| Scottish Dream Tours Presents 14 Day Scotland & Ireland Summer Discovery Tour June 7th - June 20th, 2013 Dublin City Tour, Malahide Castle, Locke's Distillery Tour, Clonmacnoise Monastic Settlement, Galway, Strokestown Park House and Famine House, Boyle Abbey, Sligo, Belleek Pottery, Old Bushmills Distillery, Giant's Causeway, Belfast, Loch Lomond, The Trossachs, Stirling Castle, Blair Athol Distillery, The Queens View, Castle Menzies, Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Perth, St. Andrews, Dunfermline Palace and Abbey, Edinburgh City Tour, Edinburgh Castle, Palace of the Holyrood House, Highland Dinner and Show and much more! A small intimate tour of Scotland and Ireland limited to 10 - 12 people in order to provide a more personal experience. In keeping the tour size small we are able to take advantage of accommodation, restaurant and sightseeing options that would not be available to a larger group. With a small tour size we can veer off the main tourist areas and get a real feel for these warm wonderful countries. We will not rush you from venue to venue and each tour is designed to spend as little time on the minibus as possible. You may find yourself staying in a delightful city guest house, a warm country house hotel or farmhouse and a 200 year old coaching Inn all in the same visit. Full Irish breakfast each morning and all meals as indicated in itinerary. All accommodations. Guided minibus tour with luggage handling. All sightseeing including any entrance fees. All taxes and service charges. No hidden costs! $4795US per person double occupancy. $500 per person deposit to reserve your spot on this tour. Click here to make your deposit. |
Day 1 - June 7th - Arrive in Dublin with time enough for some sightseeing and shopping in Ireland's Capitol City.
You will take an Open Top Bus Tour with hop on and off service this afternoon. Stops you may want to make while on the
tour are Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Old Jameson Distillery, Christ Church Cathedral, St.
Patrick's Cathedral. This evening we will gather for a Welcoming Pub Dinner to kick off the tour! Overnight
Dublin. (L,D)
Day 2 - Our first stop of the day takes out of Dublin to Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb. Newgrange was built
about 3200 BC. The kidney shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, some of
which are richly decorated with megalithic art. We stop for lunch following our visit to Newgrange. This afternoon we
journey to the Hill of Tara, the political and spiritual center of Celtic Ireland and the Seat of High Kings until the 11th
century. Sitting on top of the King's Seat is the most famous of Tara's monuments, Ireland's Ancient Coronation
Stone. On the way back to Dublin we stop at Malahide to visit Malahide Castle, a stunningly picturesque fortress that
stands amidst a profusion of massive oaks, mighty chestnuts and towering sycamores. The castle is one of the oldest and
most historic castles in Ireland. From 1185 until 1975, it was the home of the Talbot family. This was a remarkable tenure
by a single family and is one of the longest in Ireland. Tonight we are out for a Pub Dinner and Music Night with the
Merry Ploughboys. Dinner and Overnight Dublin. (B,D)
Day 3 - We leave the big city behind today was we head toward the west. First stop today is Locke's Distillery Museum
which houses last remaining example of a small pot distillery in Ireland established in 1757. The distillery made pot still Irish
Malt Whiskey for almost 200 years. Lunch in Athlone before a visit to Clonmacnoise Monastic Settlement, an
early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century on the banks of the River Shannon. The site includes the
ruins of a cathedral, eight churches (10th-13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early
Christian Grave Slabs. We will drive through the "Fields of Athenry" as we make our way to Galway and Galway
Bay. Galway is the center for the Irish-speaking regions in the West and a lively university city. The center of the city lies on
the banks of the River Corrib which flows from Lough Corrib. Pub Dinner and Overnight Galway. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - This morning we visit the beautiful National Park in the heart of Connemara, a combination of bogland,
lakes and mountains. Along the way we visit Kylemore Abbey sheltered by the slopes of the Twelve Bens, this lakeside
castle is a romantic, battlemented Gothic Revival fantasy. On our way we will stop in Clifden, framed by the grandeur of
the Twelve Bens mountain range. We will make a stop for Afternoon Tea at the Knockranny House Hotel at
Westport before a visit to the Ceidi Fields, a vast prehistoric landscape, a natural wild ecology of blanket bog, dramatic
cliffs and coastline. The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world. We then continue further north to
Sligo. Dinner and Overnight Sligo in a Historic 17th Century Mansion. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - This morning we visit the little border village of Belleek where the world famous Belleek Pottery was founded in
1857. We will stop at the visitors' centre and museum where you can view this fine Parian China. Our next stop is Donegal
and Donegal Town. Donegal is a thriving market town at the head of Donegal Bay. While here we will visit the 17th
Century ruins of Donegal Castle which dominate the town and was the seat of the powerful O'Donnell Chieftains.
