Style : Group tour
The Scots Irish Tour tour

The Scots Irish Tour

CIE Tours
4.6 . Excellent
90%
Travel Style: Array Mixed
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels. Value (3*)
11 days
From: $ 2,085 $ 190 / day
Checking price

Overview

Highlights (Bullets)

  • Enjoy Walk along part of the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle
  • Discover some of the island and visit the Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle to understand the history of the powerful Lords of the Isles
  • Enjoy the views of the magnificent Highlands as you drive south through Glen Coe
  • Visit Titanic Belfast to learn about this famous liner through state-of-the-art displays
  • Explore Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair built Glenveagh Castle in 1870

Short Description

Explore Scots Irish history on this itinerary when you start in Edinburgh, head into the Highlands and drive through the Isle of Skye. Take a ferry to Ireland to discover Belfast and Derry and stay in Kilronan Castle Hotel. Discover local history and fun stories on walking tours in many storied towns. The longer tour stays in Killarney and ends in Dublin. 

Style Group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
Mid-range budget with accommodations ranging from comfortable lodges, guesthouses, and homestays to three star hotels.
Lodging Level Value (3*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions All internal ground transport
Start City Edinburgh
End City Galway

Itinerary

Day 1: Edinburgh & Royal Yacht Britannia

Your Scottish trip starts at 2:00 pm from your hotel, located on two golf courses a few miles from the city center. Drive to Leith for a tour around the Royal Yacht Britannia, the floating home of The Queen on many of her travels around the world. See the various parts of the ship, including staterooms and public spaces, together with photos of important visits. Return to your hotel for a welcome drink with your tour director and guide. Then you are free for independent dining this evening.

Day 2: Edinburgh Castle & City Tour

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Tour central Edinburgh to see the highlights. Drive along the bustling Princes Street and through the 200-year-old Georgian New Town. Walk along part of the Royal Mile and visit Edinburgh Castle, which contains the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Scone. The balance of the day is free. Dine at a Scottish Evening and enjoy a lively show with bagpipes, kilts and Highland dancing. On August 06 to 22 departures attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Edinburgh Castle, and your Scottish Evening will be the day before.

Day 3: St Andrews & Highland Scenery

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel north to St Andrews, famous for golfing and Scotland’s oldest university. Take a walking tour around the town to learn about the famous people and happenings here. Visit the picturesque ruins of St Andrews Cathedral. Take a break in Pitlochry and continue through majestic Highland scenery to your hotel in Inverness (Sun departures) or Nairn (Tue departures).

Day 4: Isle of Skye & Clan Donald Centre

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive alongside Loch Ness and through wild Highland scenery, pausing for photos at the picturesque Eilean Donan Castle and cross to the Isle of Skye by bridge. Discover some of the island and visit the Clan Donald Centre at Armadale Castle to understand the history of the powerful Lords of the Isles. Return to the mainland by ferry and take the “Road to the Isles” through some majestic Highland scenery, stopping for photos at the Glenfinnan Monument.

Day 5: Glen Coe & Rabbie Burns

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

This morning enjoy final views of the magnificent Highlands as you drive south through Glen Coe and alongside the lovely shores of Loch Lomond. Stop briefly in Alloway to visit the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum to learn about the famous poet’s life and poetry. Travel along the coast to Cairnryan for a short ferry ride to Belfast. Check in to your hotel where dinner is served.

 

Day 6: Titanic Belfast & Ulster Folk Park

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Take a gentle walk with a Belfast guide to see the imposing City Hall in Donegall Square and Victorian buildings, including the Opera House and the Crown Liquor Saloon. Visit Titanic Belfast to learn about this famous liner through state-of-the-art displays. Browse around the city on your own in the afternoon and in the evening visit the Ulster Folk Park for a fun country-style dinner and traditional music.

Day 7: Giant’s Causeway & Derry’s Walls

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive along the scenic route of the Nine Glens of Antrim, for views of mountains, valleys and coastline. Stop at the Giant’s Causeway, enormous hexagonal columns which have spawned legends about the mythical giant, Finn McCool. Pause for photos at ruined Dunluce Castle. In Derry join a local guide for a short walking tour around the defensive walls before driving to Letterkenny.

Day 8: Glenveagh National Park & Kilronan Castle

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Travel to Glenveagh National Park where Captain Adair built Glenveagh Castle in 1870. Learn about the history of the mansion on a guided tour and walk around the extensive gardens filled with exotic plants. Stop in Donegal town and visit the beautiful Cistercian ruins of Boyle Abbey before continuing to Kilronan Castle.

Day 9: Enniskillen Castle & Free Time

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Drive north this morning to Enniskillen, strategically situated on the banks of the picturesque River Erne. Tour Enniskillen Castle, which was once the home of the Gaelic Maguire chieftains and take a look around the town on your own. In the afternoon relax in your lovely castle hotel.

Day 10: Cliffs of Moher & Medieval Castle Banquet

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Head to Galway city for a walking tour with a local guide to see Lynch’s Castle and Eyre Square. View the Cliffs of Moher, a dramatic wall of rock that plunges to the Atlantic Ocean. In the early evening head to 15th century Bunratty or Knappogue Castle for a fun medieval-style banquet and check in to your hotel in Ennis afterwards.

Day 11: Tour Ends in Ennis

Meals: Breakfast

Your tour ends after breakfast.

