Brendan Vacations Expands Small Groups and Custom Vacations

Brendan Vacations, the leading expert in Celtic travel, today announced its 2027 product collection, including two new Small Group Tours and four new sample itineraries to inspire Custom Vacations across various travel styles. The expanded lineup also introduces new properties and experiences across Ireland and Scotland, from thermal wellness in Dublin to ancestry exploration in Edinburgh.

“Nearly 60 years in Ireland and Scotland have given us an incredible depth of experience, from the people and places we know to the relationships we’ve built,” said Whitney Ramirez, SVP Sales, Brendan Vacations North America. “In 2027, we’re putting that expertise to work for travel advisors through more intimate Small Group Tours and new itinerary inspiration for Private Driver and Rail Vacations, giving them even more ways to create meaningful, personalized Celtic vacations for their clients.”

Small Group Tours: Brendan Vacations will introduce two Small Group Tours for 2027, with a maximum of 18 guests and definite departure status across all dates.

• Extraordinary Ireland: This 12-day tour combines Ireland’s iconic landscapes with local connections, from the Cliffs of Moher and Ring of Kerry to Galway's cobbled lanes. Highlights include walking the Giant’s Causeway with expert local Mark Rodgers, exploring Derry/Londonderry’s 17th-century walls, and a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® food walk in Westport.
• Scotland at Leisure: Beginning and ending in Edinburgh, this eight-day tour journeys through the island history of Iona, Highland landscapes in Glencoe and along the Caledonian Canal in Fort Augustus. Along the way, guests will visit Edinburgh Castle, explore Skye’s dramatic rock formations, learn about the events of 1746 at Culloden and create their own Harris Tweed handbag.

The new tours join Brendan Vacations’ existing Small Group Tour collection, which includes Timeless Ireland & Ashford Castle, Ireland at Leisure and Wild Scotland & Isle of Skye. Select tours offer back-to-back departures, allowing travellers to combine Ireland and Scotland into a longer Celtic vacation, with departures available primarily from April through October and select options during winter.

Custom Vacations: Four new sample itineraries are available across the Private Driver and Rail Vacation travel styles, each of which can be tailored to clients’ interests, schedules and preferred pace including:

Private Driver:

• Ireland Wellness Adventure: This eight-day roundtrip Dublin vacation combines relaxing yoga sessions with the Stairway to Heaven hike in Co. Fermanagh, and access to the Bask Thermal Spa for a rejuvenating trip to Ireland.
• Scotland’s Lochs & Whiskey: The 10-day roundtrip Edinburgh journey explores Scotland’s whiskey heritage through the Johnny Walker Journey of Flavor tour, visits to Talisker and Glengoyne distilleries and an Isle of Rona Cruise.

Rail Vacations: 

• Ireland’s Cities, Coasts & Legends: Traveling roundtrip from Dublin over 10 days, guests will experience a Howth coastal hike, visit Giant’s Causeway and take a day tour around the Ring of Kerry.
• Scotland’s Castles, Coastlines & Cities: The nine-day journey from Edinburgh to Glasgow features Royal Deeside and Dunnottar Castle, a Loch Ness and Outlander day tour and guided walk along Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

New Celtic Experiences: New bookable activities are available across Custom Vacations, centered on local wellness, craftsmanship, history, and heritage across Ireland and Scotland.

• Located inside Dublin’s Davenport Hotel, Bask Thermal Spa offers an immersive experience featuring tranquil pools and thermal rooms.
• At Cushendale Woollen Mills, guests can step inside one of Ireland’s last working woollen mills to discover more than 250 years of craftsmanship and contemporary textile design.
• The Caithness Highlights Tour travels along Scotland’s northern coast from Wick, stopping at Dunnet Beach, the Castle of Mey, John O’Groats and Duncansby Head.
• The Dunnottar Castle, Braemar and Royal Deeside experience brings travellers to Dunnottar Castle, the village of Braemar and the landscapes of Cairngorms National Park.
• During the Scotland Shop Clan and Ancestry Experience, guests can learn about clan history, research their family connections and explore more than 500 tartans.
• The Caledonian Sleeper connects Scotland and London by overnight train, with private rooms, guest lounges and an onboard club car.

New accommodation options for 2027 include W Edinburgh, a five-star hotel in the city’s St James Quarter with a rooftop deck overlooking Arthur’s Seat and Edinburgh Castle. Scotland travellers can also stay at Glencruitten House, an 1897 estate in Oban, Scotland, enhanced by architect Sir Robert Lorimer, or Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire, Scotland, a five-star hotel recognized with a Michelin Key.

In Ireland, new options include The Grace, a five-star hotel on the Westport Estate, offering travellers a peaceful base after a day of exploring, and The Hawthorn in Galway, set along Galway Bay with sea-view dining, spa experiences and access to nearby golf courses.

The new offerings build on early Canadian demand for longer, more flexible Celtic vacations in 2027. Trips generating strong early interest include Best of Ireland and Scotland and Best of Ireland among Guided Vacations, Wild Scotland and the Isle of Skye for Small Group Tours and Ireland’s Sights and Sounds by rail. Canadian guests are planning trips averaging 11 days, with May, August and September emerging as popular departure months.

Brendan Vacations’ new 2027 brochure is available to order by mail or download online at https://www.brendanvacations.com/en-ca/brochure.