12
Day
England,
Wales and Scotland Tour (Summer Itinerary)
Sherwood forest *
Nottingham * Yorkshire * Hadrian’s Wall
* Edinburgh * Stirling * Highlands * Isle of
Skye * Loch Ness * Edinburgh * Anglesey * Dublin
* Blarney stone * Cliffs of Moher * Snowdonia
* Stratford * Oxford
Day 1 Monday
Please be ready to depart at 7.30am from Earls
Court YHA, London. Heading North from Central
London we travel into Robin Hood's country.
The 450-acre Sherwood Forest 
is
a dream to explore and with a picnic lunch you
will feel like one of the Merry Men! Test your
skills with our optional activity of archery
before we make our way to Viking York! A chance
to explore the awesome gothic cathedral (England's
largest), the medieval city walls and the sights
and sounds of the lively city centre. After
our authentic Viking feast, experience a spine
tingling ghost walk followed by a rally of traditional
pubs.
Day 2 Tuesday
Heading further North we stop in the cosmopolitan
city of Newcastle. Cross the River Tyne and
see the Angel of the North. From here we attack
Hadrian’s Wall then a choice to cruise
up the Northumberland coastal road or through
the Northumberland National Park. It's goodbye
to England and Scotland ahoy.
A pause at either Holy Island, with its amazing
history and ancient priory or Jedburgh, a historical
border town, once home to Mary Queen of Scots
before we get to Edinburgh. A Full walking tour
& a bit of whisky tasting awaits. Explore
the Royal Mile and Edinburgh castle. The evening
is spent enjoying a traditional Scottish meal
and a fantastic night out in Scotland's capital.
Day 3 Wednesday
Leaving Edinburgh we head out towards Stirling
to hear the history of William Wallace and Robert
the Bruce. Then it is over to Loch Lomond (“I’ll
take the high road…….”) to take
in the beauty of one of Scotland’s famous
Lochs. Next we wind our way further westwards
to Kilmartin Glen to uncover the wonders of
the Kingdom of Dalriada - Standing Stones, Stone
Circles & castles before making our way
up to lively Oban – our home for the night.
Day 4 Thursday
We head deeper into the magical Highlands through
some spectacular north west coast scenery with
amazing stops & weather permitting walks
in magnificent Glencoe (hear the tragic tale
of the MacDonald’s Massacre) & Glen
Nevis. Next we wind our way westwards through
Harry Potter country to the Glenfinnan Memorial
(where Bonny Prince Charlie raised the royal
standard), & weather permitting have some
time on the beaches of Morar. Then its to Mallaig
to catch the ferry over to the South of the
Isle of Skye – the traditional way –
we spend tonight in the fishing village of Kyleakin.
Day 5 Friday
A full and active day on the mystical Isle -
loads of walks and time to take in the magic.
You’ll see the Cuillin Mountains, the Old
Man of Storr (an incredible Jurassic pillar)
and hear some amazing legends, visit the fascinating
Kilt Rock, and take in absolutely awe-inspiring
panoramas in the Quirang. Perfect preparation
for a few wee drams in the pub to reflect on
a day of tales and legends.
Day 6 Saturday
We say farewell to the Isle of Skye this morning
& once back on the mainland we make our
way northwards up the Gairloch Coastline –
a day of gorgeous, relaxing scenery with some
lovely short walks, gorges & waterfalls
before heading over to the Capital of the Highlands
– Inverness – for our final night
together.
Day 7 Sunday
Our last takes us to the banks of loch ness
for some Nessie hunting before an emotional
stop at tragic Culloden battlefield. Then we
cheer ourselves up with beautiful forest walks
and a distillery visit before making our way
over the Firth of Forth back to Edinburgh –
happy honorary Scots!
Wild in Scotland will drop you at Edinburgh
Airport at around 6pm for you to catch a flight
(unguided) to Dublin. www.ryanair.com and www.aerlingus.com
sell flights to Dublin from £15 to £60.
The earlier you book the cheaper the deals you
can get.