Availability

Checking price
Price From $ 2,085
Price Per Day: $ 190 per day
Checking price
  • Deposit Price: $ 265
  • Single Supplement: $ 654

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with CIE Tours.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

192 CIE Tours Travel Reviews & Ratings

90%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 164
Great 8
Average 1
Disappointing 0
Terrible 19
Value
4.5
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

The Scots Irish Tour

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Company Reviews

DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME/MONEY WITH CIE!

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
I gave this return 1 star only because that’s the lowest possible option, otherwise they would receive 0 stars!!! I had a trip planned for September of 2021 to Iceland. 12 days before the trip, my husband got Covid. Even though it was 12 days before the travel date, they still would not allow me to reschedule the trip. My husband has Alzheimer’s and this would likely have been his last trip out of the country, had I been able to reschedule. I was told I could put in a claim to get a partial refund. Since September 5, I have been battling with CIE to get said refund. Countless emails and phone calls claiming my check would be in the mail by “next week.” I eventually contacted Trip Mate to see if I could get any answers and they informed me that the check couldn’t be sent out because CIE hadn’t released the money. I tried countless times to reach the customer service manager, Mary Larkin, but every time I called she was “on another call” or “at a meeting.” Eventually I was told I could only email her to get in contact with her. I did exactly that about my refund I have been waiting months to receive and she finally called me back. She said it was inexcusable that the refund had taken this long and assured me she would have the money released and have Trip Mate expedite sending the check to me “by next week.” This conversation took place on April 7 and no money has been received at this time. Better Business Bureau has been contacted to handle the matter from here. These people are thieves, do NOT under any circumstances book with them!!!
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Loved our experience

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
Loved our experience with our tour guide Mert our CIE tour in July/August of 2015 we have many pictures that we wanted to share with our group — I believe maybe however, the person in charge of creating a group page for our group — couldn’t read my handwriting when we had past the clipboard around to put our email addresses on as myself, husband and daughter never received any notification of the group page — kelli_landaverde@icloud.com or Kelli_landaverde@yahoo.com ; a.ponce219@gmail.com ; aponcelandaverde@gmail.com —- would still love to keep in touch with the group — that’s what’s so sad being together side by side for two weeks getting to know someone and then to never hear from one another ever again
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Our Guide was awesome. John did an amazing job

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I took my 80 year old Dad and he bragged about it every day till he passed 5/2020. It was the best thing I have ever done. Wish I could do it again with him.
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Both unfair and unacceptable

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Like many others here, we have clients booked with CIE Tours, and their tours have been canceled, in one case twice. CIE only offers a future travel credit, without option for a refund. They say that their policy is like other tour operators, however, Globus Family of Brands and others that we work with are offering the option for a full refund in the case that they cancel the tour. Clients are upset and CIE's policy is both unfair and unacceptable.
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Here is their policy on their own website

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
Here is their policy on their own website.
CIE TOURS CANCELLATIONS: If it becomes necessary to cancel a coach tour prior to departure, at the discretion of the company, CIE Tours will offer the next available date at no additional land cost or will make a full refund of all monies paid to CIE Tours. CIE Tours cannot accept responsibility for any additional costs or fees relating to such a tour booking or for any cancellation penalties due to non-refundable airfares, unless ticket is purchased from CIE Tours. Airline penalties may apply.
And yet they will not honor it. Stay away from this company. They do not care about you after they get your money.
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I can't say how disappointed I am with CIE Tours

1.0
Details
Value1.0
Guide1.0
Activities1.0
Lodging1.0
Transportation1.0
Meals1.0
I can't say how disappointed I am with CIE Tours. I have had to cancel a planned tour of Ireland this year for two due to Covid 19 and the risk involved due to age and compromised immune systems of the parties involved.
CIE tours are unwilling to offer refunds of our deposits. I certainly could not recommend them to our friends and families as a reliable tour operator.
I have spoken to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in Ireland who quoted me the Package Holidays & Travel Trade Act and who said we are entitled to a refund of deposits paid.
I am very unhappy with this situation and am considering my next move if this matter is not resolved to my satisfaction.
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Details

Flight & Transport Inclusions

All internal ground transport

Group Size

Standard Group - 25 + people

Accommodations

  • Dalmahoy Hotel and Country Club: Edinburgh (2 nights)
  • Columba Hotel: Inverness (Sunday Departure) or
  • Newton Hotel: Nairn (Tuesday Departure) (1 night)
  • Isles of Glencoe Hotel: Ballachulish or
  • Ballachulish Hotel : Ballachulish (1 night)
  • Europa Hotel: Belfast (2 nights)
  • Station House Hotel – Letterkenny: Letterkenny (1 night)
  • Kilronan Castle: Ballyfarnon (2 nights)
  • Temple Gate Hotel: Ennis (1 night)

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be advised in writing (by mail, fax or e-mail) to CIE Tours prior to tour departure during normal business hours (9:00 am to 5:00 pm GMT/BST, Mondays through Fridays). Cancellations received within 70 days of departure date are subject to the following penalties on the land portion:

Between: 70 days or longer Forfeiture of deposit

69 & 46 days 25% per person

45 & 8 days 35% per person

7 & 1 days 50% per person

On day of departure 100% per person

Minimum cancellation fees are €35 per person.

Trip ID#:

TheScoCie

Meals Included

10 Breakfasts and 9 Dinners

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