Outline Programme

MORNING LUNCH AFTERNOON EVENING

DAY 1 Arrival at EDI in late AM Pub lunch in city centre

Panoramic tour with visit to Castle & Highlander Welcome

Relaxed evening at Howies

EDINBURGH

DAY 2 Option 1 - Highland Games at Traquair followed by PM visit to Rosslyn ChapelOption 2 – Landrover safari programme into the Perthshire hills

Dinner at The Dome

DAY 3 Private cruise on Loch Lomond

Country Pub VIP Visit to Glengoyne Distillery

Gala dinner at Winton House

DAY 4 Flight from Edinburgh to Dublin

Cruzzo’s Restaurant

Sea Safari & Howth Walk Music & dance show at the Merry Ploughboys

DUBLIN

DAY 5 Dublin Saunter – discovery of Dublin & her characters

City centre pub

Time at leisure for shopping A night at the Dog Races

DAY 6 Activities in County Wicklow BBQ at the Hollywood Inn

Gap of Wicklow Tour – visit to Glendalough with Irish coffee en-route

Gala dinner at Malahide Castle

DAY 7 Flight from Dublin to Heathrow.

Lunch on a cruise on the Thames

City tour of London with visit to Tower of London or journey on the London Eye

Dinner at either Bank Westminster or Babylon at Kensington Roof Gardens

LONDON

DAY 8 Transfer to LHR for return flight to South Africa

Accommodation in Edinburgh

Radisson SAS Hotel

•Quality 4 star hotel

•Traditional exterior but with a modern, airy & contemporary interior

•Located in the heart of the Old Town, centrally located between Edinburgh Castle & the Palace of Holyrood House, and just minutes from Princes Street in the New Town.

George Hotel

•Traditional 4 star property

•Located on George Street in the middle of Edinburgh’s New Town – just 1 minutes walk from Princes Street.

•Underwent a compete refurbishment programme & currently undergoing an expansion programme to include a leisure centre.

Day 1 (day time)

•Arrival at EDI in the late AM. Group will be met by their guide who will remain with them throughout their time in Scotland.

•Lunch to be arranged in a restaurant / bistro located in the centre of town.

•In the afternoon, a panoramic tour of Edinburgh could be arranged by coach allowing a visit to Edinburgh Castle, and including a surprise ambush by 2 wild highlanders upon Calton Hill when guests stop to enjoy a full 360’ view over the city below.

Day 1 (evening)

•For the first evening, dinner could be arranged at Howies Restaurant.

•There are 4 Howies restaurants located throughout Edinburgh, but we would propose reserving the one which is within walking distance of the group’s hotel so that guests manage to avoid further journeying by coach..

•If staying at the George, dinner could be arranged at Howies West End, whereas if staying at the Radisson, dinner could be arranged at Howies Victoria Street.

Day 2 (daytime)

Option 1- Highland Games at Traquair House

•Located about 1 hour to the south of Edinburgh, Traquair is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland. The Bear Gates will remain close until such a time as there is a Stuart on the British Throne.

•Guests to be invited to test their skills at a selection of highland games events, such as Tossing the Caber, Highland Dancing, Weight over the bar, Haggis Hurling before culminating in a Tug o’war competition.

•Lunch to be arranged in the nearby Howgate Bistro, followed by afternoon visit to the wonderfully ornate Rosslyn Chapel.

Day 2 (daytime)

Option 2 - Highland Landrover Safari•Guests will journey from Edinburgh into the heart of the Perthshire countryside to the charming village of Aberfeldy. Here guests will board their landrovers for a safari programme that will take them high into the hills, where they will have the possibility of trying the off-road driving course.

•The landrovers are equipped with telescopes and each guest will have their own pair of binoculars so that they can marvel at Scotland’s nature in its natural habitat – golden eagles, red deer, mountain hares, black grouse etc…

•Lunch to be arranged at a marquee located high in a hidden glen or lunch could be arranged at a nearby country hotel.

Day 2 (evening)

Dinner at The Dome

•Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town, The Dome is one of the city’s most striking buildings. Formerly a banking hall, the restaurant at the Dome is dominated by the wonderfully ornate domed roof and the glorious stained glass windows.

•Located across the road from the George Hotel or within 10/15 minutes walk from the Radisson SAS Hotel.

Day 3 (daytime)

Excursion to the Loch Lomond area

•A private cruise would be arranged for the guests on Loch Lomond. This would depart from the picture-postcard village of Luss on the western shore and travel amongst some of the many islands before depositing the guests in Balmaha.

•An afternoon visit would be arranged to Glengoyne Distillery, the most southern of the Highland distilleries. Guests would be taken on a tour and will have the opportunity of sampling both the distillery’s 10yr and 17yr old malt whiskies.

Day 3 (evening)

Gala Dinner at Winton House

•A delightful country house located roughly 45 minutes to the south of Edinburgh and home to Sir Francis Ogilvie.

•If at home, Sir Francis will join the group for welcome drinks & canapés before then leaving them to enjoy dinner in the Dining Room.

•Musical entertainment could be arranged in the form of a piper to welcome guests, a display of highland dancing prior to dinner, background music provided by a clarsach player (harpist) during dinner and then the grand finale of a Beating Retreat prior to departure.

Accommodation in Dublin

Fitzwilliam Hotel

•5 star property

•Wonderful location of being positioned just off Grafton Street, Dublin’s premier shopping location. The hotel was desinged by Sir Terrance Conran so offers a unique blend of style & luxury.

•All rooms enjoy a view over either St. Stephen’s Green or the hotel’s impressive roof garden, designed by TV gardener, Diarmuid Gavin.

Day 4 (daytime)

Arrival in Dublin, Lunch at Cruzzo’s & Afternoon Sea Safari

•The flight from Edinburgh to Dublin takes 1 hour.

