The Scots Irish Tour 11 Day Itinerary

Day 1- Tue: 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 its shipbuilding industry. 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. Join your fellow travellers for a welcome drink before dinner is served. (D)

Day 2- Wed: Loch Lomond & Loch Ness Cruise

Depart Glasgow and drive alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned in song for unsurpassed beauty. Travel across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, notorious for the Campbell massacre of the Clan Macdonald in 1692. Continue through Fort William and shop for Scottish souvenirs at the nearby Ben Nevis Highland Centre. At Fort Augustus embark on a short cruise on Loch Ness to admire enchanting scenic views and perhaps spot the famous monster. Motor alongside the loch and through Inverness to Nairn where your hotel was a favourite summer residence of Charlie Chaplin. (B, D)

Day 3- Thu: Blair Castle & Scottish Cabaret

Head through the steep Grampian Mountains to visit 13^th century Blair Castle, home of the Earls and Dukes of Atholl. This stately mansion contains a variety of portraits, china and armor to show the life of Scottish nobility. Nearby visit Blair Athol Distillery to learn about the creation of whisky and enjoy a sample. Continue south to Edinburgh, in time to check in to your hotel. In the evening attend a Scottish cabaret where you dine on local specialties, including the famous haggis, and enjoy traditional entertainment. (B, D)

Day 4- Fri: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour

This morning an Edinburgh city guide will point out the principal sights of this interesting capital city. Drive through the elegant, 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 10 to 24 departures enjoy the Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle. (B)

Day 5- Sat: Larne Ferry & Belfast Historic Tour

This morning depart Edinburgh after breakfast 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 arrive in Larne. Drive the short distance to Belfast and see the highlights of Belfast with a local guide, including Victorian buildings, the Harland and Wolff Shipyards, where the Titanic was built and areas around the Shankill and Falls Road. Check in to your centrally-located hotel and relax before dining in the hotel. (B, D)

Day 6 - Sun: Giant's Causeway & Walls of Derry Walk

Drive north to experience wonderful views as you travel along the "Nine Glens of Antrim," a scenic route past mountains, valleys and coastline. Stop at the Giant's Causeway, hexagonal columns formed by volcanic activity over 60 million years ago. The enormous rocks have spawned legends about the mythical giant, Finn McCool. Continue to Derry to check in to your hotel. Join a local guide for a short walking tour around the ancient and historic city centre, which is completely surrounded by medieval city walls. (B, D)

Day 7- Mon: Ulster American Folk Park & Westport

Travel south to Omagh to visit the Ulster American Folk Park, which traces the story of Ulster emigrants to the Appalachians where they became known as the "Scotch Irish." See how people lived in the "Old Country" before settling in the "New World." One third of all U.S. Presidents had Scots Irish heritage. Drive along the scenic Lower Lough Erne and around Donegal Bay, pausing to view the grave of the Nobel-winning writer, W. B. Yeats. Continue through County Sligo and the windswept landscapes of County Mayo to Westport. Check in to your hotel in the town centre and enjoy free time before dinner. (B, D)

Day 8- Tue: Achill Island & Deserted Famine Village

After a leisurely breakfast, travel around Clew Bay to reach Achill Island, joined to the mainland by bridge. Follow the Atlantic Drive to capture wonderful views of steep mountains and golden beaches. Near Slievemore see the Deserted Village, the remains of 100 cottages abandoned in the 1840's Famine. Return to Westport for an afternoon at leisure so you may browse around the town. The estate town was laid out in 1780 and has many fine Georgian houses and a tree-lined mall. After dinner you may like to explore some of the lively pubs, including Matt Malloy's Pub, of Chieftains fame. (B, D)

Day 9 -   Wed: Strokestown Park House & Viking Dublin

Drive through Castlebar to visit Strokestown Park House in County Roscommon. There are three parts to see - the 18th century mansion with its original furnishings; the four-acre walled garden, restored to look as it would have during the heyday of the estate; and the Famine Museum, which uses a combination of original documents and images to explain the circumstances of the 1840's Great Irish Famine. Continue to the east coast to your hotel in Dublin. Head to the nearby Brazen Head Pub, which dates from the 12^th century, and enjoy a great dinner with a lively show of traditional Irish songs and intricate step-dancing. (B, D)

Day 10 - Thu: Kilmainham Gaol & Guinness

Relax on a half-day guided tour of Dublin, originally founded by Vikings over 1,000 years ago. See elegant Georgian townhouses and colourful doors and cross the River Liffey to view the wide thoroughfare of O'Connell Street with the General Post Office where the 1916 Rebellion started. Pause to view the Famine Memorial before visiting Kilmainham Gaol to see how penal establishments were operated in past centuries. Learn about the leaders of the 1916 Rebellion who were imprisoned and shot here. The afternoon is free so that you may use your independent open-top bus tour and Guinness or Jameson vouchers. (B)

Day 11- Fri: Return Home from Dublin

Complimentary group transfers are provided to Dublin Airport to arrive at 6:00 am, 9:00 am or 12:00 noon. After check-in, you'll have time to shop at the duty-free facilities before boarding your flight for the journey home. (B)

Breakfast (B) Dinner (D)