Celtic Journeys for Harp the Highlands 2024

July 29 to August 10, 2024

Welcome to Ireland and Scotland! The music of Ireland gives a nod to its ancient past and challenges listeners to dig deep to fully take on all of its emotional notes. Join us for a unique experience that blends the beauty of Celtic music with the wonder that is the Emerald Isle! We will enjoy some time on the Wild Atlantic Way and then up to the magic of Northern Ireland. No visit to the Northwest of Europe would be complete without a little time in Scotland, so we’ll round out our adventure in Edinburgh.

Babcia and Yiayia Travel ConsultantsI am delighted to partner with Babcia and Yiayia to offer this new travel experience!  They bring the same expertise, care, and attention to details to our travel that we have had since the inception of these trips.  And, as always, each trip is crafted to take you off the beaten path to see the real Ireland and Scotland.

Please note: Early bird deposits (before January 1st) and veterans both receive a $200.00 discount. These discounts can not be combined.

Make your deposit here!

Here’s the plan:

As we touch down in Shannon, our fun begins! We’ll travel north to visit castles, holiday towns, and meet some of the locals. We’ll also check in that the stunning Kylemore Abbey! Then we’ll continue north towards Belfast and discover what makes the Northern coast so enchanting. We’ll cross over to Scotland in style on the ferry then round out our time in Edinburgh and its surroundings.

Day 1

Welcome to the Emerald Isle! As we touch down at Shannon International, we’ll shake off that jet lag as we head north on the Wild Atlantic Way, first stop, Galway. We’ll spend a long afternoon in the city’s very musical old town area. After, we’ll make our way to our temporary home-base, Westport. From here we’ll set out to explore this amazing corner of the world.

Day 2

We’ll launch out today to explore the Connemara National Park. Nestled into the lakeside, Kylemore Abbey waits for us to enjoy. We’ll take a tour of the main house as well as the chapel, and gardens where the famous Kylemore ponies wait to greet us! We’ll head back to Westport for the evening our daily harp workshop.

Day 3

Deep in County Mayo, we’ll visit the famous Ashford Castle grounds as we participate in a Hawk Walk with the National School of Falconry. Here, you’ll meet the local residents and get to know why this sport became such an important part of Ireland’s history. After, we’ll sit down for a lovely lunch at the Ashford cottage complex before heading back to Westport and our daily harp workshop.

Day 4

We’ll head north to meet an amazing athlete, Moe, the sheepdog! Moe will teach us all about how amazing she is and why the relationship between shepherd and dog is so vital to this industry. After a quick lunch, we’ll saddle up and take in the splendor of the Irish coast on the iconic beaches of Donegal. We’ll arrive back in Westport for our daily harp workshop and an evening in this charming vacation town.

Day 5

Today, we’ll say so long to Westport and head into Northern Ireland. Along the way we’ll pull over and enjoy some of the hidden secrets in the small towns that dot the area. We’ll head to the northern coast of Ireland where we’ll learn a little about the distilling process at the world famous Bushmills Whiskey Distillery! We’ll enjoy the seaside town of Portrush and check in with our daily harp workshop.

Day 6

Today, we’ll take in the splendor of the iconic Giant’s Causeway. We’ll learn the scientific reason why the causeway exists and maybe check in on the reason the locals think it sits here on the northern coast. After, we’ll enjoy an evening consisting of our daily harp workshop and dinner along the scenic coast.

Day 7

After, We’ll make our way into Belfast where we’ll learn about the Titanic and its connection to Ireland. Our daily harp workshops continue and dinner will be a short distance away in our city center.

Day 8

We’ll spend the morning learning about the history of Belfast’s most infamous story, “The Troubles”. This part of Belfast history is best told in the murals that dot the neighborhoods in the west of town. After, we’ll say goodbye to Ireland and take the Stenna Line Ferry across the Irish Sea and arrive in Cairnryan. We’ll head north for Glasgow to start our Scottish adventure!

