UK & Ireland

The Isles have it!

25 Jul - 16 Aug 2025

For many of us – and not too many generations ago – it was from the shores of Ireland and Britain that our ancestors stepped aboard ship to begin new lives on the other side of the world. This tour is a great opportunity to retrace some of their steps.

But you don’t have to be able to trace your heritage to the British Isles to take advantage of this farm tour. Despite the fierce rivalry between Australia and the “Old Country” on the sporting field, you will find the people of Ireland and Britain to be warm and welcoming to their colonial cousins. And we will be visiting during their “summer,” when the inhabitants are more likely to be in a good mood.

We will see the impossibly green countryside at its British and Irish best, including the spectacular Scottish Isles and Highlands, the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the Lake District, the Cotswolds, London and much more - with plenty of hi-tech and traditional agriculture in-between.

The tour date is designed to include the best weather the UK and Ireland can muster as well as the spectacular Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

$17,250
per person twin share

Price does not include international return flights
International flights cost guideline:
$2500 - 3000 pp
Single supplement: $3,850
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Itinerary

View or Print Itinerary
Date
Activity
Overnight

Day 1

Fri 25 Jul

Depart Australia from various Australian capitals and arrive into Dublin around lunchtime the following day.

Some people may choose an earlier departure to enjoy some of your own touring in the UK or Ireland before the main group arrives.

Day 2

Sat 26 Jul
L

We are met at the airport and transferred to our downtown Dublin hotel for check-in and a chance to freshen up before a light buffet lunch. Then you are free this afternoon to relax and unwind, and if you like, have an early night.

If you have Irish ancestors, or just an interest in the amazing story of the Irish diaspora, during your free-time in Dublin a visit to the Irish Emigration Museum (EPIC) is highly recommended.

Those hardy travelers wanting to tackle jetlag head-on this evening might choose to step out on the town with options including the Dublin theatre, a comedy show, live music or maybe even a guided bar-fly or James Joyce pub tour. The options are many and varied.

Ireland

Ashling Hotel
Dublin view website

Day 3

Sun 27 Jul
B L D

This morning we enjoy a guided tour of early Viking Dublin taking in the Liffey River and waterfront areas, the Book of Kells (one of the oldest books in the world), St Patrick's Cathedral, Temple Bar and other sights. Lunch is at a local pub. No tour of Dublin is complete without a visit to the beautiful St James Gate Guinness Brewery and the enjoyment of 'a perfect pint' in the magnificent Sky Bar with 360 degree views over Dublin.

The rest of the afternoon is yours to relax, shop or maybe take in some of the many cultural attractions at your own leisure. This evening we are off to the famous Merry Ploughboys for dinner and to enjoy some of Ireland's best traditional entertainment.

Ashling Hotel
Dublin

Day 4

Mon 28 Jul
B L D

Today we travel to the south-west of Dublin and into some of Ireland's best grain growing country. We enjoy an arable farm visit with George Hatton in the Carlow area. George is the local Chairman for the Irish Farmers' Association Grain division.

Thanks to good soils, a favourable climate and lots of daylight hours during the growing season, Irish tillage farms have some of the highest average cereal yields in the world.

We will also visit The Rock of Cashel. This was the seat of medieval kings and bishops which flourished for 900 years until the early 17th century.

Onto Killarney for overnight. Killarney is rich in history and culture, and located on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, it is one of Ireland's most picturesque towns.

Dromhall Hotel
Killarney view website

Day 5

Tue 29 Jul
B L

Today we tour the world famous Ring of Kerry (Iveragh Peninsula) via Killorglin, Glenbeigh, Cahersiveen, Waterville and Coomakesta Pass with its magnificent views over Derrynane - home of Daniel (The Liberator) O'Connell. We travel on via Sneem, Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Killarney National Park and along the Lakes of Killarney.

We return to Killarney for overnight and a free evening.

Dromhall Hotel
Killarney

Day 6

Wed 30 Jul
B L D

We depart for Galway this morning. Our journey includes the Shannon Ferry – a 20 minute crossing from Tarbert to Killimer. The Shannon Estuary links the iconic destinations of the Banner County of Clare to the Kingdom of Kerry.

