15 Day The Scots Irish & More

Tour Highlights

• Welcome Dinner in Edinburgh
• Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
• Burlington Cabaret
• Royal Yacht Britannia
• Culloden Battlefield
• Cliffs of Moher
• Jaunting Car Ride

Your Hotels

Stay at the following (or similar):

• Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel, Edinburgh (2 nights)
• Columba Hotel, Inverness (1 night)
• Isles of Glencoe Hotel, Ballachulish (1 night)
• Europa Hotel, Belfast (2 nights)
• Station House Hotel, Letterkenny (2 nights)
• Kilronan Castle Hotel, Ballyfarnon (1 night)
• Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis (1 night)
• Killarney Towers Hotel, Killarney (2 nights)
• Burlington Hotel, Dublin (1 or 2 nights)

Tour Includes

• Group transfers at start and end of tour
• Sightseeing by luxury coach
• Professional tour director
• 13 or 14 nights in hotels listed below
• Full breakfast daily except on day 1 (B)
• 12 dinners (D) including
• Heights Restaurant with views of Edinburgh Castle
• Bunratty Castle Medieval Banquet
• “Ragus” cabaret and dinner at the Burlington Hotel
• 9 table d’hôte dinners
• Welcome get-together drink
• Tours of Edinburgh and Belfast with local guides
• Ceilidh with singers, piper and dancers
• Edinburgh Military Tattoo on August 5 to 19 departures
• Sheepdog trials at Leault Farm
• Ferry from Isle of Skye and from Scotland to Ireland
• Walking tour of Derry with a local guide
• Horse-drawn jaunting car ride in Killarney
• Dublin open-top bus tour with a visit and drink at Guinness Storehouse or Old Jameson Distillery
• Visits and admissions to Royal Yacht Britannia, Edinburgh Castle, Culloden Battlefield Visitor Centre, Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle, Burns National Heritage Park, Titanic Quarter, Mount Stewart House & Gardens, Giant’s Causeway, Glenveagh Castle & Gardens, Belleek Pottery Factory, W. B. Yeats’ Grave, Strokestown Park House & Famine Museum, Cliffs of Moher, Blasket Centre, Blarney Castle and Blarney Woollen Mills
• Deluxe flight bag, ticket wallet, luggage tags & strap
• All local taxes, hotel service charges & porterage for one suitcase per person

Itinerary

Day 1: Edinburgh & “Britannia”

Your trip starts in Edinburgh Airport with a group transfer to your hotel, departing at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. At 2:00 pm tour the Royal Yacht “Britannia”, former floating home of The Queen. Learn about famous guests and international state visits made by the Royal Family. Enjoy a welcome drink at your hotel and dine at the Heights Restaurant with views of Edinburgh Castle. (D)

Day 2: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour

Explore Edinburgh to see the elegant mansions of the Georgian 200-year-old “New Town” and the medieval townhouses along the Royal Mile. Learn about many prominent Scottish inventors, doctors and writers. Finish your tour at Edinburgh Castle to see historic buildings and enjoy splendid views of Edinburgh. The balance of the day is free for independent exploring, shopping and dining. On August 5 to 19 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)

Day 3: Sheepdog Trials & Culloden

Drive into the Highlands to visit Leault Farm where dogs herd sheep and ducks through various obstacles. Tour Culloden Moor Visitor Centre to walk around the battlefield where, on 16th April 1746, British Government forces defeated the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie and ended hopes of restoring the Jacobite Stuarts to the British throne. After dinner enjoy a ceilidh, traditional Scottish music, in your hotel. (B, D)

Day 4: Isle of Skye & Clan Donald Centre

Drive through wild Highland scenery to cross the bridge to the Isle of Skye, pausing for photos at the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle. Drive through part of the island and visit the Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle to discover the history of the powerful Lords of the Isles. Return to the mainland by ferry and take the “Road to the Isles” through some of Scotland’s loveliest scenery, stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument. (B, D)

Day 5: Rabbie Burns & Belfast

This morning visit the Burns National Heritage Park to see famous landmarks from Burns’ poetry such as Brig o’ Doon, the Auld Kirk, as well as the cottage where Rabbie Burns was born. Travel along the coastline to Cairnryan for a short ferry ride to Larne. Drive to your hotel in Belfast and enjoy free time to relax or head out to see some of this vibrant city before dinner. (B, D)

