Ireland, Orkney and the Shetlands - Departing 22nd August 2021 a - Blue Dot Travel
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a
Ireland, Orkney
and the
Shetlands
Departing 22nd August 2021
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
$19,750 pp
Twin-share, economy class
flights. Single supp $3,490
IRELAND, ORKNEY AND THE SHETLANDS
From the haunting beauty of the pure, unspoiled landscapes and the drama of the coastline, to the urban
buzz of the country's dynamic cities mixed with the magic of thousands of years worth of culture and
history, The Emerald Isle is a country that never fails to surprise.
There are very few detailed, small group tours available in Ireland, which is why we’ve developed such a
comprehensive tour. We’ll have you drinking Guinness in a traditional pub, strolling through quaint cobble-
stoned villages, dancing to Celtic music and driving through stunningly beautiful rugged back roads and
spectacular coastlines. Of course, you’ll also take in history which might even be relevant to your own
ancestry.
Off the coast of Northern Scotland lies Orkney, steeped in history going as far back as Neolithic times. The
main island (Mainland) hosts a UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes the breath-taking Standing
Stones of Stenness, some up to six metres high. The nearby Neolithic Ring of Brodgar is particularly
magical in the evening light, and gained contemporary notoriety when Billy Connolly danced naked through
the stones on his "World Tour of Scotland"! Remaining remarkably intact, the 5,000-year old houses at
Skara Brae offer a real insight into pre-historic village life.
Further north again lie the Shetland Islands. Being in Shetland is unlike anywhere else, a fact that's evident
from the unique culture, dialect, heritage, even the place names. Experience a different world, one with
over 100 islands, where wildlife is truly wild, otters and seals play in quiet coves, and the air is full of the
sound of seabirds, crowding the jagged cliffs in huge and noisy colonies. This beautiful and dramatic ice-
carved landscape is steeped in treasures of history that go back over 6,000 years. The coastline shows all
the signs of dramatic battering by the sea – especially around the towering stacks at Eshaness.
Grab your camera and a wind proof jacket and come join us for this wonderfully unique travel experience.
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
Day 1 Sunday 22nd August Day 4, Wednesday 25th
DEPARTURE Dublin – Belfast
Depart Sydney or Melbourne on your flight to Dublin. With a driver guide, we’ll follow the East Coast
All flights to be advised. Meals in flight towards Belfast. Along the way there will be a number
of stops, from Neolithic monuments to sights of
Day 2, Monday 23rd August religious importance. First off is the ancient temple of
Arrival into Dublin Newgrange.
Welcome to Ireland! Over 5,000
The tour starts today with a hosted welcome dinner years old, this
and chance to meet our fellow travellers. D intricate
collection of
Day 3, Tuesday 24th August chambers would
Dublin have been one
Begin the day with a walking tour of Dublin. An of the largest
entertaining and highly knowledgeable local guide will buildings in the
lead us through the magic sights and streets of world when
Ireland’s capital, and tell stories from the city’s Viking completed, yet
founders through to recent history. We’ll visit the the reason for its existence is still shrouded in
magnificent Trinity College and gaze upon the Book of mystery. Next we’ll discover the beautiful
Kells, Medieval Europe’s greatest treasure. Next it’s Monasterboice High Crosses, a fascinating blend of
onto the Guinness Storehouse for an unforgettable the Celtic and Christian combined in 11th century
experience. Walk through the home of The Black Stuff sculpture. Travel on to Belfast and your
and enjoy a taste. Finish the day in the poignant EPIC accommodation for the next two nights. B/D
– a hugely interactive museum telling the story of
Ireland’s emigrants and their effect on the wider
world. If you have Irish ancestry, this is the place to
find out more. B
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
Day 5, Thursday 26th August childhood holidays in this quaint place. This titan of
Belfast the written word was awarded the Nobel Prize in
Literature – in no small part from the inspiration this
After breakfast we will head out on a political tour of
wonderful part of the world had on him. We’ll continue
Belfast. This rejuvenated city harbours a turbulent
on to Galway and our accommodation for the next two
past of civil war and reconciliation. In the company of
nights. B/D
an expert local guide explore the streets and sights of
Northern Ireland’s capital – the wall murals and Day 9, Monday 30th August
artwork a particularly poignant reminder of this Galway
island’s recent and bloody past. We will then visit the
Today, we will enjoy a boat trip on the bay, to hear
Titanic Belfast Experience. This highly interactive
stories of the Galway Hookers (sailing boats) in the
exhibition retells the famous tale of the doomed ship,
company of a local expert. We’ll head to the harbour
built right on this site, and is both enlightening and
for a lunch of freshly caught and prepared seafood.
moving. To finish the exploration of Belfast’s maritime
The afternoon is free to explore this exciting city.
history, we will step aboard HMS Caroline, the Royal
Galway is known as the City of the Tribes, after the 14
Navy museum ship, which played a significant role in
affluent tribes who ruled during the middle ages. The
both world wars. B
thriving city is the most westerly in Europe and enjoys
Day 6, Friday a strong artistic heritage and flourishing arts, music,
27th August theatre and film scene. Once ringed by city walls,
Belfast – Galway has a compact centre and is a delight to stroll.
