Edinburgh.-

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS: Sightseeing tour.

Welcome to Scotland. Welcome to EDINBURGH. 13.00 hrs.- (approximate time) Sightseeing tour with a local guide to the Scotland’s capital city and one of the most active cities in Northern Europe. Its monumental centre has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its castle overlooks the city, its steep streets and its parks. Free time after the tour. We will subsequently take our visitors to the hotel.

 

Free day. You can enjoy the charm of this city. Free time to explore and discover memorable places.

Edinburgh- Stirling- Pitlochry- Blair Castle- Inverness.-

Total distance covered: 305 km

Scenery: Lush scenery throughout this region, especially in the afternoon, when we will pass through the Cairngorms mountains.
Note: Please, wear comfortable footwear and suitable clothing for our walk in the nature.


08.00hrs - Edinburgh –Departure-. We start the day by travelling to another historic city near Edinburgh.
09:15hrs- Stirling –Arrival-. Time for a stroll through its famous historic downtown area and castle, which sits atop the mighty Castle Hill, an extinct volcano.


10.15 hrs- We get back on the road and continue heading north.
11.15 hrs.- We will have a stop to visit The Hermitage protected forest area, located next to the small town of Dunkeld. This nature reserve was originally designed as a pleasure ground in the 18th century for the Dukes of Atholl. Here we will go on a nature walk on pleasant paths of low difficulty level (great for hikers of all fitness levels and ages) along the banks of the white waters of River Braan and next to a magical woodland of giant Douglas fir trees.

12.15 hrs- The Hermitage. Departure.
12:45 hrs - Pitlochry. - Upon arrival, we will visit a traditional whisky distillery (entrance included). Time to have lunch in this quaint little town.


15.00hrs - Pitlochry –Departure-.
15.15 hrs - Blair Castle. - Entrance included to this beautiful palace and impressive grounds. -


16.45 hrs - Blair –Departure-. We will continue due north across some truly beautiful mountain scenery.
18.45hrs - Inverness, arrival in this seaside town situated near the legendary Loch Ness. Accommodation.


Note: Hotel and room availability in northern Scotland are quite limited. For some departure dates (normally in the peak-season month of August), we may have to offer accommodation in towns around Inverness.


Note: due to capacity limitations in traditional distilleries, sometimes we can make this visit on Saturday in Edinburgh, on the "Whisky & Gin tour" where we visit the manufacturing processes, tasting included, of gin and whiskey.

Inverness- Eilean Castle- Fort Augustus- Loch Ness- Urquhart Castle- Inverness.-

Total distance covered: 250 km Scenery: Magnificent scenery, lakes, high mountains sometimes with snowy peaks.
Notes: We recommend having some warm clothes to hand, you may need them to enjoy the boat trip. The schedules of this day may change depending on the time assigned for crossing the Loch Ness.


08.00 hrs - Inverness –Departure-. We have a thrilling day ahead, amidst very beautiful scenery, forests, lakes, empty lands and fields in the North of Scotland.
10:30 hrs - EILEAN CASTLE, a very picturesque castle in the waters of the fiord. We will be reminded of the ghosts that fill the castles of Scotland. Tickets included.


11:30 hrs - Eilean Castle –Departure-. We can observe mountains and lakes in this route.
12:45 hrs - FORT AUGUSTUS where we will get to know the sluice system and have time to stroll and find a place for lunch.


14.00 hrs - Fort Augustus –Departure- . We go round LOCH NESS. We will see the medieval URQUHART Castle in ruins by the lake (tickets included).


At around 15:30 hrs we include a boat trip from Urquhart Castle in the dark waters of the lake, for around 30 minutes to Clansmann.
16.30 hrs - Inverness. Arrival in the capital of the Highlands and the only city of the region on the mouth of the river Ness. Accommodation in INVERNESS.

Inverness- Fort William- Inveraray- Loch Lomond- Glasgow.-

Total distance covered: 370 km

Countryside: Once more, beautiful lake and mountain scenery, huge open spaces, isolated areas and thick forests.