•Upon arrival in Dublin, guests will be transferred to Malahide, originally a small fishing harbour located to the north of the city. Lunch will be arranged at Cruzzo’s, a contemporary restaurant set high on pillars over the water, surrounded by an array of yachts and cruisers.

•In the afternoon, guests will have the chance to blow the cobwebs away with a 1 hour rib boat ride which will combine excitement & adventure with the opportunity of discovering Ireland’s rich bird & sea life. After this, guests will be able to relax with a walk along the cliffs at Howth, a popular area for bird / nature watching. Seals are often seen in or near the cliffs / Howth Harbour.

Day 4 (evening)

Traditional Irish Pub Night at Merry Ploughboys Pub

•Set in the Dublin Mountains, Merry Ploughboys is renowned for being the place to go for a true Irish pub experiences. The interior offers a bizarre and eclectic décor – the walls are decorated with numerous pictures, photographs, ancient maps & various usual objects.

•A night of music & singing is guaranteed to give the guests a welcome to Ireland that they’ll never forget!

Day 5 (daytime)

Dublin Saunter

•This morning, guests will be invited to explore the hidden secrets of Dublin City. A special ‘saunter’ will be arranged through the city – on foot, in groups of 15 / 20 pax.

•The principal objective is for the guests to have fun. The second objective is for the guests to get to know Dublin and visit as many locations as possible, learn about the city, mingle & interact with the locals and meet the famous & not so famous!

•Guests will also meet some famous Dublin characters along the way!

•The saunter will finish in a pub in the city centre where lunch will be arranged.

•The afternoon will be at leisure for shopping, strolling, pub crawling …….

Day 5 (evening)

Night at the Dogs, followed by dinner at Fire Restaurant

•Greyhound racing is still extremely popular in Ireland and offers a wonderful opportunity to mix with local people, learn how to bet ‘Irish style’ and simple enjoy a great evening of sport.

•Guests will be given a detailed explanation of the betting system and will be provided with betting vouchers to enable them to have a flutter on the races

•After all races have been completed, guests will head to the restaurant ‘Fire on Dawson’, a comfortable 200 seat restaurant located in the city centre which offers a modern European menu with a twist.

Day 6 (daytime)

Activities in County Wicklow or Discovery of the Delightful Countryside

•Journeying outside Dublin, the guests will head into the beautiful countryside of Country Wicklow, often referred to as the “Garden of Ireland”. In the morning, guests will be able to test their skills at various activities, such as clay pigeon shooting, target archery & quad biking.

•Alternatively, guests will journey into the heart of the countryside where their destination will be Glendalough – the valley of two lakes, a monastic settlement in the 6th century and which still exudes a sense of peace & tranquility. An Irish Coffee will be arranged for the guests at the Glendaligh Hotel before returning to Dublin.

•Lunch would be arranged at the Hollywood Inn where a barbeque lunch would be held. This is a traditional Irish pub and certainly bears no resemblance to America’s ‘tinsel town’.

Day 6 (evening)

Gala Dinner at Malahide Castle

•Malahide Castle is one of the oldest & most historic castles in Ireland. For almost 800 years, it has been the home of the Talbot family. The Great Hall is the only mediaeval hall still in use in Ireland.

•Upon arrival, guests will assemble in the Oak Room and be taken on a short tour of the Castle. The tour ends in the Blue Room where cocktails are served.

•Guests will then be escorted into the Great Hall for a magnificent dinner. Soft background music will be provided by a strong quartet sitting up in the Minstrel’s Gallery.

Accommodation in LondonCopthorne Tara

•One of London’s best known 4 star hotels, located in the fashionable Kensington district.

•The hotel is within easy reach of Kensington High Street, Knightsbridge, Notting Hill and the beautiful tree lined lanes & avenues of Kensington Gardens & Hyde Park.

City Inn Westminster

•A 4 star property located next to the Tate Britain and the River Thames. Easy walking to the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and the shopping & theatres of London’s West End.

•Modern property with a total of 460 bedrooms.

Day 7 (daytime)

Arrival in London & City Tour

•The flight from Dublin to London Heathrow takes just under 1 ½ hours.

•Upon arrival at Heathrow, the group will be met by their local guide who will accompany them into the city centre.

•Their visit to London would commence with a lunch cruise on the River Thames. Lasting 1 ½ hours, a 3 course set lunch would be served whilst guests enjoy commentary on the sights of the city.

•In the afternoon, their introduction to London would continue with further sight-seeing by coach and could also include a visit to one of the city’s key attractions; this could be the imposing Tower of London or could be a ‘flight’ on the London Eye. Two capsules could be booked exclusively for the guests during which time light refreshments could be arranged.

Day 7 (evening)

Dinner in City Restaurant

•Allowing for the fact that the guests will probably have an early departure for their transfer to Heathrow the next morning, we would propose arranging dinner for them in one of the city’s quality restaurants. London has a vast abundance of restaurants, catering to all tastes, all budgets etc…

•Should you guests wish to enjoy the finest of modern European cuisines, then Bank Westminster would be the ideal venue for them with its relaxed yet elegant conservatory which looks out into the courtyard. •Should you guests wish to enjoy some of the best views over the London skyline, then dinner at Babylon at the Kensington Roof Gardens is the place for them. Owned by Sir Richard Branson, the Roof Gardens offer 1 ½ acres of themed gardens, but are 100’ up from Kensington High Street and offer unparalleled views of London’s spectacular skyline.

Day 8 (daytime)

Departure from London

•The journey between the heart of London and London Heathrow does vary tremendously depending on when the group travel. Usually you are looking at an hour for the transfer but if travelling in rush hour, you would need to allow up to 1 ½ hours for the transfer.

•Farewell & Bon Voyage for the return flight home!