TASTE
OF SCOTLAND & IRELAND TOUR 10
DAY ITINERARY
Day 1: Glasgow
Highlights
Land in Glasgow Airport where you'll meet your CIE Tours
driver/guide or representative. Take a group transfer to your hotel, departing
at 8:00 am, 10:00 am or 12:00 noon. If you arrive later than noon, you must
transfer to the hotel at your own expense. At 3:00 pm set out on a coach tour to
discover the main attractions of Glasgow, a city that flourished in Victorian
times due to the shipbuilding industry on the River Clyde. Drive around
George
Square with its ornate City Chambers and nearby
Glasgow Cathedral. Visit extensive collections in Kelvinqrove Art Gallery and
Museum, originally opened in 1901 and recently refurbished. Back at your hotel,
join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink before dinner. (D)
Day 2: Loch Lomond & Urquhart
Castle
Depart Glasgow and travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song and also for unsurpassed
beauty of the lake and mountains. Travel across the haunting Rannoch Moor and
through the deep valley of
Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the
Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William
and stop in Fort
Augustus, located at the
southern tip of Loch Ness. Drive beside Loch Ness to enjoy delightful scenery
and keep an eye out for "Nessie". Visit
Urquhart Castle to see the ruins of what was once the largest
castle in Scotland. Enjoy views of the scenic
promontory where the castle is located. Continue to Nairn where your hotel was a
favourite summer residence of Charlie Chaplin. Experience Scottish culture in
your hotel this evening when a Scottish piper and step-dancer perform for you.
(B, D)
Day 3: Culloden
Battlefield & Edinburgh Ghost
Tour
Visit the Culloden
Visitor Centre to learn about the Battle of Culloden where Bonnie Prince Charlie
was defeated by the British army in 1746 in a fierce combat that lasted just one
hour. The Scottish defeat changed the traditional way of Highland clan life forever. Drive south through the
majestic peaks of the Grampian Mountains to visit Edradour Distillery,
Scotland's smallest, to see how whisky is distilled and sample some. Continue
south to Edinburgh and check in to your hotel, located
on a golf course a few miles from the city centre. In the evening head to the
cosy Beehive Inn for an informal pub dinner and then join a local guide for a
fun walking tour to discover the haunts of Edinburgh's many colourful
characters. (B, D)
Day 4: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour
This morning an
Edinburgh city
guide will point out the principal sights of this interesting capital city.
Drive along the bustling Princes
Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the
200-year-old Georgian New Town. See the compact medieval section along the Royal
Mile where some houses reach 11 stories tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle, which dominates the city centre
and contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of
the day is free for further sightseeing, shopping and dining. On August 03, 08,
15, 17 and 22 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)
Day 5: Larne Ferry & Drive to Dublin
Depart Edinburgh early this
morning and drive south through part of the Southern Uplands and along the
coastline. At Cairnryan take a ferry ride across the narrow channel between
Scotland and
Ireland to Larne, just
outside Belfast.
Drive south to Dublin and check in to your hotel, located in
the Georgian section of the city, where the evening is at leisure for
independent dining. (B)
Day 6: Viking Dublin & Taylor's Three Rock
Pub
This morning join your
fellow travellers for a tour of central Dublin in the company of a local guide.
Pass
Trinity College, where the Book of Kells is
housed; Dail Eireann, where the government meets; and rows of Georgian houses
with gaily-collared doorways. Stop at Dublin Castle for a guided tour through the
elegant State Apartments, which are filled with elaborate Waterford Crystal
chandeliers and furnishings. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure or use your open-top
bus and Guinness or Jameson vouchers to explore the city on your own. In the
evening drive to Taylor's Three Rock Pub for a great dinner of Irish
specialties, which is followed by a lively show of traditional Irish songs and
intricate step-dancing. (B, D)
Day 7: Blarney Castle
& Killarney
Depart Dublin and travel through the centre of Ireland, stopping to view the stately
church ruins atop the Rock of Cashel. Continue your drive south to visit
Blarney
Castle and kiss the famous
"Stone of Eloquence." Also visit the Blarney Woollen Mills where you can find
quality Irish-made goods. Drive into County Kerry where the scenery becomes more
mountainous to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. Check in
to your downtown hotel and relax before dinner. Afterwards you may like to head
to a "singing pub." (B, D)
Day 8: Ring of Kerry
& Skellig Experience
Today embark on the Ring
of Kerry drive - a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and
coastal views. Stop near the Gap of Dunloe to see Essence of Kerry, an
audio-visual presentation. As you travel, there will be plenty of stops for
photos. Meet a local farmer for a taste of farm life with a sheepdog
demonstration of herding flocks. Cross to Valencia Island by bridge to visit the Skellig
Experience which describes the life of early monks who led austere lives on the
nearby islands. Drive through Waterville and stop in Sneem to admire
brightly-painted houses. Pause at Moll's Gap for stunning views and take a
guided walk around Muckross Gardens before returning to Killarney in
time to relax before dinner. (B, D)
Day 9: Cliffs of
Moher &
Bunratty Castle
Drive to Tarbert for a
ferry ride across the River Shannon Estuary. Continue to the Cliffs of Moher, a
spectacular wall of limestone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Drive to Bunratty to check into Bunratty
Castle Hotel, located very close to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park. If you wish, you may visit the
Folk
Park, have a drink in the
200-year-old Durty Nelly's Pub or shop at the Bunratty Mills. In the evening
head to Bunratty
Castle for a memorable
medieval-style feast. During and after the meal the lords and ladies will
serenade you with song and harp music, evocative of the middle Ages. (B,
D)
Day 10: Shannon Airport
Clients on the 10-day
tour will take a group transfer to nearby Shannon Airport where your tour concludes at 10:30
am.