Killarney National Park, Ireland

Known as the ‘Emerald Isle’ Ireland is indeed a beautiful gem rising out of the Atlantic and the Ring of Kerry, tucked away in the South West is arguably one of Southern Ireland’s most picturesque regions. The correct name for the Ring of Kerry is the Iveragh Peninsula. A wild, unspoiled and exhilarating place to visit, sitting as it does on the Wild Atlantic Way, a huge coastal touring route that covers 9 counties.

The area really does have everything, from expanses of wilderness, majestic mountains and breathtaking waterfalls to stunning sandy beaches and even ancient woodlands where Ireland’s only herd of wild Red Deer can be found. 

To be based in the historic town of Killarney on the shores of Lough Leane and the very edge of Killarney National Park. Just 7.5 miles off the coast of Kerry, a twin-peaked pyramidal crag of rock juts out from the Atlantic Ocean: Sceilg Mhichíl, also known as Skellig Michael, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and famed film location in the Star Wars movie, is the most spectacularly situated of all Early Medieval island monastic sites. A highlight of this trip is a visit to Skellig Michael, with the possibility of a land tour.

Steeped in history, our days will include a 15th century abbey and castle, fabulous gardens, waterfalls, a horse-cart ride, boat ride and an unsurpassed variety of natural beauty. 

The Cotswolds, England

Carrying the designation “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”, the Cotswolds are memorable for their quintessentially English scenery of green rolling hills and meadows encompassing thatched and stone-slated villages. In the Middle Ages the Cotswold Lion, a breed of sheep, supported a prosperous wool trade with the continent resulting in significant local wealth much of it used to build large “wool churches” and stately homes still in evidence today, using the honey-colored Cotswold stone supplied by the underlying bedrock of Jurassic limestone.

Explore the World Heritage City of Bath, the historic towns of Burford and nearby Blenheim Palace, Chipping Campden and Broadway both connected to the Arts and Crafts movement, the iconic hamlet of Bibury with much loved Arlington Row and the picturesque villages of Stanton and Snowshill.

The Dolomites, Italy

The Dolomites of northern Italy are among the most dramatic mountains on Earth. Stunning pale peaks rise abruptly from rolling green meadows. Their geologic composition includes both dolomitic limestone and volcanic formations, and the inhabitants ae equally mixed: Italian, Tyrolean, and Ladin influences all co-exist here. Villages dot the steep, narrow valleys. The area has been inhabited since the first humans came to Europe. Control of the region has variously fallen to Celts, Rhaetians, Romans, Tyrol, Austria, and today, Italy. 

Nowhere else can you find such craggy peaks so easily accessible, with many trail reached by cable car. Nowhere else such stark, white mountains contrasting with such lush, green meadows.