07:30hrs - Inverness –Departure-. We travel back to Aviemore through isolated regions, subarctic flora and mountains. On our way, we will make a brief stop at Spean Bridge, by the monument to the commandos who trained here for the Normandy invasion in the Second World War. We photograph Ben Nevis, the highest peak in the British Isles.
10.00 hrs - Fort William –Time for a coffee in this tourist city.


10:45 hrs - Fort William –Departure-. We follow some sections of coastline, fjords by the ocean. - On our way we will pass Kilchurn Castle. A castle in ruins that projects its image over a beautiful lake.


13:30 hrs - Inveraray –Arrival-. A historic, picturesque small town by a lake with a beautiful castle (tickets not included). Time to have a stroll and for lunch.


15:30 hrs - Inveraray –Departure-. Our road takes us round part of Loch Lomond with its beautiful scenery,
17:30 hrs - Glasgow –Arrival-, free time in which we suggest a stroll around the centre of this Victorian capital. -

Glasgow- Belfast- Dublin.-

Total distance covered: 295 km.

Scenery: Seaside, hills, woods.
Notes: Remember to keep your passport; it will be requested at the point of embarkation. It is helpful if you can travel with some Scottish bank notes. Scotland mint their own notes, as does the North of Ireland. These Scottish or Northern Irish bank notes can be used easily in Scotland and Ireland respectively, but they may not be accepted in England and they are not valid in international banks. That is, if you have any Scottish or Irish notes left over, you will not be able to exchange them outside the United Kingdom. We recommend that you make sure you don´t have any Scottish bank notes left over on leaving Scotland and especially after our crossing to Belfast.
The schedules for this whole stage may vary depending on the boat.


08.00 hrs -Glasgow- Brief tour on the coach while leaving the city and then we travel toward the east coast of Scotland.


In Cairnryan we board a modern ferry to Ireland. Normally the boat leaves at 11.30 hrs. Crossing. The boats are very modern; you can shop in its stores or have lunch in its bars.

13.45 hrs - We get off the boat in Belfast. Arrival in this city of Victorian architecture which reminds us of the difficult coexistence between Protestants and Catholics in this area.- After a look round the Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods that remind us of their troubled past, we visit the famous murals. Free time in the city centre.


16:30 hrs - Belfast –Departure-. We continue to the Republic of Ireland (Eire).
18:30 hrs - Dublin –Arrival at hotel-.

Dublin.-

Dublin - Sightseeing tour of the city. A guide will tell us about the history of the city, its Georgian neighbourhoods, its bustling city centre streets and the University. Afternoon free in the Irish capital. You will be able to wonder round the lively banks of the River Liffey and visit its museums or the famous Guinness brewery (admission not included).
(Note: Occasionally, depending on our time of arrival in Dublin, the sightseeing tour of the city may be made on the previous afternoon).

Dublin- Powerscourt- Kilkenny- Cashel- Cork.-

Total distance covered: 330 km

Countryside: Pleasant countryside, forests, hills, picturesque villages on the way.


08:30 hrs - Dublin –Departure-. We start our trip to Powerscourt, very close to Dublin.
09:15 hrs - POWERSCOURT, with our tickets included, we will visit the magnificent Palace Park designed in the eighteenth century, considered one of the prettiest parks in Ireland with its fountains, its Japanese garden and its pet cemetery.


10:30 hrs - Powerscourt –Departure-. We go on our way towards the south of Ireland, passing through the Wicklow National Park.
12:30 hrs - KILKENNY we have time for lunch and a stroll in this city full of life with its castle, cathedral and beer houses, etc.


14:30 hrs - Kilkenny –Departure-.
15:30 hrs- CASHEL –Arrival-. A mediaeval fortress that symbolises the Irish’s struggle against the English. Tickets included to Cashel Castle-Rock and time in the village.


17.00 hrs - Cashel –Departure-.
18.15 hrs - CORK, Arrival at the end of the afternoon. Time for a stroll around the centre of Ireland’s second largest city. Dinner in the hotel included.