Day 9

Our Glasgow adventure continues as we take in some of the local sites and enjoy noting the differences between each side of the Irish Sea. We’ll spend the day enjoying all things Scottish then settle in for our workshop time and dinner just a walk away from our hotel.

Day 10

We are off to our final destination! Edinburgh awaits us with plenty to see and to do! We’ll arrive in style by train and pull into Waverly Station. from here, we are just a short distance to our hotel. Just off the Royal Mile, we’ll set out to enjoy the local area and enjoy our workshop as well as dinner.

Day 11

Edinburgh continues to delight and today we will take in one of the marquee events! After enjoying Rosslyn chapel to the south of town, we’ll have an early afternoon workshop before heading to the world famous Military Tattoo at the Castle. This spectacular show never disappoints and promises to entertain and delight.

Day 12

We’ll round out our time in Edinburgh with a few optional tours and destinations and complete our workshop series today. There will be plenty to choose from depending on your interests. From The Whiskey Experience to Holyrood Palace, we’ll get you started in the right direction to enjoy all Edinburgh has to offer. We’ll end the day with our signature farewell dinner then give everyone a little time to pack up before our airport transfers tomorrow.

Departure Day

We know that this experience will have you falling in love with both sides of the Irish Sea! As we say goodbye to you here, know that both Ireland and Scotland fondly await your return!

What’s Included

  • Breakfast at our hotels and dinners at unique locations daily
  • Balance between scheduled experiences and unscheduled time to explore further or relax as you choose
  • Plenty of downtime to enjoy unscheduled moments any way you please.
  • All attraction tickets and passes for experiences and guided tours (always with local experts).
  • All transportation including airport transfers upon arrival and departure.
  • Daily music workshop time to develop those crucial skills.
  • A dedicated opportunity to refresh your bags during our travels

Our Commitment:

As we get to know you, we will be able to find those little corners of Ireland and Scotland that delight and enchant. From magical bookstores, fabled artworks, and secret passageways, we’ll share with you those little things that make this the experience of a lifetime.

Our estimated price for the 2024 season is $4700.00 plus airfare.

So you’re interested, right? Let us know so we can keep you in the loop! Click the button below to get priority access as soon as this trip opens up for registration. That’s right, you’ll be at the top of the list!

Contact Us

Budget and legal information (the fine print):

  • The total cost for all 12 days is a projected $4700.00
  • All participants must hold a current travel insurance policy and must provide valid passport (with at least a six month window from the last date of travel).
  • Our services include pre-trip social communication including links to give background information on our trips. We do this through a private Facebook page. (We will be happy to set anyone up so they can look at just our page and participate pre-trip.)
  • Our services will also assist with air travel arrangements. We will either work with you one on one or we will refer you to our trusted partners in the travel industry depending on your needs.
  • A minimum of eight participants is required for this experience.
  • Hotels are either the choice presented or equivalent based on group availability.

Payment: Your reservation is set when you have received confirmation of receipt of your completed booking form and deposit. No contract exists until we have confirmed receipt of the deposit. The balance will be due no later than eight weeks before the start of the tour. If the balance is not received as above then we reserve the right to treat the booking as canceled. Tours booked less than eight weeks before the start must be paid for in full at the time of sending the booking form. The person paying the deposit guarantees payment of the total cost of the booking made on behalf of all persons for whom the booking is made.  Deposits are non-refundable after the first payment has been made.

Deposit opens December 1st: $2600.00

Payment 1: March 1st: $700.00

Payment 2: April 15th: $700.00

Payment 3: June 1st: $700.00

Cancellation: Cancellations can only be accepted in writing. In the event of any cancellation, including the non-payment of the balance, the deposit paid will always be forfeited after one month. In the event of cancellation after the balance has been paid the following scale of charges (as percentages of the total tour cost) will be incurred:

  • 81 or more days before start of tour: 50%
  • 57 – 80 days before start of tour: 75%
  • 56 days or less before start: 100%
FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS