinburgh hotel. Tour the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former floating home of the Queen on many of her travels. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dinner.


Day 2: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
See the highlights of central Edinburgh including the bustling Princes Street and the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town.” Walk along part of the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The remainder of the day is free to relax or explore. Enjoy a Scottish evening with dining and a lively show with bagpipes, kilts and Highland dancing. The August 4th - 20th departures watch the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade.
(B, D)

Day 3: Blair Castle & Highlands
Head through the scenic countryside of Perthshire to visit Blair Castle. Enjoy a tour of Blair Athol Distillery to see whisky production and sample a dram. In Pitlochry, spend some free time exploring and have lunch independently. Continue through majestic Highland scenery to Inverness (Sunday departures) or Nairn (Tuesday departures).
(B, D)

Day 4: Isle of Skye & Clan Donald Centre
Travel alongside Loch Ness and through the Highlands, pausing for photos at the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle. Cross to the Isle of Skye by bridge and visit the Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle. Return to the mainland by ferry and take the “Road to the Isles” through some majestic Highland scenery, stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument.
(B, D)

Day 5: Glencoe & Rabbie Burns
Enjoy views of the magnificent Highlands as you travel through Glencoe and along the shore of Loch Lomond. Stop in Alloway to visit the poet Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Embark on a short ferry ride to Belfast.
(B, D)

Day 6: Titanic Belfast & Crosskeys Inn
At Titanic Belfast, delve into the history of the famous liner. Walk with a local guide to see the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square and Victorian buildings, including the Opera House and the Crown Liquor Saloon. Your afternoon is free to explore. In the evening, visit Crosskeys Inn for dinner and entertainment.
(B, D)

Day 7: Giant’s Causeway & Derry’s Walls
Enjoy the scenic route of the Nine Glens of Antrim, known for views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns, and pause for photos at the Dunluce Castle ruins. Head to Derry for a walking tour with a local guide to see the 17th- century city walls and the Diamond, the main central square.
(B, D)

Day 8: Glenveagh National Park & Kilronan Castle
Visit Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair built Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Enjoy a guided tour and stroll the extensive gardens. Spend free time in Donegal and have lunch independently, then head to Belleek Pottery to watch skilled craftspeople create delicate, highly decorative pieces. Travel to the luxurious Kilronan Castle with time to relax before dinner in the castle’s fine restaurant.
(B, D)

Day 9: Arigna Mining & Carrick on Shannon
Visit the Arigna Mining Centre to experience what life was like for a coal miner in the Arigna Valley. Then enjoy some free time in the historic town of Carrick-on-Shannon, situated on the River Shannon, and relax in your castle hotel before dinner. .
(B, D)

Day 10: Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet
Head to Galway and join a local guide for a gentle walking tour. See the narrow streets, the medieval city walls, and Lynch’s Castle. Travel through the Burren, an area of limestone hills that supports a wide range of flora. View the Cliffs of Moher, soaring high above the Atlantic. In the evening, head to Knappogue or Bunratty Castle for a medieval-style banquet.
(B, D)

Day 11: Dingle Peninsula & Killarney
Take a ferry across the River Shannon Estuary to discover the Dingle Peninsula. Take in views from Slea Head at the westernmost tip. Stop in Dingle to explore and sip an Irish coffee at the South Pole Inn. Head to Killarney, a town settled beside three lakes in the shadow of Ireland’s highest mountains.
(B, D)

Day 12: Killarney & Jaunting Car Ride
Enjoy a horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle for views of Lough Leane, Killarney’s largest lake. Head to Kenmare for lunch. Travel along part of the Ring of Kerry for breathtaking vistas of mountains, cliffs, and beaches. Immerse yourself in farm life at Kissane Sheep Farm and see dogs herding sheep. Return to Killarney for a free evening.
(B, L)

Day 13: Blarney Castle & Dublin
Visit Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone or stroll through the gardens. Treat yourself to Irish goods at the Blarney Woollen Mills. Travel through the rich dairy country of Cork and Tipperary, past the gentle slopes of the Galtee Mountains. Arrive in Dublin and enjoy a festive dinner at the Abbey Tavern followed by traditional entertainment.
(B, D)

