Global Escapes

Ireland & Scotland

Sea cliffs and castle hotels, fiddles in the pub and whisky by the fire. Two neighbors with long memories and a famously warm welcome.

By the Global Escapes travel team · Updated

Best time to go
May to September
Trip length
10 to 14 days for both, a week for one
From Atlanta
About 8 hours nonstop to Dublin
Time difference
5 hours ahead of Eastern
Entry
U.S. passport. No visa for Ireland; a UK ETA for Scotland and Northern Ireland
Currency
Euro in Ireland, pound sterling in the UK. Bring a Type G plug adapter

Why Ireland and Scotland belong together

Separated by a narrow strip of sea and a shared Celtic past, these two make a natural pair: green, storied, a little wild at the edges and endlessly hospitable.

Ireland rewards a slow loop from Dublin to the southwest and up the Atlantic coast, with nights in Kerry, Dingle and Galway. Scotland pairs Edinburgh’s castle and cobbled lanes with the lochs, glens and islands of the Highlands.

A short flight links Dublin and Edinburgh, so one trip can hold both. Add Belfast and the Causeway Coast, a round at the Home of Golf, or a few unhurried days among Speyside’s distilleries.

Getting around the classic routes

  • Dublin to KillarneyAbout 3.5 hours by car or train
  • Killarney to DingleAbout 1 hour by car
  • Dingle to GalwayA scenic day via the Cliffs of Moher
  • Galway to DublinAbout 2.5 hours by car or train
  • Dublin to BelfastAbout 2 hours by train
  • Dublin to EdinburghAbout 1¼ hours by air
  • Edinburgh to InvernessAbout 3.5 hours by train or car
  • Inverness to the Isle of SkyeAbout 2.5 hours by car
IrelandScotlandDublinKillarneyDingleCliffs of MoherGalwayBelfastGiant’s CausewayEdinburghSt AndrewsInvernessIsle of SkyeSpeysideDublin to Edinburgh,about 1¼ hours by air
Classic routes Easy add-ons

When to go

Summer brings the longest days and the liveliest towns. Spring and early fall are softer, quieter and often just as lovely, and rain can turn up in any month.

  1. JanShort days, cozy pubs
  2. FebQuiet roads, snowdrops
  3. MarSt. Patrick’s Day
  4. AprLambs, daffodils, Easter
  5. MayLong, bright days, fewer crowds
  6. JunLongest days, golf season
  7. JulWarmest month, busy roads
  8. AugEdinburgh’s festivals
  9. SepGolden light, calmer roads
  10. OctAutumn color, crisp walks
  11. NovWhisky by the fire
  12. DecChristmas lights, Hogmanay

Peak season Shoulder season Low season

Average temperatures and rainfall

Average daily high and low in °F, with average monthly rainfall in inches. The west coasts and Highlands are wetter than Dublin and Edinburgh.

Spring

March through May brings lambs in the fields, gardens in bloom and noticeably longer evenings. Dublin celebrates St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, and May is one of the brightest, driest-feeling months on both sides of the sea.

Summer

June through August is high season, with highs in the mid-60s and light lingering past 10 p.m. in Edinburgh in June. August belongs to Edinburgh’s festivals, so we book hotels there well ahead. Highland midges are most active in still, damp summer weather.

Fall

A favorite of ours. September keeps summer’s mild days with calmer roads, golf courses are in fine shape, and October brings bracken and birch color to the glens. Days shorten quickly after mid-October.

Winter

Short, crisp days, roaring fires and festive lights. Edinburgh’s Hogmanay is one of the world’s great New Year’s celebrations. Some country hotels and rural attractions close for the season, so winter trips center on the cities.

Where to go

The places our travelers love most, and what each one does best.

Dublin

Georgian squares, the Book of Kells at Trinity College, the Guinness Storehouse and pubs with live music most nights. An easy, friendly first stop.

Best for Arrival nights, history, pubs

The Wild Atlantic Way

More than 1,500 miles of coastline along Ireland’s west, with the Cliffs of Moher, the limestone Burren and fishing villages tucked into the coves.

Best for Scenery, coastal drives

Kerry & Dingle

The Ring of Kerry, lakes and woodland in Killarney National Park, and Dingle’s colorful harbor town at the start of the Slea Head drive.

Best for Castle hotels, walks, music

Galway & Connemara

A lively, artsy city with music spilling out of the pubs, then bog, mountain and lake country west to Kylemore Abbey. The Aran Islands are a ferry ride away.

Best for Culture, wild landscapes

Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast

The basalt columns of the Giant’s Causeway, clifftop Dunluce Castle and Royal Portrush, with Titanic Belfast an easy add on the way.

