2020 Irish & Scottish Sampler - 8 Days/7 Nights

IRISH & SCOTTISH SAMPLER 8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS / 13 MEALS

Day 1: DUBLIN ARRIVAL & DALKEY HERITAGE TOWN
Tour begins 2:00 PM at your Dublin hotel. Visit Dalkey Castle, built in 1390, where 500 years of history are brought to life with costumed actors in a fun and interactive tour. Your leisurely stroll in this heritage town will follow in the footsteps of international best-selling writer Maeve Binchy to the Memorial Garden in her honor and past the favorite pub of U2’s Bono, a local resident. Enjoy a welcome drink at your castle hotel with your group before dinner.
(D)

Day 2: DUBLIN TOUR & TAYLOR’S THREE ROCK PUB
Take a panoramic tour of central Dublin to see rows of stately Georgian houses lining elegant squares. Pass Trinity College and then Leinster House, where both houses of the government convene. In the afternoon, take the Hop-On, Hop-Off tour for independent exploration of Dublin and admission to your choice of one of Dublin’s top attractions: Guinness Storehouse, GPO Witness History, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, or Teeling Distillery. In the evening, head to Taylors Three Rock for an Irish night with a traditional dinner and lively show.
(B, D)

Day 3: BRÚ NA BÓINNE VISITOR CENTRE & BELFAST
Visit the Brú na Bóinne Visitors Centre to learn about the nearby passage tombs of Newgrange and Knowth, followed by a visit to one of these ancient tombs, constructed over 5,000 years ago. Embark on a panoramic tour of Belfast to see Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square, and the shipyards where RMS Titanic was built. Visit the stately Hillsborough Castle, the home of Queen Elizabeth when she visits Northern Ireland.
(B, D)

Day 4: Giant’s Causeway & Crosskeys Inn
Travel along part of the Nine Glens of Antrim, a scenic region with lovely views of mountains, valleys, and coastline. Discover the Giant’s Causeway, a natural wonder formed over 60 million years ago by cooling lava that has given rise to many legends. Enjoy lunch with your group in Ireland’s oldest thatched roof pub, the Crosskeys Inn.
(B,L)

Day 5: FERRY TO SCOTLAND & PITLOCHRY
Take a ferry ride to Scotland and head to the outskirts of Glasgow. Enjoy a visit to Pollok House, a grand country house that gives a real flavor of life in the 1930s. Continue northwards into the magnificent scenery of the Scottish Highlands to your historic hotel in Pitlochry. The hotel still retains many original features, with unique guest rooms and spacious grounds.
(B, D)

Day 6: WHISKY TASTING & ST ANDREWS
Tour Blair Athol Distillery to see how whisky is distilled and sample a “wee dram.” Continue to St Andrews on the east coast. This town is renowned as the “Home of Golf” and for its university, Scotland’s oldest. Take a short walking tour and spend some time exploring on your own. August 3-24 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade.
(B)

Day 7: EDINBURGH TOUR & CASTLE
Head out on a sightseeing tour of Edinburgh to see the wide streets and elegant mansions of the 200-year-old Georgian New Town, built to expand the cramped conditions found in the old city. Walk along part of the Royal Mile, where medieval houses are clustered closely together. Tour the imposing Edinburgh Castle, where the Crown Jewels of Scotland are housed. In the evening, enjoy a traditional Scottish dinner followed by a lively show of bagpipes and Highland dancing.
(B, D)

Day 8: TOUR ENDS EDINBURGH
Your tour ends after breakfast.
(B)

B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner

All components of this tour (hotels, visits and attractions) for 2020 itineraries are subject to change until finalized in September 2019.

• Expect an unforgettable evening of music, ceremony, theater, and dance with reserved seats for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 3 – 24 departures
• Visit Brú na Boinne to learn about the Neolithic people who built the ancient passage tombs at Newgrange and Knowth – older than the pyramids and mysterious marvels to this day.

Trip Highlights:

• Blair Athol Distillery

  Blair Athol Distillery

  Blair Athol Distillery is one of the oldest working distilleries in Scotland. After enjoying a leisurely conducted tour, you can mull over the distinctive character of the finished article as you sip your dram of Blair Athol 12 Year Old.
• Dalkey Castle

  Dalkey Castle

  Come and enjoy the award-winning Dalkey Castle & Heritage Centre just south of Dublin city, along a breath-taking coastline. For your enjoyment, learning and fun in our a fortified town house (small castle), early Christian Church & Graveyard
• 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.
• Pollok House

  Pollok House

  Pollok House was where it all began, back in 1931. The discussions for the founding of the National Trust for Scotland took place inside Pollok’s cedar-panelled smoking room. Now the house is undoubtedly one of the grandest in our care.
• Scenic Glens of Antrim

  Scenic Glens of Antrim

  The Glens of Antrim, known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim and an area of outstanding natural beauty. It comprises nine valleys, that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The main towns and villages are Ballycastle, Cushendun, Cushendall, Waterfoot, Carnlough and Glenarm.
• St Andrews

  St Andrews

  Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. By the 19th century it was part of the way of life for many local people and golf. Golf still plays a major part in the culture and economy of St Andrews today.
• Hillsborough Castle

Dining Experiences:

• 7 breakfasts (B), 1 lunch (L) at Crosskeys Inn and 5 dinners (D) including Taylors Three Rock Pub dinner and traditional show and a Scottish evening in Edinburgh.

Hotels:

• IE-DUB-FCA | Dublin (2 nights)
• NI-BEL-MHB | Belfast (2 nights)
• GB-PES-ATH | Pitlochry (1 night)
• GB-EDI-AIT | Edinburgh (2 nights)