Donegal Enjoy the atmospheric pubs and restaurants perhaps
trying some oysters, a great match for Guinness. Its
Today, we will
pretty medieval streets are dotted with landmarks
journey along
such as Lynch’s Castle, while the quirky Latin Quarter
the Causeway
with its charming craft, book and vintage shops is not
Coast Route
to be missed. B/D
and this wild
part of Northern Day 10, Tuesday 31st August
Ireland. We’ll stop at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge and Killarney
take the short walk across to the little island. Next we
Today we head out for a tour of Ireland’s scenic West
travel to the Giant’s Causeway, the famous geological
Coast. Beginning our day with a visit to Burren, where
formation, with its iconic cliffs made from unique
a local expert will lead the way on an exploration of
columns of uniform basalt rock. As we make our way
this bizarre
along the stunning coast, we’ll pass the picturesque
landscape of
ruins of Dunluce Castle. Perched on a cliff in Downhill
limestone
Demesne, Mussenden Temple is a quirky spot where
pavement. This
you can watch from the strand as the Atlantic Ocean
intricate
crashes over the sand and rocks. Continue onwards
ecosystem is
to your Donegal accommodation. B/D
fascinating, so
Day 7, Saturday 28th August much so it was
Derry and Londonderry designated a
European
After breakfast, travel to Ireland’s most northerly
Priority Habitat
point. The windswept and turbulent beauty of Malin
for Wildflowers. Next, it’s on to the Cliffs of Moher.
Head is unrivalled - on a clear day, the views stretch
This section of Irish coastline is awe inspiring, rising
across to the Scottish Hebrides and Kintyre
sharply from the sea and reaching into the distance.
peninsula. Next continue to Derry/ Londonderry for a
Tour to Killarney where we will have the evening free
tour around the ancient city walls. Our local guide will
to discover the quirks of this small city, perhaps taking
bring alive the stories of the city’s founding, the
in some traditional Irish music. B/D
building of the walls in the 17th century to protect the
border city from all challengers, its descent during Day 11, Wednesday 1st September
more recent history, and new-millennium rebirth as a Killarney
vibrant and welcoming visitor destination. B/D
After breakfast we will be picked up outside the hotel
Day 8, Sunday 29th August by jaunting cars. We’ll ride through the streets of
Galway Killarney on horse and cart guided by a local expert.
The journey will take us to Lough Leane and Ross
Today begins the journey along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic
Castle and the local national park. After stopping back
Way. We’ll travel through Glenveagh National Park
at the hotel, a grand tour of the Ring of Kerry. We will
and enjoy the rugged beauty and loneliness of this
wend our way through sea stacks, seaside villages,
spot. Next we’ll stop at Sligo to discover the history of
green meadows and shale splintered mountains, with
WB Yeats. One of Ireland’s foremost poets, he spent
all the views and drama of Ireland and we will hear
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
the stories of pirates, smugglers, and characters accommodation for the next five days. Orkney is
descended from the landscapes. We complete the steeped in history, going as far back as Neolithic
Ring and head back to Killarney. B times, so you will never tire of things to see and do.
The main island (Mainland) hosts a UNESCO World
Day 12, Heritage Site which includes the breath-taking
Thursday 2nd Standing Stones of Stenness, some up to six metres
September high and the nearby Neolithic Ring of Brodgar.
Kinsale Remaining remarkably intact, the 5,000 year old
Travel on with houses at Skara Brae offer a real insight into pre-
your driver historic village life, while the Viking runes at
guide to atmospheric Maeshowe chambered tomb prove that
Kinsale on graffiti isn't a 20th century invention! B/D
Ireland’s south
coast where Day 15, Sunday 5th September
we’ll be met by Local sights
our locally After breakfast, embark on a full-day tour with a local
based private guide and taken on a half-day walking guide across Orkney’s patchwork of lush fields, peaty
tour around some of Kinsale’s best foodie hot-spots. hillocks and stirring ocean views. Visit Maeshowe,
We’ll experience just-caught seafood and superb one of Europe’s finest chambered tombs dating back
produce from Ireland’s best artisan craftspeople, while a staggering 5,000 years. This and several other
meeting many of the town’s food-folk and learning a Neolithic sites make for a fascinating day – your guide
little of the fascinating history of this most charming will be on hand to discuss the most up to date findings
part of the country. Weather permitting there will be and discoveries from this archaeological hotspot.
an opportunity for a picnic by the sea. End the day Return to Kirkwall for dinner at your leisure. B
with a farewell dinner and look back on your journey
through Ireland. B/D Day 16 Monday 6th September
Ferry to Rousay
Day 13, Friday 3rd September Today we head out early for a tour of the island of
Transfer to Glasgow Rousay. (08:20 hrs ferry – 15:20 hrs return).