We visit the Cliffs of Moher, one of Ireland’s favourite visitor experiences. The cliffs tower over the rugged west Clare coast. We are on Europe’s most westerly tip, and if we have good weather, there are spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean and on to the Aran Islands. Their natural beauty has inspired artists, musicians, and poets for generations, as well as absorbing scientists and geologists, drawn by the unique landscape.

We continue on to the Burren, famous for its lunar-like limestone landscape and unique flora. About 20 species of orchids grow wild here.

We visit with Aonghusa Fahy and family who run beef cattle at Ardrahan (County Galway). Aonghusa is looking to the latest technologies to help maintain and increase the productivity of his owned and rented land.

Beef production from grass is one of Irish farming's greatest strengths. Ireland's 1.1 million beef suckler cow herd is kept on about 80,000 individual farms!

We continue on to the beautiful city of Westport, on the shores of Clew Bay, for overnight.

Day 7

Thu 31 Jul
B

We travel into the Connemara region today with its landscapes ranging from seaside hamlets, rusty bogs, lonely valleys, mountains ranges and shimmering black lakes. We are now in Gaeltacht country where traditional Irish (Gaelic) is the local tongue. Sheep and wool production is also carried on by the local and very hardy farmers of Connemara.

We continue onto Kylemore Abbey and its magnificent walled garden, nestled majestically at the base of Duchruach Mountain on the northern shore of Lough Pollacappu. The story of Kylemore – both Castle and Abbey – is a truly remarkable one. The twists of fate which its occupants experienced, from moments of romance and happiness, to sadness and courage have all combined to create a fascinating history spanning over 150 years.

Kylemore is home to a community of Benedictine nuns who came here in 1920 after their abbey in Ypres, Belgium was destroyed in World War I. Settling at Kylemore, the Benedictine community opened a world renowned boarding school for girls and began restoring the Abbey to its former glory.

Lunch is at your own arrangements at one of the cafes of Kylemore Abbey.

We also visit nearby Joyce Country Sheepdogs which is part of a family-run Connemara hill-farm. Joe and Mary Ann Joyce grow Connemara Blackface sheep and train (and sell) Border Collie sheepdogs which we will see hard at work.

We return to Westport and a free evening.

Castlecourt Hotel
Westport

Day 8

Fri 1 Aug
B D

We continue northeast towards Sligo this morning with a short diversion into Northern Ireland to visit the historic and famed Belleek Pottery Centre. In 1849 John Caldwell Bloomfield inherited the Castlecaldwell Estate, which encompassed the village of Belleek.

Mindful of the plight of his tenants in the aftermath of the potato famine, he sought to provide some form of worthwhile employment. An amateur mineralogist, he ordered a geological survey of his land. The survey revealed the necessary raw materials to make pottery - feldspar, kaolin, flint, clay and shale.

Nestling on the banks of the River Erne, Bloomfield built the imposing Belleek Pottery, home to the world famous Belleek Fine Parian china. Lunch is at your own arrangements while we are at Belleek Pottery.

It's then back into Ireland and Donegal County. Donegal's motto is "Up here, it's different". The county's interior is spectacular and rugged, making farming a particular challenge. But it is the precipitous cliffs, golden beaches and rugged peninsulas of Donegal that no other Irish county can boast in such number and beauty.

We enjoy a visit to Stephen Robb's arable farm - Drumbuoy Farm. Established in 1954, the farm now covers over 360 hectares of tillage ground. Crops include winter and spring barley, winter wheat, spring oilseed rape (canola) and spring oats. Stephen also produces a small quantity of hay and haylage. Modern machinery and GPS technology – section control, auto steer and vehicle tracking – are utilised and most of the Drumbuoy Farm grain is sold directly to local beef and pig farmers.

Whitehorse Hotel
Derry view website

Day 9

Sat 2 Aug
B L D

This morning we have a guided walk of Derry – the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland. The defensive walls were built by settlers from England and Scotland in the early 1600s. The history of Derry city goes back to the 6th century.

We then continue north through the magnificent Glenveagh region and onto the spectacular north Antrim coast. We visit Giant's Causeway, the home of many legends and where an estimated 37,000 basalt columns extend from coastal cliffs down into the sea.