Cork- Kinsale- Killarney- Adare- Limerick.-

Total distance covered: 245 km

Countryside: Pretty countryside, above all in Killarney National Park


08:15hrs- Cork –Departure-.
09.00hrs - KINSALE –Arrival, we stop alongside Charles Fort to admire the views over the ocean beside the seventeenth century fortress. After this, we come to the centre of the village considered the prettiest of all of Ireland’s fishing villages. Time for a stroll in the historic centre with its maritime flavour.


10:30 hrs - Kinsale -departure.
12:30 hrs - KILLARNEY, a tourist city in the heart of Ireland. After time for a stroll and to have lunch, we include a romantic ride in a horse-pulled carriage through the national park, amidst gardens and by the lake. In our carriage we come to ROSS CASTLE and its marvellous views by the lake. Here we include a short boat cruise with magnificent views of the lake.


16.00hrs - Killarney –Departure-. We continue on our way. We take a brief stop in ADARE, a small village that maintains its picturesque stone houses with thatched roofs, and the ruins of an ancient abbey.
18.00 hrs - LIMERICK Arrival and free time to stroll by the river, to visit the cathedral or see its castle, etc.
19.30 hrs - Transfer to the hotel, dinner included.

Limerick - Bunraty- Cliffs of Moher- Galway.-

Total distance covered: 190 km

Countryside: Impressive scenery on the Moher cliffs


08:30 hrs - Limerick –Departure-. Near this city.
09.00hrs - Bunraty Folk Park. We include tickets to this open air museum complex, a marvellous park where we will get a glimpse of what life was like in Ireland in the past, it’s typical cottages, its ancient trades and mediaeval castle. Time to stroll.


11.30hrs - Bunraty Folk Park –Departure-. We travel to the coast amidst green scenery and hills.
11.30 hrs- MOHER CLIFFS, overlooking the ocean (entrance included). Those who want to, can walk to O’Brien’s Tower (tickets not included, sometimes closed because of the weather). Time for lunch.


14.00 hrs -departure.
15.00 hrs - Caherconnel Fort, Arrival at this circular stone Celtic Fort in the heart of the carstic scenery of BURREN NATIONAL PARK. Maybe we can see the display of shepherd dogs, and see how they drove their sheep.


16:30 hrs - Departure. We stop to take photos in this area, where we find the Poulnabrone Dolmen. Our road goes on through attractive scenery and little isolated villages.


18.15hrs- Arrival in GALWAY, time to see the city and its university atmosphere, with a picturesque pedestrian area.
19.45 hrs.- Transfer to the hotel.

Galway- Cong- Clonmacnoise- Dublin.-

Total distance covered: 295 km

090 hrs - Galway –Departure-.
10.00 hrs - Cong- Arrival in this small picturesque town in the magnificent area of lakes where John Ford filmed “The Quiet Man”. We will see the ruins of the Royal Abbey and stroll around the fantastic Ashford Castle, now turned into a hotel. Time to have a stroll.


11.30 hrs - Departure. We going towards the centre of Ireland.
13.00 hrs - Clonmacnoise: Time for lunch before we visit the ruins of the Celtic monasteries. (Ticket and tour included).


15.45 hrs– Clonmacnoise –Departure-. We continue on our route.
17.15 hrs - Dublin; Arrival. -


NB: The Clonmacnoise complex only allows a certain number of people to enter at a time. Sometimes your visit may be at a different time, depending on what we are allowed to do. We will adapt the stage for all of the planned visits to be made.

 

End of our services. Please, check the time of your flight in case you might need an additional night.

Important note: In case you have to book an external service (plane/train...) on the day of the end of
your tour with activities included, please remember that the schedules of the detailed itineraries are the "planned" ones but may be affected by different circumstances (traffic density, customer delays, breakdowns...). Do not book a flight/train with a tight schedule without taking this into account.
Always leave a margin in the schedule for unforeseen events.