Classic Ireland and Scotland

Head south to Ireland's oldest City, Waterford, founded by the Vikings in 914AD, the location chosen is ideal for a trading port. The prime situation on River Suir secured Waterford's economic future. From the 18th Century excellent flint glass is produced, the business started in 1783 by the Penrose family. A stop at the Waterford Crystal factory is a must, why not join one of the factory tours, and see the world's largest display of Waterford Crystal.

Kilkenny is a historic town in southeast Ireland. This compact City becomes prominent in the middle ages and capital of Ireland. Any self-respecting settlement of the 12th Century has a castle, Kilkenny has a mighty edifice at its centre. Kilkenny Castle has been continuously lived in from the late 12th Century into the 1930's – taking care of such a large building became prohibitively expensive and the Castle's owners are now the town and can be visited. 

All old European capitals have important religious sites, Kilkenny has some particularly well-preserved examples, including imposing St. Canice's Cathedral and the Black Abbey Dominican priory, both originated during the 13th Century. 

The City is also crafts hub, with shops along its winding lanes selling pottery, paintings and jewellery. Kilkenny hosts Ireland's largest arts festival during August; we can carefully build this event into your itinerary if your dates match up. There is a local brewery too, for those who enjoy trying traditional local ales, tour and taste at the Smithwick's brewery.

Overnight: Near Kilkenny - Recommended Hotel: Mount Juliet Hotel and Estate.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Tour the Rock of Cashel - All Rocky high points in the past were valued, easier to defend, impossible to undermine, and any building would stand proud and be a symbol of power. The message from this ancient site is clear, prime real estate for Irish rulers. It was a Royal stronghold of the Kings of Munster, masters of southern Ireland and handed to the church in the 12th Century. It becomes a flourishing religious centre until a siege by a Cromwellian army in 1647. Much of the complex survives and is an enchanting place to tour, Cormac's Chapel is of particular interest, the interior carvings of mythical beasts is terrific to see and learn their meaning. This Romanesque wonder is a must-see site.

The River Lee surrounds Cork, as the river splits it almost circumnavigates the town centre, creating the feeling of being on an island. The name Cork derives from the old Gaelic, which means marshy place. The origins of the settlement are old; St Finbarr founded a monastery here in the 7th Century. Cork is Ireland's second City, with a large student population; therefore, the City has a reputation of rebelliousness, much of that spirit reflected in the arts and music scene. 

Many of today's narrow back streets were waterways lined with warehouses and wealthy merchants houses; pubs, restaurants, and cafes now cram these modern streets. This district is the best food lovers scene in Ireland.

Overnight: Cork - Recommended Hotel: Hayfield Manor Hotel. 

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Visit Blarney Castle, a six hundred years Tower House Castle; Blarney is a romantic ruin, surrounded by stunning gardens; it is now one of Ireland's most significant landmarks.  See the Blarney Stone found at the top of the tower, with its legendary magical powers. Kissing the Blarney stone is an old tradition and could date from the time of the crusades. Once kissed, the Blarney Stone, a gift of eloquence and persuasiveness, is bestowed on the kisser. 

Take in the very best of this magical landscape in a unique and unforgettable drive through the gems of the Killarney National Park, the lake district of Ireland.

Stop by Muckross House, a Victorian mansion with Elizabethan style interior. Visit the basement of the property to see how the servants carried out their daily tasks.  Since the early 20th Century, the three working farms on-site still traditional methods. Your driver-guide, will if required to take you to the wildlife centre for an introduction to flora and fauna of the National Park.

Overnight: Killarney - Recommended Hotel: Killarney Park Hotel.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

For many people around the world, the Ring of Kerry drive encapsulates their image of Ireland: ancient monuments, romantic castles, spectacular gardens and colourful towns and villages. The stunning scenery, dramatic coastline, charming locales and ancient archaeological treasures featured in postcards, film, poetry and song. 

Ring of Kerry and Star Wars Island (Skellig Michael)
As an alternative, take a boat trip to Skellig Michael (Great Skellig) the film location of the latest batch of Star Wars movies. The rock in the Atlantic ocean is inhospitable and mysterious. Perched on a ledge 700ft above the sea and reached by an astonishing one thousand-year-old staircase is a monastery. Monks sort solitude in the 6th Century and constructed six rock beehive-like houses, amazingly despite having received 1400 years of Atlantic weather they remain standing. Over 165 ft of the Rock of Skellig Michael lay beneath the waves and provides a habitat for dolphins, turtles and the world's second-largest shark, the basking shark. 

The picturesque town of Kenmare, with a population of 1,200, is an example of one of Ireland's few planned cities. The limestone facades and ornate plasterwork of some of the buildings pay tribute to the craftsmen of a bygone age.

Sneem, meaning "a knot" in Irish, hence "The Knot in the Ring of Kerry" is a charming and peaceful village located between Kenmare and Waterville. The town offers some shops, pubs, three restaurants and craft shops and is home to several artists.