Welcome to Scotland! Sometimes referred to as ‘the Egypt of the North,’ due
At Glasgow airport, we will be met by our tour leader to its wealth of archaeological sites (166 at the
for the Scottish leg of the journey. Transfer to moment), the island has an atmosphere all its own,
Glasgow city and our accommodation, before having with a population of around 220. Despite its compact
the afternoon free to explore. Scotland's largest city, size of just under 19 square miles, Rousay is rich in
renowned for its culture and style, cosmopolitan history, sandy beaches where seals congregate, and
Glasgow is home to cafes and eateries to suit all lochs and hills affording peace and tranquillity. Return
tastes, as well as traditional Scottish pubs. The city to Kirkwall for dinner at your leisure. B
offers a blend of internationally acclaimed museums
Day 17, Tuesday 7th September
and galleries and stunning architecture, from Kirkwall
Alexander "Greek" Thomson to the world-famous
Charles Rennie Mackintosh. While modern After breakfast, we’ve included a day of leisure. Take
development intrudes mainly at street level, it is the day to explore Kirkwall. Visit St Magnus
always worth looking up to spot intricate carvings and Cathedral, one of the whisky distilleries, or even go
ornate finishes, predominantly dating from the city's shopping for Orkney silver and other fabulous local
Victorian heyday. This evening there will be a group crafts. B
dinner in the hotel hosted by your tour leader. B/D Day 18, Wednesday 8th September
Isle of Westray
Day 14,
Saturday 4th An early start this morning for a tour of the highlights
September of the island of Westray. We will visit the Quoygrew
Glasgow to Viking settlement, reputedly the most significant on
Kirkwall Orkney, plus Noltland Castle, built by Gilbert Balfour
in the early 1560s. Rackwick Kelp Pits is the area of
You’ll have a the largest harvesting of kelp from the early 1700s, an
little more indication of the social history and former way of life
time in the on this remote island. Return to Kirkwall for a group
morning to dinner on your last evening in the hotel, perhaps
take in trying local delicacies such as Scrabster squid or
Glasgow city-life before transferring to Glasgow seaweed-fed mutton. B/D
airport where you will take a flight to Kirkwall in
Orkney. From here it is a short transfer to your
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
Day 19, Thursday 9th September stop. From here head west, to visit the gorgeous
Orkney to Shetland Tombolo beach and St Ninian’s Isle. Next it’s onto
Lerwick, the island capital, to visit the Shetland
After breakfast, fly from Orkney to Shetland and
Museum and Archives. Today you’ll be joined by a
experience the contrast between these two
local guide, with opportunity to understand what it’s
archipelagos divided by a hundred miles of water.
really like to live on Shetland. B
Arrive in Sumburgh and head north west to
Scalloway, the ancient capital but now a charming Day 23, Monday 13th September
town. Enjoy South Shetland
lunch at your
Spend a little more time in the south of Shetland
leisure and visit
today, including a visit to impressive and unusual
the castle ruins
Mousa Broch. Brochs are a kind of Iron Age
and local
roundhouse found only in Scotland, and Mousa is the
museum.
best-preserved of them all. Thought to have been
Discover the
constructed in about 300 BC, it stands 13m tall, and
fascinating
you can climb
resistance story
the winding
of the Shetland
staircase for
Bus, the lifeline
views across
which kept links
Shetland from
open during World War Two between the UK and
the top. A group
Norway. Then settle into your accommodation for the
dinner is
next five nights. B/D
included at the
Day 20, Friday 10th September hotel tonight -
North Shetland Mainland the chance for
some final
Discover the mystery and culture of the North
sharing of
Shetland Mainland. From astounding views and
favourite memories from your trip. B/D
ancient sites, to bizarre discoveries and tales of
bravery - today is sure to be a highlight. Experience Day 24, Tuesday 14th September
the rugged beauty of Eshaness and Northmavine, Transfer to Glasgow and then home
then travel west to Lunna and learn more of
Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Glasgow.
Shetland’s part in WWII. Return to Scalloway and
Say fond farewells to your tour guide and fellow
enjoy this singular location. B
travellers before continuing with your travel plans or
Day 21, journey home (flights to be confirmed). B/Meals in
Saturday 11th flight
September
Yell – Unst
Travel to the Blue Dot can arrange an extension to any other region
northern or on to your next destination.
extremity of the
British Isles
today, ferry-
hopping via Yell
to Unst the self-proclaimed “island above all others”.
There's plenty to explore on Unst - from a
reconstructed Viking longhouse to the Shetland Ales
craft brewery and Foords' Chocolates, where you can
sample the delights made on the premises. Stop and
photograph the famous Unst Bus Shelter - complete
with carpet, comfy seats, TV and themed decorations
- one of Britain's most quirky attractions - it even has
its own website and visitors' book! B
Day 22, Sunday 12th September
Southern Tip of Shetland
Visit Jarlshof, a settlement on the southern tip of
Shetland. With buildings ranging from the 17th
Century to 2,500 BC, this is sure to be a fascinating
Itinerary correct as at Jul 1, 2020 but subject to change. ALL flights to be confirmed. www.bluedottravel.com.au
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