Leaving Donegal behind we drive to Lough Eske and Lough Eske Castle for Lunch. This afternoon we visit Derry
for a Guided Tour of the Walls of Derry. Most of the original structure is still there dating back almost 400 years. The
end of the day finds us at along the northern coast of Ireland. Dinner and Overnight Portstewart. (B,L,D)
Day 6 - This morning we make our way to the Old Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest distillery in the world! We will
tour the distillery and end up with whiskey sampling in the 1608 bar. Lunch in Bushmills before we begin our journey
along the Causeway Coast with a stop at the ruins of Dunseverick Castle. King Dunsobairce of Ireland built a
fortress here in 1525BC to rule the ancient Kingdom of Dariada, the location is named after him. Our next stop is the
Giants Causeway where 37,000 basalt columns extend from the cliffs and into the sea. No matter how many times I have
seen this, the sheer wonder and magic of the columns never fails to impress! We will remain on the breathtaking coastal
route with a few photo ops almost all the way to Belfast for an evening free in the city. Overnight Belfast. (B,L)
Day 7 - Today we spend in Belfast, Northern Ireland's largest city and one of my favorite European cities! We'll take
a Tour of the City aboard an Open Top Bus. Get on and off at your own pace and take in the sights of the city. You
may want to take in a lunch stop at the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, a flamboyant Victorian drinking palace. You may
also want to visit City Hall, St. Anne's Cathedral and the Titanic Quarter. The Titanic's Dock Tour takes in
Thompson Dock and Pump House where the celebrated RMS Titanic had its final fit-out. A must see, The Pump
House is one of the few most significant remaining heritage buildings from the Titanic technology era. Dinner and
Overnight Belfast. (B,D)
Day 8 - This morning we take the ferry across to Stranraer, Scotland. The crossing will take us a few hours but is a very
comfortable crossing. Once we are in Scotland we will Stop for Lunch before we continue our journey along the
Beautiful Coastline of Southwest Scotland. Our next stop in Scotland is at Culzean Castle. Standing on a cliff's
edge, this 16th century keep stands in an extensive parkland estate and is Robert Adam's finest masterpiece. The first
written reference to a Tower House at Culzean dates to the 1400's, although it is possible there was a building here even
earlier. After we tour the castle we will continue on northward to just outside of Glasgow where we find dinner waiting.
Dinner and Overnight near Glasgow. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - Following breakfast this morning we make our way through the enchanting Loch Lomond and Trossachs
National Park. This is where the Highlands meet the Lowlands, where the lochs, mountains, rivers and villages hold
secrets of history, legend and tradition. Our ur journey will take us to my favorite Trossachs village of Callander. Callander
is full of wonderful shops, woollen mills and delightful tearooms. Lunch in Stirling at The Tearoom before we visit
Stirling and Stirling Castle. Stirling is one of the grandest of all Scottish Castles and Mary Queen of Scots was
crowned here. We next begin our journey into the Highlands and the to the beautiful Highland Village of Pitlochry.