Day 8 Monday
Our first stop, not far from Dublin, is the
Rock of Dunamase, the remains of a 12th century
castle perched high on a rocky outcrop, this
was the first home of Strongbow in Ireland,
his ghost still haunts the hills!! With a lunch
stop in Abbeyleix to visit Morrissey’s,
Ireland’s third oldest pub and once a travel
agents, undertakers, grocery store and a pub!
From 
there
it’s not a long way to Tipperary because
we drive through the Golden vale, some of the
prime agricultural land in Ireland located in
the heart of Co. Tipperary. We then go onto
stop at the imposing but awe-inspiring Rock
of Cashel, one of the most spectacular archeological
sites in Ireland. Tonight we stay in Cork City,
the second largest city in the Republic where
we have the opportunity to sample the fine Murphy’s
or Beamish Stout both brewed locally.
Day 9 Tuesday
Today begins with a visit to Blarney Castle
where you will climb the steps to the top of
the castle and perform strange acrobatic ritual
to kiss the Blarney stone. Legend has it that
on kissing the stone you will receive the gift
of eloquence, otherwise known as “the gift
of the gab”. The grounds of Blarney Castle
are a fairies paradise and if you don’t
meet them here, you never will! After this we
visit Killarney National Park and take a walk
up to (or a dip into) the stunning Torc Waterfall.
We then hop back on the bus and head to Tarbert
for our ferry ride across the mouth of the River
Shannon, the longest river in Ireland, before
a drive to Doolin village. We will be spending
this evening in Doolin, a tiny coastal village
famous for its traditional Irish music.
Day 10 Wednesday
This morning our first stop is the spectacular
Cliffs of Moher which rise 700ft above the Atlantic
Ocean making them one of the highest in Europe.
We then visit the Burren, which is a moonscape
of limestone originally formed at the bottom
of shallow seas 300 million years ago and carved
out by the ice age 15,000 years ago. We then
make our way along the coast and onto the capital
of the West – Galway, famed for it’s
numerous festivals and cobbled laneways before
driving through the Midlands and the ancient
distillery of Lockes where the famous “Uisce
beatha” otherwise
known as WHISKEY, is distilled and we get to
sample some of it’s finest following a
lively tour. Finally on to Dublin for around
6pm for a final night on the Guinness!
Day 11 Thursday
Unguided, take the Dublin DART train (£3/5
euros) at 0900 to the ferry port of Dun Laoghaire
(pronounced Dunleary). It takes 15mins and they
run at least every 20mins. Catch the 11.10am
ferry from (Dublin) to Holyhead. You must be
at the ferry terminal at least 30 mins beforehand.
The ferry will cost £24 / 30Euros. You
can book beforehand on www.stenaline.co.uk or
telephone +44 (0)8704 006 798.
Visit (the longest place-name in the world)
Llanfairpwllgwngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch
& get your passport stamped! We continue
south to Caernarfon -a cool castle town on the
coast where you can experience some real Welsh
culture before heading into the stunning Snowdonia
National Park - (the second largest National
Park in Great Britain) dominated by the highest
peak in England and Wales - Mt Snowdon (3560
ft). See the famous Welsh slate mines &
go in search of Gellert’s Grave where we
stop for a nice picnic lunch. Then its eastwards
to Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon to spend
an evening in the famous medieval town.
Day 12 Friday
The morning is spent with an optional tour of
Shakespeare's houses or more time in the town
to see Shakespeare's home town and history.
Late morning we meander through the spectacular
Cotswold’s - spend some quality time in
a Cotswold’s village (perhaps sample a
cream tea) before arriving in the University
City of Oxford. Get a full walking tour of the
city's famous University colleges before heading
back to London for late afternoon.
**Ferries from April to go on Wednesday evenings
at 21.45. This is necessary so you can catch
a Shakespeare play in Stratford on Thursday.
We will book you into a friendly B&B in
Holyhead. Roadtrip will collect you at midday
on the Thurs from Holyhead or Bangor.
What's
Included
Kitty can vary slightly seasonally. See Please
ask for exact amount at time of booking.
The 'kitty' is a set fee taken on the morning
of departure which covers all breakfasts, evening
meals, accommodation, ferries, boat trip and
most entry fees. All of this money is spent
on you - saves you loads of time, money and
hassle. It must be paid in cash as detailed
below.
