Taste of Scotland & Ireland

Tour begins 2:30 PM at your Glasgow hotel. Set out on an introductory tour of central Glasgow – a city that flourished in Victorian times due to the shipbuilding industry and international trade. Drive around George Square with its ornate City Chambers, and visit Provand’s Lordship, Glasgow’s oldest house, built in 1471. Enjoy a welcome drink with your group before dinner. (D)

Travel alongside the famous Loch Lomond, renowned for its beauty. Drive across the haunting Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe, admiring the wild and spectacular scenery. Continue through Fort William and stop at a woolen mill to shop for quality Scottish goods. Embark on a short cruise on Loch Ness before heading to Nairn. (B, D)

Visit Blair Athol Distillery to see how whisky is distilled and enjoy a sample. Travel to St Andrews, best known as the “Home of Golf.” Take a panoramic drive around, then spend some time exploring independently. Continue on to your gracious manor house hotel outside Edinburgh, set on 1,000 acres with two golf courses. Enjoy a Scottish evening with traditional cuisine and a lively show of songs, stories, and dancing. (B, D)

Explore the principal sights of central Edinburgh from the bustling Princes Street and through the gracious, wide streets of the 200-year-old Georgian “New Town.” Walk along part of the Royal Mile where compact medieval houses reach several stories tall. Visit Edinburgh Castle perched high above the city on volcanic rock. The castle contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The rest of the day is free. The August 3 – 24 departures attend the spectacular Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Castle Esplanade. (B)

Depart Edinburgh and travel through Ayrshire and along the coast. Embark on a ferry ride to Belfast. Take a panoramic drive through Belfast, seeing the highlights of this fascinating city, where the Titanic was built in the once-bustling shipyards. Then travel to Dublin, where you will enjoy some free time for dinner on your own. (B)

Discover central Dublin with a local guide. See the shopping areas around Grafton and Nassau Streets, view elegant Georgian squares, and the General Post Office where the 1916 rebellion, which would lead to Irish independence, started. Visit Christ Church Cathedral, founded in 1028. In the evening, board a former Guinness barge for a canal dinner cruise complete with traditional Irish music. (B, D)

Travel through the midlands of Ireland on your way to a traditional farm. Immerse yourself in farm life with tea and scones at a farmhouse visit and watch skilled dogs herd sheep. Head to Blarney Castle and kiss the famous “Stone of Eloquence.” Head to Killarney, picturesquely set beside lakes and mountains. (B, D)

Step back in time as a jaunting car drives you past Ross Castle on Lough Leane. Embark on the Ring of Kerry drive – a winding route with breathtaking sights of mountains and coastal views. Cross the bridge to Valentia Island to visit the Skellig Experience, which explains the life of early Christian hermits on Skellig Michael, a rocky offshore island featured in the film “Star Wars VII.” Enjoy a casual lunch before a pause at Moll’s Gap for panoramic mountain views. Return to Killarney where the evening is free. (B, L)

After crossing Shannon by ferry, take in the enormity of the Cliffs of Moher, a spectacular wall of sandstone that reaches 700 feet above the Atlantic. Walk along the cliffs for stunning views. Later, at Bunratty Castle Hotel, you’ll have free time to visit the Folk Park, have a drink in 200-year-old Durty Nelly’s Pub, or just relax independently. In the evening, enjoy a memorable medieval-style feast where the lords and ladies will serenade you with song and harp music evocative of the Middle Ages. (B, D)

Your tour ends after breakfast today. (B)