We visit the Antrim Coast farm of Anne Morrison. Across 100 hectares Anne runs both pedigree Belgian Blue and Hereford herds. The commercial suckler herd is put to Belgian Blue bulls with all calves finished and sold to meat plants supplying major supermarkets.

The Mullaghduff Pedigree Hereford herd was founded over 40 years ago with pedigree bulls sold to dairy and suckler herd owners.

Anne has a cattle semen agency with over 300 clients across Northern Ireland.

We continue onto Belfast. In many ways this is a brand-new city. Once lumped with Beirut, Baghdad and Bosnia, in recent years Belfast has pulled off a remarkable transformation to be a very happening destination.

Northern Ireland

Grand Central Hotel
Belfast view website

Day 10

Sun 3 Aug
B L

We have a panoramic city tour of Belfast this morning which will introduce us to some breathtaking architecture and feats of engineering. These include the renowned Queen's University, the giant H&W cranes, Titanic's birthplace and the Cathedral and Queen's Quarters.

The tour will also take in the dark Crumlin Road Gaol and the world famous Belfast murals on the republican Falls Road and the loyalist Shankill Road.

We will also be introduced to the birthplace and tragic story of The Titanic. The head of the slipway where the world's most (in)famous ocean liner was built is now occupied by the gleaming new, angular edifice of Titanic Belfast.

This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world and an unmissable multimedia extravaganza that charts the history of Belfast and the creation – and catastrophic demise – of The Titanic.

Then after lunch at a local pub, it's a free afternoon and evening in Belfast.

Grand Central Hotel
Belfast

Day 11

Mon 4 Aug
B L D

Depart Belfast early this morning and travel north to Ballycastle where we board our ferry bound for Port Ellen, one hour to the north on Islay - just one of the majestic western isles of Scotland's Inner Hebrides.

These rugged, lush isles are made even more dramatic with a mixture of hills, moors, farmlands and sea lochs.

While on Islay and nearby Jura we will visit farms and of course one of the whisky distilleries expertly transforming the local barley farmer's produce into the world famous Islay single malts. Time has stood still in these venerable institutions, where methods have changed little for generations.

Scotland

Bridgend Hotel
Islay view website

Day 12

Tue 5 Aug
B L

On fine, sunny days there are few places in the world that can match the dazzling beauty of the western isles of Scotland. Let's hope for good weather as we further explore Islay and Jura and soak in the atmosphere of these remote, sparsely inhabitated isles. This isolation sinks in when you consider that George Orwell chose a remote Jura croft house to write his classic novel, 1984. He was originally going to call the book The Last Man in Europe, such was his sense of isolation.

Jura is among the wildest and most rugged fragments of coastal Britain. There are stags on the hills, otters by the shore and golden eagles among the crags - and barely 200 people living by its only single-track road.

Free evening.

Bridgend Hotel
Islay/Jura

Day 13

Wed 6 Aug
B L

This morning we have a 40 minute flight from Islay to Glasgow where we meet up with our UK-based guide, Angus Cottey. Angus will be with us until we reach London. In less than 2 hours our charter coach has us in the wonderful city of Edinburgh. After lunch in the city we enjoy a tour of the main sights before checking into our hotel.

After an early dinner this evening, we are transferred from our hotel to Edinburgh Castle where we settle into some of the best seats in the house for the spectacular Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

After the show we are transferred back to our hotel.

Edinburgh Braid Hills Hotel
Edinburgh view website

Day 14

Thu 7 Aug
B L D

We board our coach this morning and travel north to the Aberdeen area. We are in some of the best arable farming country in the UK where we visit a 4th generation family-run farm. N J McWilliam and Co has evolved over the last 130 years from a traditional mixed farm of cereals and livestock to a 500 hectare intensive unit made up of cereals, potatoes and daffodils.

In early spring the McWilliams family provide cut flowers to various supermarkets through Grampian Growers at Logie Montrose who also handle the sale and packaging of dry daffodil bulbs destined for the US and Europe.

Potatoes are mainly for seed production supplying overseas markets from November to April.