Dinner on your own tonight in Pitlochry. Overnight Pitlochry. (B,L)
Day 10 - This morning we visit Blair Athol Distillery, one of the Oldest Distilleries in Scotland and continues the
tradition of making whisky by hand. Next, we make our way out of town to The Queen's View named after Robert The
Bruce's wife Isabel but made popular by Queen Victoria. This is one of the most breathtaking sights in Scotland and will
become a favorite of yours. After a spectacular drive through the moors we find ourselves in Aberfeldy for Lunch as
the Moon and Sixpense. This afternoon we visit Blair Atholl and Blair Castle. Bonnie Prince Charlie spent 2 days
here in this 700 year old rambling, turreted castle with over 32 rooms open to the public. We then return to Pitlochry where
the evening's highlight will be Dinner and then a Performance at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre! Overnight
Pitlochry. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - This morning we leave the Highlands behind on the way to Perth and Scone Palace, the home of the Earls
of Mansfield. Once the crowning place of Scottish Kings, Scone Palace occupies a unique position in Scotland's
history. A breathtakingly beautiful place of power and mystery and the rightful home of the celebrated Stone of Scone,
Scone Palace is regarded as a national treasure and is revered as the historic jewel in Scotland's crown. You will want to visit
the Grounds and Gardens as well. We will stop in the bustling town of Cupar on our way to visit St. Andrews.
Sightseeing in St. Andrews will include the Old Course, St. Andrews Castle and Cathedral. The Castle was the former
Bishops' Palace, the residence of the Archbishops of St Andrews. The Cathedral itself dates from around 1160, and was
consecrated in the presence of Robert the Bruce in July 1318. Dinner and Overnight Kingdom of Fife. (B,D)
Day 12 - Our journey today will take us south toward Edinburgh but not before stopping in Dunfermline and visiting
Dunfermline Palace and Abbey. Dunfermline Abbey was founded about 1070 by Queen Margaret, wife of
Malcolm Canmore. Margaret was made a saint, and she and Malcolm were buried here. Robert the Bruce's body (apart
from his heart, which is at Melrose) is buried here as well. Lunch in Dunfermline before our journey to Edinburgh.
The evening is free for exploring Princes Street, the Royal Mile and the many eateries to be found in the city.
Overnight Edinburgh. (B,L)
Day 13 - This morning you will take in all the sights of Edinburgh and the best way to see the city is by bus, so we will
board an Open Top Tour Bus and enjoy all the highlights of the city. You may want to depart the bus at both Palace of
the Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle. You will have the afternoon free for shopping on Princes Street
and The Royal Mile. Tonight we will enjoy an Evening of Food, Fun, Highland Dance, Song and of course
Bagpipes! Overnight Edinburgh. (B,D)
Day 14 - June 20th - This morning we make our way to Edinburgh International for your journey home. (B)
You will take an Open Top Bus Tour with hop on and off service this afternoon. Stops you may want to make while on the
tour are Guinness Storehouse, Phoenix Park, Old Jameson Distillery, Christ Church Cathedral, St.
