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Celtic Highlights
The best of Scotland, Englands Lake District, North Wales and the Emerald Isle
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This 14–day journey brings you the best of Scotland, England's Lake District, North Wales and the Emerald Isle. Your Scottish experience begins in the lively city of Glasgow and continues via the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond to the Highland capital of Inverness and the pretty resort of Grantown–on–Spey. In Edinburgh visit the famous castle and the Queen's Holyrood Palace, and in the lowland hills visit the famous blacksmith's shop at Gretna Green before crossing the border into England. Delight in the beauty of the peaceful Lake District on your way to historic Chester. Explore the north Welsh towns of Betws–y–Coed and Caernarvon, then take a ferry across the Irish Sea to the Fair City of Dublin. Blarney, the Ring of Kerry and the Cliffs of Moher are all included before your Irish experience is completed with a visit to Belfast in the company of a local GDide. Back to Glasgow to complete this popular vacation.
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Call (917) 882-7651 for more information or to book today! |
| | | Day | Destination | Description | | Day 1 | Board your overnight transatlantic flight | (Sun.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. | | Day 2 |  Glasgow | Arrival in Glasgow, Scotland. (Mon.) Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free to relax in Scotlands largest city. Before tonights welcome dinner join your tour director and traveling companions for a toast to happy touring with a congenial group. (D) | | Day 3 | Spey | Glasgow – Grantown–on–Spey. (Tue.) Your Celtic adventure starts in earnest as you head for the Highlands. On the way this morning: Dumbarton, the capital of the ancient Celtic kingdom of Strathclyde; the "Bonnie Banks" of Loch Lomond; wild Rannoch Moor; Glen Coe, where the MacDonalds were treacherously massacred by the Campbells; lovely Loch Linnhe; Fort William beneath Ben Nevis, Britains highest mountain. The spectacular afternoon drive follows the Caledonian Canal, with vistas of the Great Glen, Loch Lochy, and Loch Ness, looking out for signs of the mysterious monster. Via Inverness, the Highland capital, for todays final highlight: CULLODEN VISITOR CENTRE which tells the story of the crushing Hanoverian victory over Bonnie Prince Charlies Scottish clans. Overnight in the pretty Highland resort of Grantown–on–Spey. (FB,D) | | Day 4 | Edinburgh | Grantown–on–Spey – Edinburgh. (Wed.) Through heather–clad moors for a visit to a WHISKY DISTILLERY, where your guide explains the ancient art of converting barley, water, and yeast into a heart–warming liquor. On to BALMORAL CASTLE, the Queens residence during the hunting season. (Before May 1 and after July 31 when the Royal Family is in residence, visit CRATHIE CHURCH instead.) Drive through Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games for over 900 years, and via Dundee to St. Andrews, whose Royal and Ancient Golf Club, founded in 1754, has given us the rules of golfing. The last leg of todays drive takes you through Fife and over the mighty Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. Tonight dont miss our optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. (FB) | | Day 5 | Edinburgh | Edinburgh. (Thu.) Morning city sightseeing with a local expert introduces you to the 200–year–old New Town and famous scientists, inventors and novelists. In the Old Town, drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotlands Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE, the Queens official Scottish residence. The afternoon is free to enjoy this Prince of Cities at your own pace. Later, a unique optional experience: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia, which for the Queen was once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Tour five decks and see how the Royal Family and crew of 240 lived and worked on board. Dinner rounds off this optional evening. (FB) | | Day 6 | Ruthin | Edinburgh–Chester, England–Ruthin, North Wales. (Fri.) On the way through the history–steeped Lowland Hills, stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples. Leave the land of the Scots, and journey through the tranquil Lake District, considered