Celtic Secrets & Landscapes

Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, blends urban energy with rugged countryside. Its grid-like streets make exploring easy, leading you past historic Victorian buildings. Walk through lively districts filled with museums, galleries, and cultural landmarks. Visit Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum to see impressive collections of art and history.

Tobermory, at the northern tip of the Isle of Mull, is a scenic harbor town on Scotland’s west coast. Once a fishing village, it now serves as a popular leisure port. Walk along the waterfront and see the hillside’s colorful buildings reflecting in the water. Explore local history at Mull Museum and visit An Tobar art gallery for unique exhibitions.

Oban is on the west coast of Scotland, opposite the Isle of Mull. It is the capital of the county of Argyll, a rural region of the Highlands considered to be the cradle of Scotland. Coming from Ireland, the Gaels settled here, bringing their language and culture. From “the Little Bay”, its name in Scottish Gaelic, you will arrive in Kilmartin Glen, the site renowned for having the largest concentration of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in Scotland. Among this spectacular site’s 350 ancient monuments, you will discover standing stones, alignments of cairns and stone circles. Glen Coe Valley will then reveal its dramatic landscapes, shaped by volcanic activity. This valley, one of the wildest in Scotland, has been used as a location for the series Outlander. The discovery of the region will end with a visit to a whisky distillery, a unique opportunity to taste an exceptional product.

Tucked away and sheltered by a large inlet, this charming fishing port is located on Ireland's most northern extremity, in the heart of the southern coast of County Donegal. As your boat glides into the port, soak up the dazzling colours of the trawlers docked in the harbour. You may well have the opportunity to tour the Donegal Carpets Factory, one of the world's oldest handmade carpet manufacturers. You can also take a tour of the Glenveagh National Park and its castle, after having crossed through the wild, untamed beauty of Northern Ireland. Donegal is a rambler's paradise, and the Blue Stack Mountains are sure to have you hooked with their peace, quiet and breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.

From lush meadows to spectacular cliffs sculpted by the crashing waves, from small houses with thatched roofs to the enigmatic ruins of ageless castles, the Inishowen Peninsula offers a concentration of Ireland’s most beautiful and wildest aspects. From Greencastle, a small port town guarding the entrance to Lough Foyle, set off to explore these breathtaking landscapes and discover the vibrant soul of this territory, through its history, its lively villages and pubs and its famous coastal trail: the Wild Atlantic Way.

The capital city of Northern Ireland is located on the very tip of Belfast Lough, in the north-east of the Emerald Isle. Along the waterfront, the building shaped like a fragmented liner is none other than the Titanic Belfast, a homage to the famous transatlantic liner, with full-scale reconstructions making for an insightful experience of the Belle Epoque. In the historical center, you’ll also travel back in time when you see the majestic Edwardian columns of the City Hall, and the imposing neo-gothic towers of Queen’s University, for example. The carved wooden façades of the Victorian pubs will certainly entice you in for a pint of beer or chilled cider.

On the shores of Carlingford Lough, a fjord marking the eastern end of the border between Ireland and the UK, lies the charming seaside resort of Warrenpoint. Set in stunning natural surroundings and dominated by the Mournes and Cooley peaks, the area is ideal for hiking.

A small coastal town located in the South Wales, Fishguard will offer you a peaceful stop during your cruise. Nestling in the hollow of two hills, the city, once a Viking trading post, is now the ideal starting point for exploring the Welsh countryside. Across its vast expanses of fertile land, its green valleys and its magnificent moors, the region will reveal its rich historical heritage to you. Among other things, you will be able to visit mediaeval Pembroke Castle, renowned for its impressive architecture and the illustrious people who have lived there, such as Gerald de Windsor.

From the very endearing small town of Cobh, you will set out to discover Cork, rich with a history that goes back to Viking times. During your visit here, you are invited to take an exceptional trip to Blarney Castle, dating from 1446 and renowned for its legends and its ancient stones. At the end of your visit, do not miss the chance of kissing the “Stone of Eloquence”, located at the top of the monument, which legend tells will confer its powers upon you.

The Irish capital stretches along the banks of the Liffey to Dublin bay, on the East coast of Ireland. Discover Ireland’s warm conviviality in the pedestrian district of Temple Bar. Its cobbled streets are brimming with fabulous shops, pubs and arts centers. Next to Trinity College, famous for its 18th century library, you can stroll along Grafton Street: in one of its famous tea shops, try a delicious scone and clotted cream served hot and melt-in-the-mouth with jam. Not far from here, the majestic O’Connell bridge leads you to the avenue with the same name, on which Spire, a luminous contemporary sculpture presides.