Patrick's Cathedral. This evening we will gather for a Welcoming Pub Dinner to kick off the tour! Overnight
Dublin. (L,D)
Day 2 - Our first stop of the day takes out of Dublin to Newgrange Megalithic Passage Tomb. Newgrange was built
about 3200 BC. The kidney shaped mound covers an area of over one acre and is surrounded by 97 kerbstones, some of
which are richly decorated with megalithic art. We stop for lunch following our visit to Newgrange. This afternoon we
journey to the Hill of Tara, the political and spiritual center of Celtic Ireland and the Seat of High Kings until the 11th
century. Sitting on top of the King's Seat is the most famous of Tara's monuments, Ireland's Ancient Coronation
Stone. On the way back to Dublin we stop at Malahide to visit Malahide Castle, a stunningly picturesque fortress that
stands amidst a profusion of massive oaks, mighty chestnuts and towering sycamores. The castle is one of the oldest and
most historic castles in Ireland. From 1185 until 1975, it was the home of the Talbot family. This was a remarkable tenure
by a single family and is one of the longest in Ireland. Tonight we are out for a Pub Dinner and Music Night with the
Merry Ploughboys. Dinner and Overnight Dublin. (B,D)
Day 3 - We leave the big city behind today was we head toward the west. First stop today is Locke's Distillery Museum
which houses last remaining example of a small pot distillery in Ireland established in 1757. The distillery made pot still Irish
Malt Whiskey for almost 200 years. Lunch in Athlone before a visit to Clonmacnoise Monastic Settlement, an
early Christian site founded by Saint Ciaran in the 6th century on the banks of the River Shannon. The site includes the
ruins of a cathedral, eight churches (10th-13th century), two round towers, three high crosses and a large collection of early
Christian Grave Slabs. We will drive through the "Fields of Athenry" as we make our way to Galway and Galway
Bay. Galway is the center for the Irish-speaking regions in the West and a lively university city. The center of the city lies on
the banks of the River Corrib which flows from Lough Corrib. Pub Dinner and Overnight Galway. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - This morning we visit the beautiful National Park in the heart of Connemara, a combination of bogland,
lakes and mountains. Along the way we visit Kylemore Abbey sheltered by the slopes of the Twelve Bens, this lakeside
castle is a romantic, battlemented Gothic Revival fantasy. On our way we will stop in Clifden, framed by the grandeur of
the Twelve Bens mountain range. We will make a stop for Afternoon Tea at the Knockranny House Hotel at
Westport before a visit to the Ceidi Fields, a vast prehistoric landscape, a natural wild ecology of blanket bog, dramatic
cliffs and coastline. The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world. We then continue further north to
Sligo. Dinner and Overnight Sligo in a Historic 17th Century Mansion. (B,L,D)
Day 5 - This morning we visit the little border village of Belleek where the world famous Belleek Pottery was founded in
1857. We will stop at the visitors' centre and museum where you can view this fine Parian China. Our next stop is Donegal
and Donegal Town. Donegal is a thriving market town at the head of Donegal Bay. While here we will visit the 17th
Century ruins of Donegal Castle which dominate the town and was the seat of the powerful O'Donnell Chieftains.
Leaving Donegal behind we drive to Lough Eske and Lough Eske Castle for Lunch. This afternoon we visit Derry
for a Guided Tour of the Walls of Derry. Most of the original structure is still there dating back almost 400 years. The
end of the day finds us at along the northern coast of Ireland. Dinner and Overnight Portstewart. (B,L,D)
Day 6 - This morning we make our way to the Old Bushmills Distillery which is the oldest distillery in the world! We will
tour the distillery and end up with whiskey sampling in the 1608 bar. Lunch in Bushmills before we begin our journey
along the Causeway Coast with a stop at the ruins of Dunseverick Castle. King Dunsobairce of Ireland built a
fortress here in 1525BC to rule the ancient Kingdom of Dariada, the location is named after him. Our next stop is the
Giants Causeway where 37,000 basalt columns extend from the cliffs and into the sea. No matter how many times I have
seen this, the sheer wonder and magic of the columns never fails to impress! We will remain on the breathtaking coastal
route with a few photo ops almost all the way to Belfast for an evening free in the city. Overnight Belfast. (B,L)
Day 7 - Today we spend in Belfast, Northern Ireland's largest city and one of my favorite European cities! We'll take
a Tour of the City aboard an Open Top Bus. Get on and off at your own pace and take in the sights of the city. You
may want to take in a lunch stop at the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, a flamboyant Victorian drinking palace. You may
also want to visit City Hall, St. Anne's Cathedral and the Titanic Quarter. The Titanic's Dock Tour takes in
Thompson Dock and Pump House where the celebrated RMS Titanic had its final fit-out. A must see, The Pump
House is one of the few most significant remaining heritage buildings from the Titanic technology era. Dinner and
Overnight Belfast. (B,D)
Day 8 - This morning we take the ferry across to Stranraer, Scotland. The crossing will take us a few hours but is a very
comfortable crossing. Once we are in Scotland we will Stop for Lunch before we continue our journey along the
Beautiful Coastline of Southwest Scotland. Our next stop in Scotland is at Culzean Castle. Standing on a cliff's
edge, this 16th century keep stands in an extensive parkland estate and is Robert Adam's finest masterpiece. The first
written reference to a Tower House at Culzean dates to the 1400's, although it is possible there was a building here even
earlier. After we tour the castle we will continue on northward to just outside of Glasgow where we find dinner waiting.
