Brendan Vacations expands small-group and custom vacation lineup for 2027

Brendan Vacations has announced its 2027 collection, which includes two new Small Group Tours and four sample itineraries for customizable Private Driver and Rail Vacations

The Celtic travel specialist is also adding properties and experiences across Ireland and Scotland, ranging 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 in 2027. 

Each will accommodate a maximum of 18 guests and have definite departure status across all dates.

• Extraordinary Ireland:The 12-day tour visits the Cliffs of Moher, Ring of Kerry and Galway. Other experiences include walking the Giant’s Causeway with local expert Mark Rodgers, exploring Derry/Londonderry’s 17th-century walls and joining a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® food walk in Westport.
• Scotland at Leisure: Beginning and ending in Edinburgh, the eight-day tour visits Iona, Glencoe and Fort Augustus along the Caledonian Canal. Guests will also visit Edinburgh Castle, explore Skye’s rock formations, learn about the events of 1746 at Culloden and create a Harris Tweed handbag.

The 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 in one vacation. Departures are available primarily from April through October, with select winter options.

Custom Vacations

Four new sample itineraries are available across Brendan Vacations’ Private Driver and Rail Vacation styles. 

Each can be tailored to clients’ interests, schedules and preferred pace.

Private Driver

• Ireland Wellness Adventure: This eight-day round-trip vacation from Dublin combines yoga sessions, the Stairway to Heaven hike in Co. Fermanagh and access to Bask Thermal Spa.
• Scotland’s Lochs & Whiskey: The 10-day round-trip journey from Edinburgh explores Scotland’s whisky heritage through the Johnnie Walker Journey of Flavour tour, visits to Talisker and Glengoyne distilleries and an Isle of Rona cruise.

Rail Vacations

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

New Celtic experiences

New activities are also available across Brendan Vacations’ Custom Vacations, with a focus on wellness, craftsmanship, history and heritage.

• Located inside Dublin’s Davenport Hotel, Bask Thermal Spa features pools and thermal rooms.
• At Cushendale Woollen Mills, guests can visit one of Ireland’s last working woollen mills and learn about its more than 250 years of craftsmanship and 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 visits Dunnottar Castle, the village of Braemar and Cairngorms National Park.
• During the Scotland Shop Clan and Ancestry Experience, guests can learn about clan history, research 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 accommodations

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.

Other additions in Scotland include Glencruitten House, an 1897 estate in Oban enhanced by architect Sir Robert Lorimer, and Glenapp Castle in Ayrshire, a five-star hotel with a Michelin Key.

In Ireland, new options include The Grace, a five-star hotel on the Westport Estate, and The Hawthorn in Galway, which is located along Galway Bay and offers sea-view dining, spa experiences and access to nearby golf courses.

According to Brendan Vacations, longer and more flexible Celtic vacations are generating early interest among Canadian travellers for 2027. 

Popular bookings include Best of Ireland and Scotland and Best of Ireland among Guided Vacations, Wild Scotland and the Isle of Skye among 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.

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