The cereal enterprise consists of winter barley and winter wheat, for the feed markets and spring barley for malting. High erucic acid oilseed rape (canola) is grown and the oil is used as a specialist industrial lubricant for the petroleum industry as well as being used as a slip agent for polythene.

After lunch we travel into the Scottish Highlands where we will follow the full production trail from on-farm nurturing of malt barley through to the distilling of single malt whisky. We will tour the very heart of the Spey River region and its whisky trail. Speyside – as the area is known – is the largest whisky region in the world.

From wild Scottish berries, to Aberdeen Angus beef and Isle of Mull scallops or Shetland mussels, Speyside boasts a wealth of beautiful fresh produce.

We overnight in the quaint village of Craigellachie, nestled on the banks of the Spey. Our hotel is The Craigellachie with it's luxury rooms and great restaurant, it is also home to the oldest pub in Speyside: The Spey Inn. This is an old drovers inn dating back to 1703, as well as the world-renowned Quaich Bar, where guests can savour over 1000 single-malt whiskies alongside some of the best cocktails.

Craigellachie Hotel
Craigellachie view website

Day 15

Fri 8 Aug
B L D

More touring of the magical Speyside this morning, including a distillery tour, before arriving at the northern end of Loch Ness. We’ll do some monster spotting as we travel along the shores of Loch Ness towards Fort William. Loch Ness is the second largest Scottish loch in area (56 sq km) but due to its great depth (230 metres at the deepest point), it is the largest by volume.

From Fort William the spectacular scenery ramps up even further as we enter the heart of the Scottish Highlands. We travel south in the shadows of Ben Nevis – at 1344 metres, Ben Nevis is the highest peak in the British Isles.

Onto Loch Lomond for overnight. Our hotel tonight is the historic and beautiful Inn on Loch Lomond and its unique location on the loch. The Inn first opened in 1814, and has retained its traditional charm ever since, serving as a watering hole to generations of travellers, from far and wide. The Inn’s heritage has been honoured with a stylish and contemporary refurbishment of the guest rooms, and boasts a fantastic restaurant and bar. And all amidst stunning scenery.

The Inn on Loch Lomond
Loch Lomond view website

Day 16

Sat 9 Aug
B L D

We continue travelling south today and into England and the famed Lake District of Cumbria. Here we find out for ourselves what inspired people like William Wordsworth when surrounded by the spectacular hills, lakes, woodlands, villages and farms of this beautiful area. The Lake District measures about 70 km from north to south and is 50 km wide. And all of it is beautiful.

There are many historic, cultural and contemporary attractions within the Lake District to explore.

England

Langdale Hotel and Spa
Ambleside, Cumbria view website

Day 17

Sun 10 Aug
B L

This morning we visit a farm which was once owned by Beatrix Potter and which also starred in the feature film ‘Miss Potter’. This hill-farm has more than 280 hectares of fells (hills) and fields in the Yewdale Valley near Coniston. It runs a flock of Herdwick ewes and a herd of Belted Galloway Cattle with the farm specialising in Herdwick hogget, Herdwick mutton and Belted Galloway beef. The livestock roams freely over herb-rich pastures and fells.

After lunch we visit another farm towards the south of the Lake District where improved pastures and hay meadows produce cross-breed cows, Herdwick sheep as well as other pure and cross-breeds.

There is also an optional visit today to Eskdale Mill - the last remaining working water-powered corn mill in the Lake District.

Langdale Hotel and Spa
Ambleside, Cumbria

Day 18

Mon 11 Aug
B L D

We board our coach this morning bound for the nearby Yorkshire Dales. "All Creatures Great and Small" becomes real life as we meander through this spectacular undulating countryside. This is James Herriott country where he lived, worked and wrote his books.

We visit a Dales farm before continuing east to the small village of Great Ayton.

This beautiful village is particularly noteworthy for Australians - the young James Cook was the local school's star student. The Captain Cook Schoolroom Museum tells the story of Cook's early life and education in the Charity School, the village he grew up in and, of course, his adventures on the high seas. We will have lunch at a local pub.

Later this afternoon it's onto Harrogate, a beautiful Victorian spa town in North Yorkshire. The first part of this drive is through the North York Moors National Park.

