V.2 Viajes Team3- Mampaso Group - 14 nights

Day 1 - Monday 24^th June - Welcome to Dublin

Arriving in Ireland today, your private transfer will pick you up from the airport and whisk you into the city to your 5 star hotel in the city centre. Check-in may not be available till this afternoon, however feel free to leave your bags, freshen up, or have a bite to eat.

The rest of the day is free to explore Dublin from the comfort and proximity of your hotel. There are some great self guided tours we can recommend or simply relax at your hotel enjoying the amenities. We are happy to make a restaurant recommendations and reservations for you and your guides will join you tomorrow.

Overnight: Dublin | The Merrion Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: None

Day 2 - Tuesday 25^th June - Walking Tour of Dublin

Your guides will join you at your hotel this morning and after some brief introductions its time to get out and explore!
One of the best ways to get to know a new city and learn some of its history is on a walking tour and this morning we have arranged for a local historian and guide to lead you around some of Dublins most famous and infamous sites.

Dublin is a vibrant capital city, with its mix of 1,000 years of architecture from the mediaeval to Georgian to modern. See the Georgian style Merrion Square, lush St. Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square, as well as O’Connell Street, the site of the ‘1916 Uprising’ that led to Ireland’s independence in 1922. Your guide is also a historian who will bring the city to life with colourful tales of life in the city in times gone by.

No visit to Dublin is complete without a tour of the iconic Guinness  Storehouse. Your tour takes you across seven floors and the history of Guinness before taking in the 360 views of Dublin city from the Gravity Bar. From there, you will visit three different Dublin pubs, enjoying the best pints the city has to offer taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the city along the way.

Overnight: Dublin | The Merrion Hotel
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 3 - Wednesday 26^th June - Kilkenny Castle

Leaving Dublin, we track south with our ultimate destination Cork later today. Breaking up the journey and adding to our learning, we will visit the mediaeval town of Kilkenny with its grand castle at its centre. Built in 1129 by Norman occupiers, this 12th century castle has been the scene of many of Ireland’s most important and historic events. After your castle tour, enjoy a walk through this historical city before making your way onto Cork city for the evening.
If time allows, we recommend also stopping at The Rock of Cashel on route. Set on a dramatic outcrop of limestone in the Golden Vale, the Rock of Cashel, iconic in its historic significance, possesses the most impressive cluster of mediaeval buildings in Ireland. Among the monuments to be found there is a round tower, a high cross, a Romanesque chapel, a Gothic cathedral, an abbey, the Hall of the Vicars Choral and a fifteenth-century Tower House.

Overnight: Cork | Hayfield Manor
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 4 - Thursday 27^th June - English Market and Jameson Distillery Tour

Cork’s iconic English market has been trading since 1788.  One of the oldest and certainly the best covered markets in Europe, it has survived famine, flood, war, fires, and multiple recessions to remain a strong part of Cork’s fabric. Spend your morning browsing the stall’s and offerings, sampling delicious treats or picking up a gift for home.

From its origins in 1780 by Scotsman John Jameson through its history, prohibition, revolution and distilling techniques to the world wide brand it is today, the Jameson Distillery tour is both historic and fascinating. Take a behind the scenes tour with one of the expert Ambassadors visiting key buildings including a special visit to the Distillers cottage.

Overnight: Cork | Hayfield Manor
Room Type: Superior
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 5 - Friday 28^th June - Farm tour and cheese tasting

We leave the south coast behind us this morning and track our way along Ireland’s famed Wild Atlantic Way. Your destination this afternoon is the iconic 800 year old Ashford Castle, once owned by the Guinness Family.

On route, we will take some time to stop and meet Teresa, a one time flying doctor in Australia who came home on a mission to empower women in agriculture and create jobs in rural Ireland. Teresa has taken the family farm and diversified it to create a unique, premium Irish farmhouse cheese. Meet the herd, tour the production area and sample some of the delicious cheese made at the foothills of the Slieve Aughty mountains.

Overnight: Cong, Co Mayo | Ashford Castle Hotel
Room Type: Junior Stateroom
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 6 - Saturday 29^th June - On site at Ashford

Once owned by the Guinness family, Ashford has a history dating back to the 12th century and has earned its place in Ireland’s history books. Today, Ashford is one of Ireland’s premier hotels offering an unforgettable experience.

Enjoy your day onsite today, soaking up the luxury and atmosphere of days gone past. A private Hawk Walk will give you the incredible opportunity to fly your very own Harris Hawks under the guidance of your instructor. After you have been introduced to your hawks you’ll set off into the magnificent woodlands to fly your hawks, as they follow you from tree to tree through the woods before swooping down to land on your gloved fist. Your instructor will explain the hawks’ exceptional eyesight, their speed and agility, and how they were trained by the Falconry School themselves.

