I know you all have opinions and want to help me plan my trip. In June 3 friends planning on flying into Shannon, spend 6 nights in Ireland and from Dublin head to Scotland for 6 nights. Some of the places we want to see in Ireland are Killarney, Dingle Peninsula, Rock of Cashel, Cliffs of Moher, The Skelligs, Blarney Stone & Castle, Waterford, a lighthouse, Trinity College, Book of Kells. Some of the places in Scotland include St. Andrews, Loch Ness, want to do some fly fishing (where's a good spot) hiking, although Ben Nevis may be too ambitious – but someplace scenic), Isle of Skye a lighthouse, Edinburgh, maybe take in a <BR>Highland festival if possible. Please give me the benefit of your experiences. Thanks. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>

Speaking for Scotland only, it seems a lot in the allotted time. St Andrews can be done in a day from Edinburgh, you also need to stay up in Inverness for Loch Ness/Highlands etc. Will you be hiring a car during your stay?

We plan to hire a car for both places. That's what I need to know - what is doable. Thanks.

I recently spent 9 days in Ireland. You will really benefit from the long days in summer. You can pack more into each day. One thing that I do reccommend (SP?) - try to base yourself out of central locations - much better than packing up & moving to a new b& b every night. <BR> <BR>Here is an idea for your itinerary. I left out the Rock of Cashel - Kind of out of the way with the other things you want to see. ( I wasn't sure where the Skelligs were either - we didn't go there.) <BR> <BR>Day 1 Arrive Shannon – <BR>See cliffs <BR>Take killimer/tarbert ferry across river <BR>Overnight : Killarney area (we stayed at Crystal Springs B&B in Killarney - very nice and affordable too!) <BR> <BR>Day 2 Dingle <BR>Overnight : Killarney area <BR> <BR>Day 3 Killarney <BR>Overnight : Killarney area <BR> <BR>Day 4 Cork/Blarney <BR> Drive to Waterford – see Crystal Factory <BR> Drive to Kilkenny <BR> Overnight Kilkenny area <BR> <BR>Day 5 Kilkenny in the AM <BR> Drive to Dublin <BR> See Dublin <BR> Overnight Dublin <BR> <BR>Day 6 - more Dublin / depart for Scotland <BR> <BR>When you finalize your itinerary - post it with Pat Preston on the forum at www.irelandexpert.com - she will review it for free and give you great ideas <BR> <BR>good luck! <BR>Debbie <BR>

Scotland's doable - if you wish to do it. I did a similar trip around a certain part of the USA a couple of years ago, a dash around the country. I saw a lot but was never in the same place for long, not a lot of time to relax. But yes, it's doable.

We gave Waterford a pass--we're very into history and ruins and stuff, so we really loved Rock of Cashel. We took all ten days in Ireland, and only drove about 3-4 hours per day--plenty, especially if you like to stop just whenever the urge hits along the way. You're going to have input overload, but it'll be great. Take lots of snaps, because you may need the reminder of where you were!!

I just got back from Ireland and Scotland and must admit that you seem to have a lot planned for a relatively short amount of time. <BR> <BR>The Ring of Kerry is my opinion was over-rated for the amount of time that it took. The Highlands in Scotland are far prettier, so just wait to see those when you get there. And the Cliffs of Moher should suffice for a scenic look over the water. <BR> <BR>I really enjoyed my tour through the Waterford Crystal Factory and went on to buy a vase at the Blarney Wollen Mills (better price) when we stopped at the Blarney Castle. <BR> <BR>Make sure and spend some time in Edinburgh. It's a beautiful city and offers more than Dublin. I spent a few nights in Dublin and did get to go see the Book of Kells. The upstairs library there at the exhibit is well worth the visit to Trinity College. You might also want to plan on partaking in the Literary Pub Crawl while in Dublin. It was a blast!