Celtic Lands

Download the Celtic Lands Brochure

From $5450.00, per person, plus air, based on double occupancy

Operated by Thomas P. Gohagan & Company

Immerse yourself in four millennia of Celtic history on this remarkable 12-day voyage aboard the deluxe, exclusively chartered M.S. LE DIAMANT from the vibrant Irish capital of Dublin to the historic Norman port of Honfleur. Cruise around the misty, legend-haunted islands of Scotland and along the verdant coasts of southern England and northern France. Experience the stark beauty of Scotland’s Hebrides; admire the elegant architecture of Edinburgh; observe the enduring Celtic heritage of Northern Ireland and Wales; and revel in the historical charms of the Cornish port of Penzance. In Normandy, France, admire the soaring grace of Mont-St-Michel and stroll along the historic beaches where Allied forces landed on D-Day. We also invite you to enhance your travel experience with an exclusive Pre-Program Option in Dublin and/or a Post-Program Option in Paris, the romantic “City of Light.'

Saturday, August 22
Depart the U.S. for Dublin, Ireland.

Sunday, August 23
Dublin, Ireland. On arrival in Dublin, embark the M.S. LE DIAMANT. Set sail this afternoon.

Monday, August 24
Greenock/Edinburgh, Scotland. Arrive in the port of Greenock and set out for the historic Scottish capital of Edinburgh, whose regal medieval castles and splendid Georgian architecture make it one of the most handsome cities in Europe. Visit imposing Edinburgh Castle where an impressive monumental complex of towers, walls and palaces encompass more than 800 years of Scottish history and architecture. Enjoy a guided tour of the Museum of Scotland, which chronicles 10,000 years of Scottish history and stroll along the famous “Royal Mile,” four ancient streets that comprise the main thoroughfare through Edinburgh’s medieval “Old Town,” which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the city’s “New Town.”

Join your traveling companions this evening for the Captain’s welcome reception.

Tuesday, August 25
Portree, Isle of Skye. Known as “the Winged Island” after its birdlike shape, Skye is the largest and most scenic of the Inner Hebrides. From Portree, relax on a pleasant drive to Dunvegan Castle, the seat of the powerful Clan MacLeod since 1270, built atop a rocky promontory overlooking the sea. Walk through Dunvegan’s richly appointed public rooms and view the Fairy Flag, a silken banner said to have had the power to save the clan from defeat on three occasions. Also, admire the castle’s lush gardens, ablaze with a profusion of flowering plants from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The return journey to Portree takes you along the island’s western shore and across its starkly beautiful interior, a land of rolling green moors laced with clear, rushing streams and dotted with the fragrant yellow flowers of gorse, set against the rugged profile of the Cuillin Hills rising in the distance. 
Cruise this evening through the Sea of the Hebrides en route to the Isle of Lewis.

Wednesday, August 26
Isle of Lewis. Call at the charming port of Stornoway, a bastion of traditional Gaelic culture and language where colorful old houses line a picturesque waterfront that bustles with the comings and goings of fishing vessels. Cross the island to the charming western coast to marvel at the imposing Standing Stones of Callanish, a ring of monumental stones reminiscent of Stonehenge that were erected more than 3,000 years ago. Enjoy a scenic drive along the coast to Carloway Broch, a fortified stone tower that was built by the ancient Scottish tribe, the Picts, more than 2,000 years ago to ward off Roman attacks, and the traditional “black houses” of Arnol.

Thursday, August 27
Isle of Mull/Iona. Arrive this morning in the sheltered port of Tobermory, where houses painted in vivid shades of blue, red and green nestle between the hills and the harbor. After free time in Tobermory, set off across the scenic Isle of Mull to Torosay Castle, a fine example of Scottish Baronial architecture. Continue to 12th-century Duart Castle, the ancestral home of the Clan Maclean. A boxed lunch is served in one of the castles. Head west from Torosay along the shore of Loch Scridain, watching for red deer, seals and shorebirds. In Fionnphort, board a ferry to the nearby island of Iona, the birthplace of Scottish Christianity. In A.D. 563, the Irish monk Columba founded a monastery here; in later years, Iona became the burial place of 60 Scottish, Irish and Norwegian kings, including Duncan and Macbeth. Walk through the restored abbey, see the Romanesque Chapel of St. Oran and the ruins of the 14th-century Nunnery of St. Mary, and view the Crosses of St. Martin and St. John.

