DAY 1

Arrive Scotland - Transfer to Gleneagles

 Welcome to Scotland! You will arrive at Edinburgh or Glasgow airport where you will be met by your representative, who will ensure your trip is running smoothly. You will then be transferred in your private vehicle to the Gleneagles Hotel where you will be assisted with check-in.

 Spend the afternoon settling into this magnificent Scottish sporting estate.  Try your hand at one of the many activities available; learn to handle a falcon or to control a gun-dog, or try your hand at shooting a few clay targets.

Overnight: Gleneagles Hotel  
Meal Plan: B  

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DAY 2

Stirlingshire and the Trossachs  

 Today you will be joined by a driver-guide who will take you on a full day excursion into the Stirlingshire countryside to the southwest of Gleneagles. Start by visit Stirling Castle that sits atop a rocky outcrop surveying the countryside that was the venue for two famous battles where the armies of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce defeated the invading England forces. It was in the Chapel Royal of the castle that the infant Mary was crowned Queen of Scots in 1543.

  This afternoon, you may want to take a traditional tour Scottish scenery. If so, drive into the Trossachs, a beautiful area of mountains, forests and lakes often known as Rob Roy country after an infamous outlaw. In the middle of the region is Loch Katrine, where you can take a boat trip on the SS Sir Walter Scott, a historic steamship.

 If you prefer something a little more contemporary, travel to Falkirk which is an industrial town on the junction of two of Scotland's canals which run at very different levels. In order to connect them more efficiently, the Falkirk Wheel was constructed as part of the Millennium celebrations. This enormous structure is the world's finest rotating boat lift; take a short cruise on a barge to experience the wheel in motion.

Overnight: Gleneagles Hotel
Meal Plan: B

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DAY 3

Gleneagles at leisure   

 Today is yours to enjoy more of the facilities at Gleneagles. The hotel has three 18-hole golf courses, one of which will host the Ryder Cup in 2014. There is also a fine equestrian centre, where horseback riding can be arranged. Trout fishing is available in the lochs on the estate, and you may also want to try your hand at off-road driving.

 If you would like to take an additional excursion this afternoon, your driver-guide could take you to Drummond Castle, which is noted for its splendid formal garden. Alternatively, why not indulge in a real Scottish experience by visiting the Glenturret Distillery of malt whisky? Now styled as the Famous Grouse Experience, you will learn all about the process of production of whisky as you tour the distillery complex. Oh – and don’t forget to try your wee dram at the end of the tour!

Overnight: Gleneagles Hotel  
Meal Plan: B  

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DAY 4

Gleneagles – Edinburgh – Dublin – Powerscourt

 Check out from Gleneagles today, and your chauffeur will transfer you into Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland. Here you will be joined by an expert local guide for an orientation tour of one of the most beautiful and dramatically situated cities in Europe. The highlight of your visit is a tour of Edinburgh Castle, where you will see the 'Honours of Scotland', or the Scottish Crown Jewels, and obtain stunning views of the city. At the end of your tour, you will be transferred to Edinburgh airport in time for your afternoon flight to Dublin.

 On arrival at Dublin airport, your local guide will be waiting to meet you. You will be escorted to your private vehicle and transferred to the Ritz Carlton Hotel that lies in the Wicklow Mountains to the south of Dublin.

Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt Hotel  
Meal Plan: B  

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DAY 5

Dublin City

 This morning, your chauffeur will transfer you into Dublin city center. Here you will meet a local city guide who will take you on a sightseeing tour of the Irish Capital. After travelling around the elegant Georgian Squares for which the city is renowned, you will visit Trinity College, where you will see the Book of Kells, a fabulous example of early Irish manuscript illumination that is on display in the Old Library. You may also wish to visit the nearby Treasury of the National Museum, where the finest examples of medieval Celtic metalwork are on display, or the National Gallery that houses a fine collection of paintings.

Later, if history is your passion you could choose to visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, the largest church in Ireland, and tour the staterooms of Dublin Castle, longtime symbol of British rule in Ireland. If however you prefer something more unusual, why not join a tour of the city by ‘Duck’, a WWII amphibious vehicle from which you will see the major city landmarks from both land and water!

Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt Hotel  
Meal Plan: B  

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DAY 6

The Wicklow Mountains  

 This morning, you will meet a driver-guide for a tour into the southern part of the Wicklow Mountains.  Drive across the bleak moorlands to Glendalough, the 'Valley of the Two Lakes', where St. Kevin established a monastic community during the Dark Ages. At this evocative and haunting site, it is possible to imagine life in these earlier times as you wander through the ruins of the churches, and past perfectly preserved round tower.

 Also in this area is the village of Avoca that served as the location for ‘Ballykissangel’ on TV. It is home to the renowned Avoca Handweavers, the finest manufacturers of quality woolen fashions in Ireland.

 Spend the rest of the day enjoying the facilities of the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt.  Take a walk to visit Powerscourt House adjacent to the hotel? The house, now housing shops that sell Irish artisanal products, overlooks the beautiful Powerscourt Gardens. From the terrace, you will admire a delightful panorama that leads to the Sugarloaf Mountain. Always colorful, the gardens boast many trees and ornaments.

Overnight: Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt Hotel  
Meal Plan: B  

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DAY 7

Depart Dublin

 Say farewell to the Emerald Isle as you are transferred by your chauffeur back to Dublin airport for your departure flight.

Overnight:   
Meal Plan:   

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