Day 14: Dublin Sightseeing
Explore Dublin at your own pace with an independent Dublin open-top bus tour and a visit to one of Dublin’s top attractions -- Guinness Storehouse, Teeling Distillery, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or the General Post Office Museum.
(B)

Day 15: Tour Ends in Dublin
Your program ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

Authentic Local Experiences:

• Reserved seats for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 4 – 20 departures.
• Step aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia and see behind the scenes of the Queen’s former floating home.
• Sip an Irish coffee at the South Pole Inn where you’ll learn about Tom Crean, an Irish explorer who journeyed to the South Pole.

Dining Experiences:

• 14 breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) and 11 dinners (D) including a Scottish evening in Edinburgh, and a festive Medieval castle banquet.

Trip Highlights:

• Arigna Mining Experience

  Arigna Mining Experience

  Arigna Mining Experience center was developed to preserve the energy heritage of the Arigna Valley and to ensure that Arigna maintains its link with Energy themes: Past, Present & Future. This Energy Centre provides visitors with a unique insight into what coal mining life was like in the Arigna Valley, since its beginning in the 1700's until closure in 1990.
• Blarney Castle

  Blarney Castle

  Built nearly 600 years ago by one of Ireland’s greatest chieftains, Cormac MacCarthy, this stronghold has been attracting attention ever since. Millions have flocked to Blarney to kiss the legendary Stone of Eloquence, found at the top of the tower, making it one of Ireland’s greatest treasures.
• Cliffs of Moher

  Cliffs of Moher

  One of Ireland’s top visitor attractions, the cliffs are 700 feet high and extend for 5 miles over the Atlantic Ocean on the western seaboard of County Clare. O’Brien’s Tower stands proudly on a headland and one can see the Aran Islands, Galway Bay and Connemara. The cliffs are home to major colonies of cliff nesting seabirds.
• Edinburgh Castle

  Edinburgh Castle

  The rock on which today’s castle stands has been a stronghold for over 3000 years and Edinburgh Castle has dominated its surroundings for centuries. See the 12th century St. Margaret’s Chapel, the monumental great hall of James IV, opened in 1511, the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny.
• Giant's Causeway

  Giant's Causeway

  The Giant's Causeway, renowned for its hexagonal basalt columns, was created from a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. It is Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ireland's most popular visitor attractions. It is steeped in myth and legend, especially about the mighty giant, Finn McCool.
• Glenveagh Castle & National Park

  Glenveagh Castle & National Park

  Glenveagh Castle is a 19th century castellated mansion and was built between 1867 and 1873. Its construction in a remote mountain setting was inspired by the Victorian idyll of a romantic highland retreat.
• Isle of Skye

  Isle of Skye

  The Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides. The island is dominated by the Cuillin Hills and is often referred to as the “Misty Isle”. It is associated with Bonnie Prince Charlie who fled there after the Battle of Culloden.
• Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
• Royal Yacht Britannia

  Royal Yacht Britannia

  Home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family for over 40 years, this intimate yacht sailed around the world. Now berthed in Edinburgh, you can discover this most special of royal residences.
• Titanic Belfast

  Titanic Belfast

  Opened in April 2012 to commemorate the centenary of the sinking of this iconic ship, this new visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic from conception and construction right through the maiden voyage and tragic ending.

Hotels:

• Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club | near Edinburgh (2)
• Columba Hotel | Inverness or Muthu Newton Hotel | Nairn (1)
  
• Isles of Glencoe Hotel | Ballachulish (1)
• Europa Hotel | Belfast (2)
• Station House Hotel | Letterkenny (1)
• Kilronan Castle | Ballyfarnon (2)
• Temple Gate Hotel | Ennis (1)
• Killarney Towers Hotel or Killarney Plaza Hotel | Killarney(2)
• Clayton Hotel Burlington Road | Dublin (2)