Friday, August 28
Portrush, Northern Ireland. Landscapes of rugged cliffs, emerald meadows and white sandy beaches dotted with crumbling medieval castles and seaside villages are the hallmarks of the Causeway Coast, a beautiful stretch of shoreline along the north coast of Ireland that unveils itself as the m.s. Le Diamant pulls into the historic port of Portrush. This morning, visit one of the world’s most breathtaking geological formations at the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site comprised of layered cliffs, rocky shorelines and thousands of basalt columns formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago.

This afternoon, set out on a scenic coastal drive to historic Derry, Northern Ireland’s second largest city and the only remaining walled town in the British Isles. During the city tour, visit the 17th-century St. Columb’s Cathedral, a classic example of “Planters’ Gothic” architecture and the first cathedral built in Ireland following the Reformation. Learn more about Derry’s role in Irish history at the Tower Museum, where exhibits chronicle landmark events from the Battle of the Boyne and the defeat of the Spanish Armada to the recent “Troubles” between Catholics and Protestants that have defined life in Derry during recent decades. Walk through Derry’s historic city center and along the imposing walls that have defended the city since 1618.

Saturday, August 29
Holyhead, Wales. From Holyhead, travel east by coach across the Isle of Anglesey and over the Menai Strait on your full-day tour of North Wales. Here, in one of the cradles of Celtic culture, people hold fast to the old ways, and Welsh remains their mother tongue. Visit Bodnant Garden, one of the finest examples of 19th-century Victorian landscaping. Continue to the nearby village of Betws-y-Coed for lunch and a stirring local choral performance of Welsh hymns. Visit the imposing Caernarfon Castle, an impregnable 13th-century fortress built by Edward I of England. In 1969, the castle served as the investiture site for the Prince of Wales. View the Snowdonia Mountains—a land of glacier-sculpted peaks and valleys, laced by streams and waterfalls that cover the hillsides—en route to the ship.

Sunday, August 30
Penzance, England. Following a leisurely morning of cruising along the picturesque west coast of England, call on the historic Cornish port of Penzance. On the afternoon excursion, visit the fortified monastery of St. Michael’s Mount, which rises dramatically from the waters of Mount Bay atop a small rocky island. The original monastery was constructed in the 11th century by Norman invaders inspired by the island’s resemblance to the famous Abbey of
Mont-St-Michel off the coast of Brittany.

Monday, August 31
St. Malo, France/Mont-St-Michel. Arrive in the historic Breton seaport of St-Malo and visit Mont-St-Michel, a spectacular medieval abbey whose soaring spires rise majestically from the coastal plain. The monastery has drawn pilgrims from across Western Europe ever since the Archangel Michael appeared here in a vision in the eighth century. The narrow lanes of the village lead up to the graceful abbey church and cloisters that rise high above the sea. Visit the Romanesque and Gothic abbeys, and walk through the tranquil cloister and vaulted scriptorium, where monks once copied manuscripts.

The afternoon is free to pursue your own interests in St-Malo. Built upon a former island that is now connected to the mainland, this fortified medieval port guards the mouth of the Rance River. Enjoy striking views of the walled city and offshore islands from the imposing granite ramparts or walk through the narrow streets of Old Town.

Depart St. Malo this evening and cruise overnight.

Tuesday, September 1
Normandy Beaches. Tour the Normandy beaches, where the Allied forces launched the liberation of Western Europe 65 years ago on June 6, 1944. Visit Pointe du Hoc, where American rangers scaled 300-foot heights to capture German gun emplacements, and walk among the solemn crosses and Stars of David of the American Military Cemetery at St-Laurent, overlooking Omaha Beach. After lunch in Arromanches, you have the option to see the remnants of Mulberry Harbor, constructed to support the Allied landings, and view exhibits chronicling Operation Overlord in the D-Day Museum. Or, you may choose to see the famous Bayeux Tapestry, a stunning visual chronicle of the Norman conquest of England in 1066. This historic tapestry is 230-feet in length and is embroidered with meticulous detail that has been preserved for nearly a millennium. 

Join your traveling companions this evening for a special Captain’s farewell reception.

Wednesday, September 2
Honfleur/Paris/U.S. Transfer to Paris and board your return flight to the U.S., arriving later today.

Posted March 4, 2009.