Overnight: Killarney - Recommended Hotel: Killarney Park Hotel.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

The Dingle Peninsula delivers some of Ireland most spectacular scenery. To the north rises mountains and west stunning coastal drives, giant cliffs, powerful surf, and relics of the past, Christian oratories and beehive huts. 

Your driver-guide will stop in a village or two for drinks and lunch. Some remote areas of the Dingle are still Gaelic speaking, and therefore road signs are in Gaelic.

The pristine pale sand and crystal clear waters will surprise you. High rise hotels or resorts will not spoil the views; this is a preserved coastline of fishing villages with independent shops and fish (seafood) restaurants. 

Overnight: Near Limerick - Recommended Hotel: Adare Manor Hotel. 

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Journey through part of the Burren Country, a unique region of rounded limestone hills where many rare wildflowers thrive in sheltered crevices. Many prehistoric dolmens (megalithic tomb of the stone age) are consisting of large capstones supported on two uprights.

If you would like to feel like you are standing on the edge of the world, then this is the place - the mighty Cliffs of Moher, one of the natural wonders of Europe. The cliffs are 5 miles long and 650 ft high, with jagged drops and sheer drops to the ocean below. Seabirds flourish here, perched in crevices above the crashing waves. The visit to Cliffs of Moher is exceptional an experience. When a clear day, you can see views of the Aran Islands, on a misty day, admire the dramatic beauty of the meeting of land and sea. 

The lively university city of Galway, capital of the West, is an excellent place for those who would like a night on the town, this is a musical City. Enjoy a walking tour of Galway, walkthrough the twisted streets, and explore the old quarter, learn the history of this centre of Gaelic speaking Ireland. See how the Galway has blossomed into a high-tech centre, with a revived economy.

Overnight: County Galway - No. 1 Recommended Hotel: Ashford Castle. 
Overnight: County Galway - No 2. Recommended Hotel: Glenlo Abbey. 

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

A combination of bogland, lakes, and mountains makes up the Connemara National Park. Fifty peaks dominate the horizon within a tightly defined 5000-acre area. For those who love to hike, there is Diamond Hill in the Connemara National Park, with its wood and cut stone path, offers a very safe way to go hill-walking.

Wildlife includes; birds of prey, such as peregrines and merlins, large mammals include Red Deer, and the coast is ideal for breeding Grey seals.

Kylemore Abbey and Victorian Walled Garden is the most visited attraction in the West of Ireland. Sheltered by the slopes of twelve 'Bens' (mountains) the lakeside Castle is a romantic, crenellated (battlements) gothic fantasy and constructed as a gift for his wife by Mitchell Henry. He was a Manchester Tycoon and Galway MP. The Abbey itself was known as Kylemore Castle until 1920 when the Benedictine order of nuns made it their home. The Abbey was home to the Kylemore Abbey Girl's school until 2010. Although the Benedictine nuns still own and use most of the building, the ground floor is accessible for visitors who can get a glimpse of what life was like in this fascinating building built 150 years ago. 

Compared in magnificent with Kew Gardens in London, the Victorian walled garden is a tamed garden within a wild National Park. Surrounded by a protective wall, plants thrive, and more delicate species love in the heated glasshouses. Follow the meandering stream-side walk and enjoy the longest double herbaceous borders in Ireland.  

Overnight: County Galway - No. 1 Recommended Hotel: Ashford Castle. 
Overnight: County Galway - No 2. Recommended Hotel: Glenlo Abbey. 

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Your driver-guide will meet in the arrivals hall at Edinburgh International airport (morning arrival), assist with luggage and escort you to the vehicle. Check in and head out into the City with your guide. 

Scotland’s capital is bursting with character and charm. Edinburgh is a tale of two cities, the hilltop settlement with alleys, snickets, old churches and The Castle, and the NEW City, of 18th-century origin. Speculators constructed a new town on the back of new money and investment following the Union with England in 1707. There are the cashmere and kilts for sale, but our guide will help you authentically navigate Edinburgh.

Tour the official residence of Her Majesty The Queen, the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Palace was once home to Mary, Queen of Scots and the setting for many dramatic episodes in her short life. Enjoy a walking tour up the famous Royal Mile with your guide – cobbled streets, tiny shops, mysteries and the stories of Scotland’s significant figures of literature. 

Tour Edinburgh Castle, dominating Edinburgh’s skyline and giving stunning views across the city and countryside. Home to the Scottish Crown Jewels, the legendary Stone of Destiny and Mons Meg – a giant cannon. Tour the New Town and visit the Georgian house, built in the late 18th century and furnished as it would have been in 1796, presenting a fascinating insight into the past. Get-off-the-beaten path with your guide and see a side of Edinburgh not typically seen. 

Overnight: Edinburgh - No 1. Recommended Hotel: The Caledonian.  
Overnight: Edinburgh - No 2. Recommended Hotel: The Kimpton Charlotte Square.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Our day begins with the military key to Scotland, Stirling Castle. The strategically located fortification is at the junction of the River Forth and Teith, perfect for launching attacks into the Highlands and surrounding settlements. 

