Heritage & Culture Ireland & Scotland 15 Days Tour [14 Aug – 28 Aug 2022]

Upon arrival in Dublin, claim your bags and proceed towards arrival hall.  Our representative will meet you and assist you with your transfer to hotel. (Standard check-in time is 3:00 pm)

If you have arrived early, you might like to take a stroll on the streets of Dublin

This evening all participants will gather for dinner in the hotel restaurant where you will become acquainted with your fellow travelers, the coming days can be discussed at leisure with your Tour Director.

Overnight in Dublin
Meals – Dinner

After breakfast this morning, you will explore Dublin City. Visit Trinity College. Founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I on the site of an Augustinian monastery. See the Book of Kells. The book, which is housed in Trinity College, is the most richly decorated of Ireland’s medieval illuminated manuscripts. It contains the four gospels in Latin. Some of the dyes used were imported from as far as the Middle East.

You will also visit Christ Church Cathedral. Founded by the Viking King Sitric almost 1000 years ago in 1034. The cathedral crypt is one of the largest in the UK and Ireland, dating back to the 12th Century. Here, in the crypt, you can see the mummified remains of the Cat and the Rat which were found in the cathedral organ and a rare 14th century copy of the Magna Carta. You will also have a unique opportunity to visit the Belfry and ring the Cathedral bells.

Please note: Getting to the Belfry in Christ Church Cathedral involves climbing 86 stone steps in a medieval building and crossing the roof at the South transept – quite the experience!

Continue to discover emigration in EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum. Discover the fascinating world of genealogy and how it’s used today, from genetics to crime-solving. Discover why 10 million people left Ireland, and the impact they had on the world. Irish history should never be a long list of names and dates, it should be an experience. Get hands on with Irish culture and its past with our fully interactive museum – swipe through video galleries, dance through motion sensor quizzes, listen to remastered audio from 100 years ago and watch videos that bring Irish history to life.

Spend some time at leisure. Evening enjoy dinner at a local Irish Pub.

Overnight in Dublin
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning after hearty Scottish breakfast, begin the first leg of your adventure in the wonderfully medieval Kilkenny Castle, standing dramatically on a strategic height that commands a crossing on the River Nore and dominating the ‘High Town’ of Kilkenny City.

Next to Killarney renowned for its beauty and famed for the splendor of its scenery – this town is a real gem in the County Kerry Crown

Overnight in Killarney
Meals: Breakfast, Packed Lunch

This morning after breakfast you will set off to discover the wonderful scenery of Killarney as you drive around the famous Ring of Kerry. It is officially known as the Iveragh Peninsula. You will travel via Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville, Coomakesta Pass with it magnificent views over Derrynane, home of Daniel O’ Connell, known as ”The Liberator”, to Caherdaniel. The road winds between the Macgilly cuddy’s Reeks, Ireland’s highest mountains, and the varied Atlantic coast. You will be amazed at the breathtaking views and you will stop for photos at the most dramatic scenes and the Skellig Experience.

Take a break at the Blind Piper Pub. Here you will have a traditional Irish Pub Lunch. Located in the in the village of Caherdaniel, locals and visitors alike have been drinking here since 1865. Who is the Blind Piper you might ask? The Blind Piper is Mici Cumba O’Sullivan, who was born nearby in 1835 and became one of Ireland’s most famous pipers

Continue through the remote villages of Cahirciveen and Waterville. On the return, pass through the colorful village of Sneem and pause at Moll’s Gap to view the Three Lakes of Killarney. Stop for a stroll through the splendid Muckross Gardens on the shores of Muckross Lake.

Your day will end with a traditional horse-drawn jaunting car through the Killarney National Park to Ross Castle and Kenmare Estate. Once on board, you’ll travel past St. Mary’s Cathedral, a delightful, thatched cottage, and Killarney House and Gardens. Head into Killarney National Park, and travel at a relaxed pace through countryside where the modern-day traffic can’t reach. As you go, keep an eye out for red deer; the deer park is home to the country’s last native herd. Gaze out at the lake against a backdrop of distant mountains, and see if you can make out Carrauntoohil, one of Ireland’s tallest peaks. Hear tales from your carriage driver as you pass Ross Castle, a 15th-century tower house. Owned by O’Donoghue Mor, the castle was the last to be defeated by Oliver Cromwell and the English in 1652. Stop for photos.

Overnight in Killarney
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Today’s adventure takes you to County Clare. Enjoy the magnificent scenery as you journey to one of Irelands most complete and authentic medieval castles, Bunratty. Built in 1425, and plundered on many occasions, Bunratty Castle was authentically restored in 1954 to its former medieval splendor, with furnishings and tapestries capturing the mood and style of the times. Within its grounds is Bunratty Folk Park where a 19th century village and rural life are recreated. Traditional crafts are carried out in their natural setting, which includes a church, shops, post office and the mandatory pub.