Best for Natural wonders, golf

Edinburgh

A castle on a volcanic crag, the Royal Mile and the elegant New Town, both part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Superb restaurants and whisky bars, too.

Best for History, festivals, food

The Highlands & Isle of Skye

Glencoe, Loch Ness and Eilean Donan Castle on the road west, then Skye’s jagged ridges, sea lochs and the Old Man of Storr.

Best for Drama, photography, hiking

St Andrews

The Home of Golf, plus a historic university town with cathedral ruins and the long West Sands beach. Lovely even for non-golfers.

Best for Golfers, coastal charm

Speyside

Scotland’s greatest concentration of malt whisky distilleries, strung along the salmon-rich River Spey, about an hour from Inverness.

Best for Whisky lovers, fishing

In depth

Links golf and single malts

Golf was born on the windswept dunes of Scotland’s east coast, and Ireland’s links are every bit as wild. Playing them is a different game: firm turf, deep pot bunkers and a wind that changes every hole. Many courses take visitors on set days, require a handicap certificate and book up a year or more ahead, so we secure tee times first and build the trip around them.

The Old Course at St Andrews releases some tee times in advance and allocates many more by ballot, and it rests on Sundays. Plan a flexible day or two nearby so a ballot time is easy to take.

  • St Andrews & KingsbarnsFife, Scotland
  • CarnoustieAngus, Scotland
  • Royal DornochThe Highlands
  • Royal PortrushCauseway Coast
  • Royal County DownNorthern Ireland
  • Lahinch & BallybunionIreland’s west coast

For the rest of the party, Speyside makes the perfect counterpoint: private tastings and warehouse tours, fishing on the Spey and castle visits, with a driver so everyone can enjoy the dram.

Explore golf trips

Good to know

The small things that make a big difference once you land.

Getting there

Delta flies Atlanta to Dublin nonstop overnight. Edinburgh is an easy one-stop, and Delta has offered seasonal summer nonstops from Atlanta. Flying home from Dublin, you clear U.S. immigration before boarding.

Two countries, two entry rules

Ireland needs only your passport. Scotland and Northern Ireland are in the UK, which asks U.S. citizens for an Electronic Travel Authorisation before arrival, including when you drive in from Ireland. We’ll remind you to apply.

Let someone else drive

Both countries drive on the left, and country roads can be narrow and winding. A private driver-guide frees you to enjoy the views, the stories and a tasting or two.

Two currencies, one plug

Ireland uses the euro; Northern Ireland and Scotland use the pound. Cards and tap-to-pay work almost everywhere. Both use three-pin Type G outlets, so pack an adapter.

Dress for four seasons

Weather changes quickly, even in summer. Layers, a light waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes that handle a wet path will cover nearly anything.

Book the big things early

Castle hotels, Edinburgh in August and the famous golf courses fill nine to twelve months out. Outside those, a few months is usually plenty.

Questions we hear a lot

Do U.S. citizens need a visa for Ireland and Scotland?

No visa is needed for either. Ireland lets U.S. citizens visit for up to 90 days with a passport valid for the length of the stay. Scotland and Northern Ireland are part of the UK, which now requires U.S. citizens to get an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) online or through the UK ETA app before traveling, including when crossing into Northern Ireland from Ireland. It is currently £20, lasts two years, and decisions usually come within a day but can take up to three working days. Requirements change, so check current rules before you travel.

Can we see Ireland and Scotland on one trip?

Yes, and it’s one of our favorite pairings. Dublin to Edinburgh is about an hour and a quarter by air, and car ferries also cross from Belfast to Scotland. Ten to fourteen days covers the highlights of both at a comfortable pace.

When is the best weather?

May through September is mildest, with summer highs in the mid-60s and very long days. Rain is possible in any month, and the west coasts and Highlands are wetter than Dublin and Edinburgh, so we pack layers and plan flexible days.

Should we rent a car or hire a driver?

Both work. Driving is on the left, and rural roads can be narrow, so many of our travelers prefer a private driver-guide, at least for the Wild Atlantic Way and the Highlands. Trains are a good fit between Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh and Inverness.

How do we get a tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews?

Some tee times are released in advance, and many more are allocated through a ballot close to the day of play. A handicap certificate is required, and the course is closed to golf on Sundays. We plan a flexible day or two in St Andrews so a ballot time is easy to take.

What money do we need?

Euros in Ireland and pounds sterling in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, so a small amount of cash for each is plenty.

Let’s plan your Ireland & Scotland trip

Tell us when you’re thinking of going and who’s coming along. An advisor will take it from there.

Start planning Call 706.549.1164