Our accommodation tonight - The Old Swan - is one of the most famous and historic hotels in the UK. Surrounded by lawns and gardens, and just a short walk from the Harrogate town centre, the hotel combines Victorian splendour with contemporary luxury.

From its revolving doors to its famous glass-ceilinged Wedgwood Restaurant, the hotel exudes romance and mystery. It was to this tranquil haven that Agatha Christie famously disappeared in 1926, resulting in a public furore over the 11 days she was 'missing'.

Day 19

Tue 12 Aug
B

There will be some free time this morning to explore Harrogate before a drive through the beautiful countryside surrounding the town and onto Knaresborough, famous for its Viaduct and Mother Shipton’s Cave.

We will have some free time in Knaresborough to wander through this beautiful town. You might choose lunch (own arrangements) at one of the many cafes along the river for a cream tea and a famous Scallywag scone!

After lunch we will visit the nearby Swinton Estate. There are 25 farms on Swinton, covering 8000 hectares. Most of them are upland sheep farms with Swaledale the major breed as the breed copes well with the more challenging climate at high altitude.

What makes the farms distinctive at Swinton is the pattern of small fields, many edged with dry stone walls, which forms the backdrop for the traditional stone houses and small barns that make up the farmsteads. The farms lower down the dale and beside the River Ure, occupy a gentler more wooded landscape supporting a mixture of dairy, livestock and arable farming.

With current, unprecedented levels of change to the agriculture and rural economy, Swinton is one of a very few estates continuing to let farms in North Yorkshire.

We return to Harrogate where the rest of the afternoon and evening is free to do your own exploration of town.

The Old Swan
Harrogate, Yorkshire

Day 20

Wed 13 Aug
B L D

We continue to the southwest this morning and into the English Midlands. We visit Chatsworth House, a working farm estate and one of Britain's grandest country homes. Chatsworth is home to the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, and has been passed down through 16 generations of the Cavendish family. The house is renowned for the quality of its art, landscape, gardens and hospitality – and it has evolved through the centuries to reflect the tastes, passions and interests of succeeding generations.

We tour both the House and farm before continuing south into the Cotswolds - a spectacularly beautiful region of rural England with its traditional drystone walls and thatched roof cottages. We continue onto Cheltenham for overnight.

This unique regency town was specifically designed in its 18th and 19th century heyday as a pleasure health resort for wealthy visitors - today the town is often referred to as Cheltenham Spa. Many of the regency, architectural and heritage features remain, with the town maintaining much of its original culture.

Day 21

Thu 14 Aug
B L D

We're off to Old London Town this morning, about 200 km away to the south-east. On the way, we will stop for lunch and a guided walking tour of the hallowed grounds of Oxford.

In southern Oxfordshire we visit an arable contract farming company run by the Chamberlain family. Around 1440 hectares are farmed in an all-arable enterprise matching sound rotations with a developing habitat creation and conservation management focus.

Satellite-guidance, soil and crop mapping have been pioneered on the farm to help fine-tune management decisions. For more than 130 years, the Chamberlain family has been farming with the fourth generation recently entering the family business.

We then continue on to London for a sightseeing tour of just some of the famous landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster, Houses of Parliament, London Eye, and Tower Bridge.

We check into our hotel in the leafy and relaxed area of Central London's northern fringe. This is a fashionable residential area that contains some of London's finest parks, buildings and grand garden squares - Russell Square, Bedford Square, Bloomsbury Square, and Coram Fields. We are in a great location with easy access to the British Musuem, and a leisurely 5 to 10 minute walk to London's theatre-district and the shopping mecca of Covent Garden. There are also Tube stations nearby.

The Goodenough Hotel
London, Bloomsbury view website

Day 22

Fri 15 Aug
B D

A free day in London. Apart from the seemingly unlimited sightseeing opportunities, there's a great range of theatre and musical options with scores of West End and other London theatre-district matinee shows very near to the hotel.

Farewell dinner this evening.

The Goodenough Hotel
London, Bloomsbury

Day 23

Sat 16 Aug
B

Transfer to the airport for our flight/s home.

Some group members might like to stay on for extra days in London or additional European travel.