Continue your journey and travel along the coast to view the Cliffs of Moher, braced against the ocean, on the coast of County Clare. Here you will stand on the dramatic 702ft (214m) high and 9 miles (14km) long cliffs. Walk along the top of the cliffs to O’Brien’s Tower for great views of Galway Bay and the Aran Islands.

Next, we travel through the mysterious Burren region and see the Poulnabrone Dolmen, an ancient and fascinating example of a portal tomb. Onto Galway, known as the bohemian capital of Ireland for its thriving music and arts scenes.

Overnight in Galway
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Today you will tour the sights of wild Connemara via the villages of Oughterard, Maam Cross and Recess before travelling up the spectacular Inagh Valley to Kylemore. You will visit Kylemore Abbey. An historic building nestled at the base of Duchruach Mountain, on the northern shore of Lough Pollacappul — in the heart of the Connemara Mountains. It is regarded as one of Ireland’s most romantic buildings.

Continue via Letterfrack to Clifden. Enjoy some free time in Clifden. Known as the capital of Connemara. It was founded in 1812 by the High Sheriff of Galway to create a ”pocket of respectability” within the lawlessness of the area.

Return east to Galway City. Upon arrival take a Guided walk around the city visiting areas such as Eyre Square, the Claddagh and the Spanish Arch. Evening soak up the atmosphere of Galway’s vibrant streets, sample its diverse restaurants

Overnight in Galway
Meals: Breakfast

Today, you will travel from Galway to Dublin airport. On route, stop off in Clonmacnoise, where Saint Ciaran founded the remains of an early monastery around the year 545. Here there still survives six churches, two high crosses, two round towers and the finest Collection of Old Irish gravestones in the country. Upon arrival at Dublin Airport, board your flight to Glasgow. Our airport representative will meet you and assist you with your transfer to your hotel.

After making yourself at home in your hotel, it’s time to hit the streets for some exploration. Enjoy dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Glasgow
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Enjoy a panoramic tour of Glasgow’s famous Cathedral Quarter. With its pre-industrial roots, Glasgow is now a modern and vibrant city. The great inventors James Watt and Charles Macintosh were born here, to name a few. Visit Glasgow Cathedral. A truly rare example of an almost complete 13th-century church.

Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant. Post lunch visit the medieval city of Stirling. Here there is an opportunity to visit Stirling Castle. The castle overlooks the ancient city of Stirling and is one of the historic buildings that have come to symbolize the spirit of Scotland. Our extended stop in Stirling will allow a leisurely visit to the Castle or a chance to explore the city itself.

As we depart from Stirling, we will pass the site of the Battle of Bannockburn, which took place in 1314. The Scottish army lead by King Robert the Bruce had a famous victory which led to Scotland’s eventual independence from England. From here we join the motorway for the short journey back to Glasgow

Overnight in Glasgow
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

We travel northwest and drive along the banks of the River Clyde to Balloch, the gateway to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. To the north striking mountains guard the ”Queen of all Britain’s lakes” while, to the south, islands span Loch Lomond like giant steppingstones! Enjoy an hour-long cruise* taking in spectacular views of the loch’s many islands and the surrounding mountains. Spend some time to stroll around the picturesque village of Luss and savour the loch-side vistas.

Travelling the length of the loch, we climb up into the Highlands, over the unique desolate landscape of Rannoch Moor and the Black Mount to the majestic Glencoe, one of Scotland’s best-loved glens, made famous for the 1692 massacre of the MacDonald clan

We stop in the Fort William area for lunch (own expense), then continue into the natural beauty of the Great Glen as we pass beneath Britain’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis. Travelling on, we can admire the beautiful Caledonian Canal to the source at Loch Ness. 24 miles long and over 700 feet deep, the loch is the largest by volume in the British Isles and is most famous for its sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, affectionately known as “Nessie”. We spend most of the morning at Loch Ness, allowing you plenty of time to go Nessie-hunting!

Our Loch Ness tour then continues to Invermoriston, where we will pause to take photos of the bridge and St Columba’s Well – a well that was believed to have poisonous water until it was blessed by St Columba in AD 565, banishing the evil spirits that haunted it. That same year he supposedly had the first documented encounter with the Loch Ness Monster. Afterwards, we journey through to Fort Augustus, the furthermost point of your Loch Ness tour. Fort Augustus is a small town with a population of only 650 people and is a perfect spot to relax and watch boats passing through the Caledonian Canal!

Overnight in Inverness
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Today after breakfast, we travel north, before making a coffee stop (own expense) on the shores of Loch Lomond. Our first stop is Dochgarroch, about 7 miles from Inverness, here we will board our Cruise and enjoy the boat ride. You will sail across the loch to the 13th century ruins of Urquhart Castle* where you will have plenty of time here to explore the ruin, enjoy the visitor center, and take in the views and atmosphere of Scotland’s most famous loch.

