Summer’s coming July 29 to August 10, 2024

This is the time of year when I start to run down the summer happenings that I’m looking forward to, hopefully in enough time that you can also plan to come along too!  The great thing about summer events is that they offer an opportunity to learn and do in ways that don’t happen as much throughout the rest of the year.  They are built on the break summer seems to bring to our “every day” world.  And better still summer events have great opportunities to learn and grow…and have a little fun!

This summer we will have our first Harp the Highlands and Islands trip that starts in Ireland (don’t worry, we make it to Scotland too)! We’ll travel with the amazing Alexandra who is not only a teacher but also a historian (by dint of education and enthusiasm!). She has planned a compelling itinerary and we’ve layered harp events on an unending array of beautiful and interesting stuff. 

Things we changed – we starting in Ireland and will see parts that aren’t as well traveled (which leaves us open to exploring more than the usual stuff). Things we haven’t changed – we still have a small band of travelers (no more than 8!) that ensures you have an intimate and tailored visit. We’ll meet local people and learn tunes and have an incredible time doing it!  And just when we’re fit to burst from Ireland, we’ll head over to Scotland and do it some more!

You know that having music in each travel day will make it all the more fun – and since we’re not just listening to it, we’ll be even tighter with itinerary informing the tunes we learn.  We’ll start in Shannon and then travel north to enjoy some time on the Wild Atlantic Way, visit castles, holiday towns, and meet some of the locals. We’ll also check out 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 adventure in Glasgow and Edinburgh.  Here’s what’s coming:

Day 1 – Welcome to the Emerald Isle! We start at Shannon International, shake off that jet lag and head north on the Wild Atlantic Way.  First stop – Galway and then we’ll make our way to 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 a phenomenal 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 – 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 – 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 Scotland. 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!

As always, we’ll get to know you so that 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.  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 (and a small harp – no traveling with your harp!).
• A dedicated opportunity to refresh your bags during our travels.

So you’re interested, right? Let us know so we can keep you in the loop! Details and fine print here on the website.  Have questions?  I’m happy to answer any you have. 

Are you coming?  Let me know in the comments!