9 day Tour of Scotland & Ireland - £225
*** These tours do not start running again until early 2007 -
call the office for more details on +44 (0) 131 558 9900***
Day 1: Edinburgh to Skye Forth Bridge. Ossian's Cave, hunting lodge of the Duke of Athol and monster hunting at Loch Ness.
Day 2: Skye day tour A packed day with highlights including mystical Fairy Glen and the 45 minute walk to the Old Man of Storr with views which are truly spectacular.
Day 3: Skye to Edinburgh Eilean Donan (Highlander) Castle Loch Garry (Shaped like Scotland) A walk in dramatic Glen Coe and a visit to Stirling to hear the real story of Braveheart.
Day 4: Edinburgh to Portstewart An early morning departure from Edinburgh (usually around 7.30a.m) to catch a ferry to Belfast arriving around lunchtime for a city tour, both the political side, the wall murals which portray its turbulent past and its castle overlooking the city on Cave Hill. The beautiful Antrim Glens & the spectacular Causeway Coast including Murlough Bay & the Giant's Causeway before our overnight stop in the seaside town of Portstewart (Home town of Jimeoin).
Day 5: Portstewart to Donegal We head to cliff edge Musendon Temple home of the Bishop of Derry before heading to Derry city itself, scene of infamous "Bloody Sunday" and also Britain's best preserved walled city. After lunch in the city, we cross the border into Donegal in the Republic of Ireland and, weather permitting there is the opportunity for a walk to the beautiful Blue Stack Mountains before our overnight stop in Donegal town.
Day 6: Donegal to Galway We continue exploring Donegal with its limestone fairy bridges, County Sligo which inspired the writing of W.B Yates and then our walk of the day either to the tomb of Queen Maeve, an iron age warrior Queen or follow in the footsteps of St Patrick and take on the more strenuous walk up Croagh Patrick before our overnight stop in the pretty town of Clifden, County Galway.
Day 7: Galway to Doolin We begin the day with a gentle costal walk to Clifden Castle before seeing some of Conemara national park and the 12 pin mountains, you then have the opportunity to look around Galway city and perhaps do some shopping, then on to the truly breathtaking Cliffs of Moher before our evening stop in the village of Doolin famous for its Irish music.
Day 8:Doolin to Dublin We make a morning stop in the town of Athenry made famous in song before our lunch stop by the banks of Ireland's longest river, the Shannon, we aim to arrive in Dublin around 4.00p.m giving you enough time to explore the city or possibly visit Kilmainham Jail.
Day 9:Dublin to Edinburgh Everyone has a free morning in Dublin if they wish to do some shopping or visit the Guinness factory or Trinity College (Entrance fee not included in tour price). Departure time from Dublin is usually around 1.00p.m and we return via a stop at Monasterboice, home to Ireland's largest Celtic Cross and Hilsbourgh castle, the queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland. You may also leave the tour in Ireland and explore on your own.
Departs Saturdays at 7.30am
Day 1: Edinburgh to Portstewart An early morning departure from Edinburgh (usually around 7.30a.m) to catch a ferry to Belfast arriving around lunchtime for a city tour, both the political side, the wall murals which portray its turbulent past and its castle overlooking the city on Cave Hill. The beautiful Antrim Glens & the spectacular Causeway Coast including Murlough Bay & the Giant's Causeway before our overnight stop in the seaside town of Portstewart (Home town of Jimeoin).
Day 2: Portstewart to Donegal We head to cliff edge Musendon Temple home of the Bishop of Derry before heading to Derry city itself, scene of infamous "Bloody Sunday" and also Britain's best preserved walled city. After lunch in the city, we cross the border into Donegal in the Republic of Ireland and, weather permitting there is the opportunity for a walk to the beautiful Blue Stack Mountains before our overnight stop in Donegal town.
Day 3: Donegal to Galway We continue exploring Donegal with its limestone fairy bridges, County Sligo which inspired the writing of W.B Yates and then our walk of the day either to the tomb of Queen Maeve, an iron age warrior Queen or follow in the footsteps of St Patrick and take on the more strenuous walk up Croagh Patrick before our overnight stop in the pretty town of Clifden, County Galway.
Day 4: Galway to Doolin We begin the day with a gentle costal walk to Clifden Castle before seeing some of Conemara national park and the 12 pin mountains, you then have the opportunity to look around Galway city and perhaps do some shopping, then on to the truly breathtaking Cliffs of Moher before our evening stop in the village of Doolin famous for its Irish music.
Day 5: Doolin to Dublin We make a morning stop in the town of Athenry made famous in song before our lunch stop by the banks of Ireland's longest river, the Shannon, we aim to arrive in Dublin around 4.00p.m giving you enough time to explore the city or possibly visit Kilmainham Jail.
Day 6: Dublin to Edinburgh Everyone has a free morning in Dublin if they wish to do some shopping or visit the Guinness factory or Trinity College (Entrance fee not included in tour price). Departure time from Dublin is usually around 1.00p.m and we return via a stop at Monasterboice, home to Ireland's largest Celtic Cross and Hilsbourgh castle, the queen’s official residence in Northern Ireland.
Day 7: Heading through Fife, our first stop is at the edge of the Highlands at the beautiful and tranquil Hermitage waterfall. The next stop is Edradour Distillery for a complimentary tour, complete with free whisky. We travel on to Ruthven Barracks, an imposing, early 18th century ruined fortress, deep in the Grampian Mountains. Later we stop at Culloden: this eerie battlefield, still virtually untouched, was the site of the Highlander's last stand. Next stop is Loch Ness for a little bit of Monster spotting before we pull into Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, for the night.
Day 8: Departing Inverness our first stop is Rogie Falls, for a forest walk to the waterfall where the salmon leap (in season). Next, we visit the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle, (as seen in the film 'Highlander') and wind our way deeper into the Highlands, until we reach the haunting, inspiring Glen Coe, one of the most dramatic and memorable landscapes in Europe. Eventually, we reach our overnight stop, Oban, the Victorian harbour town and gateway to the Isles.
Day 9: From Oban our first stop of the day is Glen Lonan, for a hairy coo safari and then on to St Conan's Kirk, an eccentric chapel on the shore of Loch Awe. We visit Kilchurn Castle, the ghostly ruin of a Campbell stronghold and then Glen Orchy. Our tour then takes you through the medieval battlefields of Stirling - Braveheart country where you'll hear of the epic struggles of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce before taking you down to Edinburgh.
*On the Ireland leg of the tour there is a food and accommodation kitty. This costs £25 Sterling (£30 July/Aug) and 85 Euros and covers 5 nights accommodation, 5 light breakfasts, 4 evening meals, 3 picnic lunches and a pub lunch.