Day 6: Belfast Tour & Mount Stewart

A local guide will show you Belfast’s Victorian buildings, the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square and the Shankill and Falls Road areas. Also visit the Titanic Quarter to see the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, where the famous liner was built in 1912. In the afternoon tour Mount Stewart House and Gardens to see antiques and world-famous paintings. Hear stories about the many prominent political visitors. The extensive gardens were planted in the 1920’s by Edith, Lady Londonderry, and have been nominated a World Heritage Site. (B, D)

Day 7: Giant’s Causeway & Derry’s Walls

Drive along the scenic route of the “Nine Glens of Antrim,” for views of mountains, valleys and coastline. Stop at the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity 60 million years ago which have spawned legends about the mythical giant, Finn McCool. In Derry join a local guide for a short walking tour around the defensive walls of the compact city before driving to Letterkenny. (B, D)

Day 8: Glenveagh Castle & Donegal

Travel to Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair evicted 225 tenants to build Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Learn about the history of the mansion, owners and guests as you tour the rooms and walk around the extensive gardens. Then experience the natural beauty of the Grand Atlantic Drive, which winds through Downings and Rosapenna. Return to Letterkenny in time for dinner. (B, D)

Day 9: Belleek China & Kilronan Castle Stay

Drive through the Blue Stack Mountains for a look around Donegal town. Visit the Belleek Pottery Factory to see how the craftspeople shape and decorate clay, creating the world-famous fine china. Pause at Drumcliffe Churchyard to view the grave of W. B. Yeats, the Nobel prize-winning poet. A short drive will take you to Kilronan Castle Hotel for leisure time to relax and enjoy the lovely setting. (B, D)

Day 10: Strokestown House & Cliffs of Moher

Visit Strokestown Park House to see the 18th century mansion with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden and the Famine Museum, which explains the 1840’s Irish Famine. Pass Galway on the way to the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic wall of rock that plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. Head to 15th century Bunratty Castle for a fun medieval-style banquet with entertainment by the lords and ladies of the castle. (B, D)

Day 11: Dingle Peninsula & Killarney

Today discover the glorious Dingle Peninsula, made famous by two movies, “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far & Away.” Drive to Slea Head at the westernmost tip and tour the Blasket Experience to learn about the Blasket Islands. Travel up to the Conor Pass for sweeping views and then head to Killarney, famous for its glorious setting near Ireland’s highest mountains. (B, D)

Day 12: Killarney & Jaunting Car Ride

Take a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car ride to Ross Castle for views of Lough Leane, Killarney’s largest lake. Drive to the delightful town of Kenmare where brightly-painted buildings are enhanced with flowers. Enjoy spectacular mountain scenery at Moll’s Gap and travel part of the Ring of Kerry, pausing at Ladies’ View. Return to Killarney to relax or go shopping before dinner. (B, D)

Day 13: Blarney Castle & Burlington Cabaret

Drive through County Cork to climb Blarney Castle to kiss the famous stone. Also shop at the Blarney Woollen Mills for quality Irish-made products. Pause for photos at the stately Rock of Cashel as you drive north to Dublin. In the evening enjoy the Burlington Cabaret right in your hotel, a great dinner of Irish specialties and a lively show with popular Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (B, D)

Day 14: Depart for Home or Extra Day in Dublin

For those booked on our 14-day tour, group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. (B)
If you have booked our 15-day tour, spend an additional day in Dublin with an independent Dublin open-top bus tour (valid for 24 hours), plus a visit to Guinness or Jameson and a taxi transfer to Dublin Airport on the final day. (B)

B = Breakfast, D= Dinner

Dates and Prices for 2012

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Accommodation rating Represents the standard of hotel used most frequently throughout this tour

Extras Represents the individual operators suggested budget to pay for additional activities on tour (dinners,entertainment,excursions etc) NOT included in base tour price

Hotel legend:
D deluxe | SF superior first | F first | MF moderate first | ST superior tourist | T Tourist