Itinerary for: Timeless Ireland and Scotland (2012/13) (G450)
Day 1 : DUBLIN AT LEISURE
Welcome to Ireland! After being greeted by your Tour Director, transfers depart Dublin Airport at 08:00 11:00 and 13:30 hours. Arrive at your distinguished hotel, brimming with style and character, located at the top of Grafton Street on leafy St. Stephen’s Green. Tonight, join us for a Welcome Reception with drink and a light meal, followed by time to relax.(Welcome Reception)
Accommodation : The Fitzwilliam
Day 2 : THE FAIR CITY
Drive along O’Connell Street and through Phoenix Park, then alongside the river Liffey to see the Guinness Brewery. Visit the Old Library of Trinity College to admire the 8th century Book of Kells, its delicate paintings one of the treasures of the Middle Ages. You are now at leisure to drink in the Irish atmosphere.(Full Breakfast)
Day 3 : DUBLIN - KILLARNEY
Leaving Dublin, pass the green meadows where many of the finest Irish racehorses are bred. Enter County Tipperary en route to Cashel - the great Rock where St Patrick preached, using the shamrock to illustrate the gospel and so creating the Irish national emblem. Now the Rock is crowned with the noblest group of medieval monuments in Ireland. Next you are invited to enjoy warm Irish hospitality at a private farm. Over a homemade scone and Guinness cake you are entertained with a personal insight into rural Irish life. Continue through this land of song and legend to Killarney.(Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Accommodation : Killarney Park/Malton
Day 4 : LORDS OF THE RING
Spend a day exploring the mystical Ring of Kerry. Breathtaking views over mountains and sea unfold as the road winds along cliffs and through tiny fishing towns. Continue to Torc Waterfall for photos, and a chance to join a qualified guide for a hike along the lake past the Muckross Estate farmlands. Walk by West Meadow Bay and visit Muckross Abbey. For those who do not want to join the hike, take the coach back to Killarney for time at leisure.(Full Breakfast)
Day 5 : KILLARNEY – DROMOLAND CASTLE
This morning cross the Shannon estuary by ferry and enter County Clare. Stop at the Visitors’ Centre and enjoy a walk along the Cliffs of Moher, rising approximately 700 feet above the pounding Atlantic waves. Turning inland, head past the ruined abbey at Quin to visit Craggaunowen. Set in idyllic woodland by a picturesque lake, this award winning reproduction of a Bronze Age settlement offers a glimpse of Celtic life. Move on to the luxury 5 star Dromoland Castle - ancestral home of the O’Brians, descendants of the High King Brian Boru who routed the marauding Norse at Clontarf in 1014. For your dining pleasure tonight, please join us at the elegant five-star castle restaurant.(Full Breakfast / Highlight Dinner)
Accommodation : Dromoland Castle
Day 6 : DROMOLAND CASTLE – BELFAST
Your journey today takes you through the heart of the Emerald Isle - a landscape with its ‘forty shades of green’. Cross into Northern Ireland and continue to the capital of Belfast, with its associations with the Titanic. A local guide shows you the highlights of the city, including the Renaissance-style City Hall and includes a visit to the fantastic new Titanic Belfast Museum. Check-in to your sumptuous 5 star hotel overlooking Belfast Lough, set in 12 acres of secluded gardens.(Full Breakfast)
Accommodation : Culloden Estate and Spa
Day 7 : BELFAST – LOCH LOMOND
Board the ferry over to Scotland and continue along the Ayrshire coast. Venture into Robbie Burns Country, to drive through the village of Alloway where Scotland’s most famous poet was born. Continue past the lively city of Glasgow to your hotel overlooking Loch Lomond, ‘Queen of Scottish Lakes’. Snuggle down in your room, an elegant blend of contemporary design with a graceful nod to the Loch’s wild and baronial past.(Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Accommodation : Cameron House
Day 8 : SEAT OF THE CAMPBELLS
Start your day with a delightful cruise on Loch Lomond past stately homes and islands. Back on dry land, travel through the rugged highland scenery to the turreted Inveraray Castle, nestled beside Loch Fyne - the magnificent ancestral home of the Duke of Argyll. Explore the rooms full of armor, tapestries, furniture, magnificent chandeliers, paintings, porcelain and silver before returning to the warm Scottish hospitality and timeless splendour of Cameron House.(Full Breakfast / Dinner)
Day 9 : LOCH LOMOND – EDINBURGH
A day in the Trossachs. This morning is devoted to the forested lochs and heather clad mountains of the Trossachs. Then visit Scotland’s oldest distillery to witness the age old process of making whisky. Round off your tour with a tutored nosing and tasting. Now head south to the capital. Check-in to your refined and restful hotel in the shadow of the dramatic Edinburgh Castle. Tonight, selected departures attend the spectacular flood lit Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle.(Full Breakfast)
Accommodation : Sheraton Grand
Day 10 : EDINBURGH SIGHTSEEING
Drive from the elegant squares of the ‘New Town’ to visit Edinburgh Castle. Witness Scotland’s glittering crown jewels before continuing down the Royal Mile, past St Giles Cathedral to Holyrood Palace, and on to Princes Street to see the Sir Walter Scott monument. The afternoon is yours to discover more of this fine city. As evening falls, please join us for a Scottish finalé Celebration Dinner, with wine and good cheer.(Full Breakfast / Celebration Dinner)
Day 11 : EDINBURGH
Departure transfers arrive at Edinburgh Airport at 06:15 & 09:00.(Full Breakfast)