14 Days
Without a doubt, your family will fall in love with Scotland and Ireland during this magical two-week adventure. Start in the colourful city of Dublin, here you can get a real flavour for local life by exploring the city. Stay in a real-life castle, before whizzing across the Irish Sea to Scotland – a land of legends, castles and myths!
Here, experience an exciting range of outdoor activities, from catching your own fish to an exhilarating off-road adventure. Explore the Scottish capital of Edinburgh, a city awash with colourful shops, formidable castles and a haunting history and discover the beautiful Loch Lomond.
GET IN TOUCHDream Escape’s recommended programme could include the following experiences:
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Accompanied by a personal expert guide, discover some of the Dublin’s foodie highlights mixed with a sprinkling of snippets on the history of Irish food and the city, pointing out interesting and quirky architecture as you pass. Your personal guide will take you to a range of bakeries, food halls, street markets and delicatessens, where you will have the opportunity of meeting artisans whose families have traded for generations.
Stretch your legs and explore the city with an eco-friendly bike tour. Led by a knowledgeable local guide, discover hidden gems and highlight attractions, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Merrion Square and Temple Bar. Your guide will entertain and educate throughout the afternoon, ensuring you have a highly enjoyable afternoon that will leave you having experienced the city like a true local!
Hurling and Gaelic football are unique to Ireland; they are indigenous sports that have been played on the island for thousands of years. This energy-filled hands-on experience will keep the entire family engaged as a private coach provides an introduction to the sports, before you find yourselves holding hurleys (wooden stick) and sprinting across the field! With lots of fun challenges to encourage some friendly competition, it is a great way to spend a couple of hours and a real insight into local culture.
One animal which should not be missed while visiting Scotland is the Highland Cow. Accompanied by your knowledgeable Ranger, next visit the cattle farm and meet the hairy “heilan coos” as they are affectionately known in Scotland!
Edinburgh Castle, perched on ancient volcanic rock, has stood guard over the city for 900 years and is brimming with tales, from it near destruction on the order of King of Scots, Robert the Bruce to its role as a garrisoned fortress through the Glorious Revolution and the Jacobite Risings.
Set off from the marina and relax on the upper deck with a glass of champagne in hand.
Experience first-hand the art of falconry. Known as the “sport of kings”, this is a wonderful opportunity to see magnificent birds of prey up close. Often including Falcons, Owls, Hawks and Eagles; in full flight, they are spectacular.
Take a private two-hour tour of the city in two Mini Coopers. It will be a sight-seeing tour with a difference; venture off the beaten track to discover hidden gems and local favourites that most tourist miss!
By the end of your tour you’ll have experienced Edinburgh like a true local – with lots of stories and photos to show for it!
Follow your cloaked guide through the shadowy streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town for a private exploration of underground vaults which are reputed to be amongst the most haunted places in the city. In this atmospheric location, lit only by the flicker of candle light, your guide will regale you with stories of murderers and vagrants, torture and hangings. Their true history is even more terrifying than fiction.
Dublin is steeped in history, with Viking, medieval and Georgian influences all having left their marks. Since the time of the Vikings, Dublin has been the principal gateway to the Emerald Isle. The medieval city, with its intimate knots of small alleys and broad streets south of the river, was developed in Norman times around St Patrick’s Cathedral and Dublin Castle, and later came to symbolise British rule in Ireland. The 18th century was the “Age of Elegance”, a time of relative prosperity when the Irish gentry set about remodelling the city into one of elegance, replete with graceful terraces, wrought-iron balconies and fanlight doorways. The city became Ireland’s capital with the establishment of the Republic of Ireland in 1937, and today is regarded as one of the liveliest and most atmospheric in Europe.
Loch Lomond is one of the Scotland’s most famous stretches of water. Formed during the last Ice Age, the north is dominated by mountainous peaks and a scattering of islands can be found at the southern shores.
The loch is steeped in history and has inspired artists, poets and writers for centuries. Praised by such figures as Robert Burns and Gerard Manley Hopkins as well as being the focus of the ever-popular song “The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond”, which closes many a night of revelry, it has earned its place in Scottish culture both high and low.
Scotland’s historic capital city. Edinburgh, sometimes referred to as the “Athens of the North”, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It has two distinct areas: the Old Town, dominated by a medieval fortress; and the neo- classical New Town, dating from the 18th The harmonious connection of these two contrasting historic areas, each with many important buildings, is what gives the city its unique character and saw it awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1995.
The Royal Mile, which lies at the heart of the Old Town is arguably one of the most famous streets in the world. Today, it is peppered with stores selling cashmere goods and hand crafted silver jewellery. However, in centuries gone by it was a different story: delving into the Old Town is like leafing through the pages of a dusty historical novel, as each era unfolds with its own legends and characters.
The Highlands very much embody the romance of Scotland; they really are the Scotland of your imagination, a beautiful and inspiring region of ancient landscapes with a fascinating history. Spend the day exploring with your chauffeur-guide. There is a wealth of places to visit