Dinner and Overnight near Glasgow. (B,L,D)
Day 9 - Following breakfast this morning we make our way through the enchanting Loch Lomond and Trossachs
National Park. This is where the Highlands meet the Lowlands, where the lochs, mountains, rivers and villages hold
secrets of history, legend and tradition. Our ur journey will take us to my favorite Trossachs village of Callander. Callander
is full of wonderful shops, woollen mills and delightful tearooms. Lunch in Stirling at The Tearoom before we visit
Stirling and Stirling Castle. Stirling is one of the grandest of all Scottish Castles and Mary Queen of Scots was
crowned here. We next begin our journey into the Highlands and the to the beautiful Highland Village of Pitlochry.
Dinner on your own tonight in Pitlochry. Overnight Pitlochry. (B,L)
Day 10 - This morning we visit Blair Athol Distillery, one of the Oldest Distilleries in Scotland and continues the
tradition of making whisky by hand. Next, we make our way out of town to The Queen's View named after Robert The
Bruce's wife Isabel but made popular by Queen Victoria. This is one of the most breathtaking sights in Scotland and will
become a favorite of yours. After a spectacular drive through the moors we find ourselves in Aberfeldy for Lunch as
the Moon and Sixpense. This afternoon we visit Blair Atholl and Blair Castle. Bonnie Prince Charlie spent 2 days
here in this 700 year old rambling, turreted castle with over 32 rooms open to the public. We then return to Pitlochry where
the evening's highlight will be Dinner and then a Performance at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre! Overnight
Pitlochry. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - This morning we leave the Highlands behind on the way to Perth and Scone Palace, the home of the Earls
of Mansfield. Once the crowning place of Scottish Kings, Scone Palace occupies a unique position in Scotland's
history. A breathtakingly beautiful place of power and mystery and the rightful home of the celebrated Stone of Scone,
Scone Palace is regarded as a national treasure and is revered as the historic jewel in Scotland's crown. You will want to visit
the Grounds and Gardens as well. We will stop in the bustling town of Cupar on our way to visit St. Andrews.
Sightseeing in St. Andrews will include the Old Course, St. Andrews Castle and Cathedral. The Castle was the former
Bishops' Palace, the residence of the Archbishops of St Andrews. The Cathedral itself dates from around 1160, and was
consecrated in the presence of Robert the Bruce in July 1318. Dinner and Overnight Kingdom of Fife. (B,D)
Day 12 - Our journey today will take us south toward Edinburgh but not before stopping in Dunfermline and visiting
Dunfermline Palace and Abbey. Dunfermline Abbey was founded about 1070 by Queen Margaret, wife of
Malcolm Canmore. Margaret was made a saint, and she and Malcolm were buried here. Robert the Bruce's body (apart
from his heart, which is at Melrose) is buried here as well. Lunch in Dunfermline before our journey to Edinburgh.
The evening is free for exploring Princes Street, the Royal Mile and the many eateries to be found in the city.
Overnight Edinburgh. (B,L)
Day 13 - This morning you will take in all the sights of Edinburgh and the best way to see the city is by bus, so we will
board an Open Top Tour Bus and enjoy all the highlights of the city. You may want to depart the bus at both Palace of
the Holyrood House and Edinburgh Castle. You will have the afternoon free for shopping on Princes Street
and The Royal Mile. Tonight we will enjoy an Evening of Food, Fun, Highland Dance, Song and of course
Bagpipes! Overnight Edinburgh. (B,D)
Day 14 - June 20th - This morning we make our way to Edinburgh International for your journey home. (B)
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
|