We will continue our journey to Inverness, stopping at the Falls of Foyers. The majestic 165ft waterfall was a favorite retreat for poet Rabbie Burns and is truly breath-taking. Enjoy plenty of time here to soak up the atmosphere before the tour continues to the village of Dores for a visit to Dores Beach on the east shores of Loch Ness. Spend a short while wandering the sandy shoreline before boarding the coach for a final return journey to Inverness where your Loch Ness.

Overnight in Inverness
Meals: Breakfast

Morning enjoy your breakfast; we depart for Aberdeen. En-route visit the Culloden Battlefield, the moor where the last pitched battle in Britain took place. We tour the battlefield and visitor center to learn about the battle and its bloody aftermath. This battle saw the last hopes of Bonnie Prince Charlie taking the British Throne lost forever, the aftermath changed Highland culture forever. A visit to Culloden is a poignant experience. Headstones mark the graves of hundreds of clansmen who gave their lives for the Jacobite cause; a 6m-high memorial cairn honors the fallen; and an eerie silence often falls across wild Drummossie Moor – there is no escaping the emotions Culloden evokes. Explore the interactive visitor center, view fascinating artefacts from both sides of the confrontation, and experience the battle in our immersive surround cinema.

On our way to Aberdeen, we will stop at Thainstone House, Set in the heart of Aberdeen shire and surrounded by 44 acres of woodland and parkland, Guests can enjoy stunning scenery all year round, whilst sipping on tea and sweet treats. a perfect place to escape for an afternoon treat with your choice of Brodies teas, or coffee, Victorian-style finder sandwiches, a selection of warm savories, a warm fruit scone and sweet treats.
On warmer days, you have the option to take your Afternoon Tea al fresco in the surrounds of the gardens and grounds.

Upon arrival in Aberdeen. Enjoy a panoramic tour of Aberdeen. We start by driving along Union Street – the mile long, planned, grand entrance to our city. Dating from the late 1700s, this is a proud display of the skill of the masons who cut through the unforgiving stone to produce these splendid buildings. The most spectacular of these is Marshal College, the 2nd largest granite building in the world. Now housing the city council, this neo gothic building sparkles in the sun and never fails to impress.

Our tour now heads to the birthplace of the University of Aberdeen, Old Aberdeen. Founded in 1495 the university is the 3rd oldest in Scotland. The spire of Kings College, consecrated in 1508, dominates the sky. This is a UNESCO world heritage site and the High Street, although bustling with our students, still has a medieval feel to it. We drive along the High Street and arrive at the Cathedral of St Machar. Here we go inside to marvel at the heraldic ceiling dating from 1430. As we head across the river Dee, we enter the old burgh of Torry. Once a separate burgh but now part of the city, this is home to the world-renowned school for coastguards.
We pass the 44 acres of Duthie Park and realize why this city has had such success in the Britain in Bloom competition. You tour will conclude with drop-off at the hotel.

Overnight in Aberdeen
Meals: Breakfast & HI-Tea

Today after breakfast we tour around the city of Aberdeen. We will explore Scotland’s 3rd largest city. Situated between the rivers Don and Dee and right on the edge of the North Sea, there have been humans here for over 8000 years. Today the ’Granite City’ is a vibrant, multicultural place, home to the UK oil industry, but also many time winners of the Britain in Bloom contest.

We will then depart Aberdeen for Edinburgh. On our way we visit Glamis Castle, the childhood home of Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. The Glamis Castle is magical and dates from the 15th century. Although, there has been a royal residence here since the 11th century. This was the childhood home of Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, later to become the beloved ”Queen Mum”. It is still owned by the Bowes Lyon family, cousins to our Queen. A family home as well as an historic building, we tour this popular and haunted venue and listen to the story of its 600 years.

After enjoying the glories of Glamis we set off to Edinburgh, arriving in the Evening. Once checked-in, explore city at your pace.

Overnight in Aberdeen
Meals: Breakfast

After a hearty Scottish breakfast, depart on a guided tour of Edinburgh. Visit the Holyrood Palace. Known as the official Scottish residence of Queen Elizabeth II. Adjacent to the palace is Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat — a volcano that has been extinct for millions of years.

Take a visit to the Scottish Parliament. This modern building was opened in 2004 after decades of Scottish calls for self-determination.

Enjoy afternoon free as you explore the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of medieval Edinburgh. This is a great time to pick up some Scottish Souvenirs.

Optional: Enjoy the fanfare of the famous Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Price TBA

The day concludes with a “Farwell Dinner”

Overnight in Edinburgh
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Today marks the end of your 15 Day Heritage and Cultural tour of Ireland and Scotland.

After a final great Scottish breakfast this morning, you will be transferred to Edinburgh International airport for your return flight home

END OF SERVICE

(Note that at most hotels, the international standard for the check-out time is 11:00 Am. Should you depart later, baggage may be stored at the hotel. A late check-out depends on availability and may be subject to additional charges).