Spend the afternoon relaxing or we can arrange some more activity for you including boat trips, clay shooting, a gentle bike ride or estate walks.

Overnight: Cong, Co Mayo | Ashford Castle Hotel
Room Type: Junior Stateroom
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7 - Sunday 30^th June - Depart for Scotland

Depart today from your chosen airport, Knock is closest if there are flights available or Dublin will offer daily flights and transfer to Scotland.  Landing in Edinburgh where your private transfer will be waiting for you to whisk you into the heart of the city where the rest of the day can be spent relaxing at your hotel or heading out to start exploring the city.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral
Room Type: Executive View Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 8 - Monday 1^st July - Exploring Edinburgh

After breakfast, meet your guide in the foyer of your hotel and head out for a day spent exploring the beautiful cobblestone streets of the city. Full of history, the capital is very accessible by foot. Wander up the Royal Mile, stopping to visit the architecturally stunning St Giles Cathedral, and enjoy panoramic views from Edinburgh Castle. Pick up a coffee and a pastry from one of the wee artisan shops, dipping into local galleries, cheesemongers and bookshops. If you fancy an afternoon with a twist, head to the Surgeons’ Hall Museums, which holds one of the largest collections of surgical pathology in the world.

Overnight: Edinburgh | The Balmoral
Room Type: Executive View Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 9 - Tuesday 2^nd July - Transfer West

It’s time to leave the bright lights of the city behind this morning as you meet your guides and driver to embark on the next part of your adventure.  Heading north out of the city your first stop will be at Stirling Castle, where you can follow in the footsteps of Royalty as you explore the great halls and immaculate gardens.  After lunch, you’ll continue on through the imposing scenery of Glencoe, where the mountains jut up into the skies from the valley floor, to your luxurious castle hotel and base for the next three nights.

Overnight: Fort William | Inverlochy Castle
Room Type: 3 x Small Walled Garden Rooms, 2 x Walled Garden Attic Suites and 1 x Junior Walled Garden Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 10 - Wednesday 3^rd July - Exploring Loch Ness

Today you will visit the iconic ruins of Urquhart Castle. Perched on the shores of Loch Ness, the castle offers a glimpse into a bygone era of conflict, clans and legends. As you explore the ramparts and peer through the weathered windows, you will be rewarded with breathtaking views over Loch Ness, its serene waters shrouded in legendary tales. Your adventure will continue as you take private boat across the loch in search of the fabled monster that may be lurking in the deep.  Keep your eyes peeled for the swish of a tail or the tell tale air bubbles as you glide across the water before your guides will meet you back on dry land and take you back to your hotel.

This evening, you will meet with a local storyteller who will regale you with tales of myths and legends as you sit back with a wee dram and get transported into the world of of days gone by.

Overnight: Fort William | Inverlochy Castle
Room Type: 3 x Small Walled Garden Rooms, 2 x Walled Garden Attic Suites and 1 x Junior Walled Garden Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 11 - Thursday 4^th July - Trains and tales of days gone by

Step back in time this morning as you board the famous ‘Harry Potter’ Steam Train and enjoy a first class journey as the train thunders from the mountains to the coast.   On arrival at Mallaig, your guides will meet you and you’ll spend the afternoon meandering back along one of the prettiest roads in the whole of Scotland where you will see the train from a completely different viewpoint.

Tonight you will dine in splendour as you indulge in a seven course extravaganza created by Michelin starred chefs Michel and Albert Roux. The perfect way to end your time in the Highlands of Scotland.

Overnight: Fort William | Inverlochy
Room Type: 3 x Small Walled Garden Rooms, 2 x Walled Garden Attic Suites and 1 x Junior Walled Garden Suite
Meals Included: Breakfast and Lunch

Day 12 - Friday 5^th July - The Bonny shores of Loch Lomond

After breakfast it is time to leave the mountains of the Highlands and head south to your final destination.  There are lots of options to stop off for a leg stretch today – either in Glencoe or perhaps just for a wander around the pretty village of Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond.

Arriving at Cameron House in the afternoon, your guides will leave you and you can then simply relax, take advantage of the spa facilities or perhaps you’ll be in time for a quick 9 hole round of golf before dinner!

Overnight: Loch Lomond | Cameron House
Room Type: Loch View Balcony Double Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 13 - Saturday 6^th July - Free day at Cameron House

Spend the last day on Scottish soil resting and rejuvenating before your flights home.  Play some golf, have some spa treatments or just curl up with a good book and relive the memories of the last two weeks.

Overnight: Loch Lomond | Cameron House
Room Type: Loch View Balcony Double Rooms
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 14 - Sunday 7^th July - Transfer to Glasgow

A private transfer driver will collect you today and take you to Glasgow airport in time for your onward travel – taking with you a small part of these ancient lands and a longing to return

Meals Included: Breakfast