the finest of Englands national parks, and drive over spectacular Kirkstone Pass to visit picturesque Bowness–on–Windermere. Continue to Chester, the historic county town on the River Dee. On your walking tour see the Roman remains, the characteristic black and white half–timbered houses, and the famous two–tiered arcades called the "Rows", before continuing on to North Wales for your overnight stay at Ruthin Castle Hotel. (FB,D) | | Day 7 | Dublin | Ruthin–Dublin, Ireland. (Sat.) Travel through the incomparable landscapes of Snowdonia National Park, via lovely Betws–y–Coed and over breathtaking Llanberis Pass, a region where Welsh is widely spoken as the first language. At Caernarvon you have time to explore the castle which saw the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales. Now its across Britannia Bridge to the Isle of Anglesey for a photostop at tongue–twisting Llanfair... At Holyhead board your ferry and cross the Irish Sea to Dun Laoghaire. Tonight your tour director will suggest an optional dinner outing. (FB) | | Day 8 | Dublin | Dublin. (Sun.) An orientation drive in the Irish capital includes statue–lined OConnell Street, elegant Georgian squares, and St. Patricks Cathedral. Then visit Oscar Wildes TRINITY COLLEGE, famous for the 1,200–year–old Book of Kells and the magnificent Old Library. Afternoon at leisure. Top the day with an optional Irish specialty dinner and cabaret show. (FB) | | Day 9 | Tralee | Dublin–Tralee. (Mon.) Horse–racing country this morning. Drive across the Curragh to visit the IRISH NATIONAL STUD at Kildare, whose thoroughbreds command respect on the racecourses of the world. The Rock of Cashel, where St. Patrick preached, is another milestone on the route to Blarney, renowned for its magical Stone of Eloquence. Time here to visit the castle and shop for fine Waterford crystal before continuing on to Tralee, the county town of Kerry. (FB,D) | | Day 10 | Limerick | Tralee–Ring of Kerry–Limerick. (Tue.) Follow the road known as the "Ring of Kerry" for a spectacular 100–mile panoramic drive around the islands southwestern tip and take your photos of the Lakes of Killarney before visiting this popular resort. In the afternoon drive via quaint Adare to Limerick where an orientation drive features St. Marys Cathedral, King Johns Castle, and the Stone where the Treaty of Limerick was signed in 1691. A suggestion for a very special night out: an optional medieval banquet at Knappogue Castle. (FB) | | Day 11 | Sligo | Limerick–Sligo. (Wed.) Motor to the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, rising 668 feet above the Atlantic. Via the limestone plateau of The Burren you reach Galway, a vibrant city with a great seafaring tradition. Hear about the infamous Lynch Stone, commemorating the day Mayor James Lynch Fitzstephen hanged his son for murder. Pass through the region featured in the film The Quiet Man and visit Knock, a village that attracts pilgrims from all over the world since townsfolk saw apparitions. Spend the night in Sligo. (FB,D) | | Day 12 | Ballygally | Sligo–Ballygally, Northern Ireland. (Thu.) A rich string of attractions awaits you today: the grave of the native son and poet W.B. Yeats in Drumcliff; BELLEEK POTTERY FACTORY, renowned for its exquisite cream–colored Parian china; a fascinating walking tour of Derry with a local guide, taking in the Guildhall, old city walls, and St. Columbs Cathedral. Pass Dunluce Castle, a romantic ruin clinging to its clifftop, and visit awe–inspiring GIANTS CAUSEWAY, composed of thousands of strangely symmetrical basalt columns jutting out to sea. Follow the scenic Antrim coast road to tonights destination. (FB,D) | | Day 13 | Glasgow | Ballygally–Belfast–Glasgow, Scotland. (Fri.) A taste of the vibrant city of Belfast on this mornings Living History tour in the company of a local guide before boarding your ferry for the crossing of the North Channel to Stranraer on the west coast of Scotland. Back in Glasgow, your city drive takes in the fine 12th–century cathedral, imposing university buildings, and elegant Georgian squares, built by the wealthy tobacco barons. Tonight, raise a glass of wine to a successful tour at a private farewell dinner at your hotel. (FB,D) | | Day 14 | Return Home | (Sat.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB) |
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