Stop for a photo stop of Stirling Castle or go inside. Perched high and proud on impressive cliffs, Stirling Castle has played a crucial role in Scottish history; namely the Battles of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn took place within its shadow. The controversial Mary Queen of Scots lived here as a child. The Queen was the focus of a Roman Catholic succession to the English, and Scottish thrones, encouraged by the great Catholic powers of Europe Queen Mary plotted the assassination of Queen Elizabeth I, ultimately she lost her head. 

Made up of mountains, forests, rivers and lochs, the Trossachs National Park is a miniature version of the Highlands with historical connections to rob Roy. The Corbetts mountains are between 2,500 and 3,000 feet, erratically break the horizon. 

Inveraray Castle featured in an episode of Downton Abbey, which will interest Downton fans. Within the town is Inveraray Jail, a 19th-century prison with 3 foot thick walls. The jail holds 4345 former prisoner records, so there are many tales to be told by the costumed characters walking around the prison.

Overnight: Western Highlands - No 1. Recommended Hotel: The Airds - for couples.
Overnight: Western Highlands - No 1. Recommended Hotel: The Isle of Eriska - for couples and families.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

When you visit the Highlands, this is the sort of dramatic and wild scenery on your wish list, and it doesn’t disappoint. The waterfalls of Glen Nevis and the rugged views of Glen Coe are a must-see. Glen Coe featured in James Bond’s Skyfall and also appeared in the opening credits of Outlander Season 1. From the road, you can see the legendary rocky ridge of the Devil’s Staircase.

Railway Journey from Mallaig to Fort William on the Jacobite Express. The 84-mile journey is one of the greatest railway journeys in the world! A vintage railway route that boasts views of the mighty Ben Nevis, the King of Britain's mountains. For the Harry Potter fan and muggles among us, crossing 21-arched Glenfinnan viaduct is simply the closest you can get to travelling on the Hogwarts Express back to school.

You certainly do not need to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy this railway journey. The Jacobite Express has always been a much loved piece of Scottish heritage and cherished by enthusiasts since the re-introduction of the steam-hauled service in 1984.

Overnight: Western Highlands - No 1. Recommended Hotel: The Airds - for couples.
Overnight: Western Highlands - No 1. Recommended Hotel: The Isle of Eriska - for couples and families.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Drive along the Great Glen Fault, a colossal geological valley from the North-east to the south-west Highlands and beyond skimming Ireland and into the Atlantic ocean. 

Loch Ness is a massive body of water covering 22sq miles with depths of almost 800 ft. The Loch is famous for its monster mysteries, reported sightings of giant aquatic lizard gained international interest in the 1930s. Is the creature of Scottish folk law real? Or a strange sea-serpent species? Now it is your chance to see the beast of the deep.

Visit Edradour Distillery. The surviving farmhouse distillery opened in 1825 and is the smallest distillery in Scotland. With everything made by hand, the distillery only produces eighteen casks a week. 

Tour the distillery of your favourite Whisky on a Whisky Trail day tour. 

We can arrange a tour at a favourite whisky producer, or we can suggest. Discerning whisky enthusiast or novice, learn and enjoy your favourite malts, get behind the scenes, meet the distillery owners and hear the tales of the smugglers of days-gone-by, safe in the hands of your driver-guide. 

Overnight: Perthshire - No 1. Recommended Hotel: Gleneagles.
Overnight: Perthshire - No 1. Recommended Hotel: Fonab Castle.

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Dunkeld sits by the River Tay; this ancient and charming village was all but destroyed in the Battle of Dunkeld, a Jacobite defeat, in 1689. It was while on holiday in the Dunkeld countryside that Beatrix Potter found the locations for her Peter Rabbit stories. 

There are ten authentic links courses in and around St Andrew’s, including the world-famous Old Course. St Andrews, the home of golf and real-life royal love stories! The sport invented here, and the Scots have been playing it here since around the 12th-century! It was particularly popular with Mary, Queen of Scots, who was chastised in 1568 when she chose to 'tee-off' straight after her husband, murder! These stories and more are shared and displayed at the British Golf Museum, which documents the game from the middle ages to the modern-day. 

The seaside and university town is the place where Kate Middleton stole Prince William's heart, now the Duchess of Cambridge! The university is the oldest in Scotland with over six centuries of teaching, and the surrounding milieu includes medieval cobbled streets, a 13th-century castle, and the haunting gothic ruin of St Andrews Cathedral.

Overnight: Perthshire - No 1. Recommended Hotel: Gleneagles.
Overnight: Perthshire - No 1. Recommended Hotel: Fonab Castle.
Alternatively stay in Edinburgh or Glasgow. 

Unique Places to Stay
Castles and Manor House Hotels
Classic and Britain’s Finest Hotels
Luxury Guesthouse and B&B’s

Your chauffeur will be with you 15 minutes before you need to depart. He or she will assist with luggage and listen for any final requests.