Special Interest Programmes

Here at Abbey we are happy to dive deep into a groups specialty requests. We will curate visits and excursions that help your guests gain deeper understanding throughout their tour.

What is special interest program?

Tailored to your group’s unique interests, our specialised programs cater to niche passions. Whether you’re a history buff exploring Scotland’s battlefields, a literature lover visiting famous authors’ homes, or a nature enthusiast hiking Ireland’s scenic landscapes, we create bespoke adventures just for you.

SAMPLE ITINERARIES

A sneak peek of our tours

Together we will plan the perfect itinerary whether that is focusing on the clients favourite TV show, the passion for gardening or visiting a variety of farms throughout the country. Take a look below to get an idea of some specialty tours we have created before.

Travelling through the UK

-> Specialty Farm trip to Scotland

Day 1

Welcome to Scotland

Welcome to Scotland! After arriving into Edinburgh, start off with a showstopping tour of the country's capital. Visit the iconic castle on the hill and explore this beautiful city.

Overnight: Edinburgh (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 2

Fife Farms

With a quick stop at the Forth Bridge viewpoint, today we head north into Fife. An area known for farming and agriculture which you will explore today with 2 visits to local farms.

Overnight: Edinburgh (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 3

Edinburgh & Falkirk

Start the day with a short drive to your next farm visit just outside of Edinburgh. Afterwards, enjoy a special private meeting with the chairman of the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland. Take in the famous Kelpies and Falkirk Wheel on your way back.

Overnight: Edinburgh (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 4

West Coast

Your final farm visit today takes you to the west coast of Scotland. You will visit the famous bonny Loch Lomond and end the day the Scottish way, with a dram of whisky at a local distillery.

Overnight: Edinburgh (Bed & Breakfast)

Day 5

Linlithgow & Farewell

Before heading to the airport, enjoy one more scenic stop in lovely Linlithgow. Continue on to Edinburgh Airport to begin your journey home.

Travelling through Ireland

-> Art Collectors & Experts Tour

Day 1

Welcome to Ireland

Arrive at Dublin Airport, where you will be warmly welcomed and transferred to your hotel.

Settle into the Merrion Hotel, a refined Georgian townhouse celebrated not only for its elegance but also for its outstanding private art collection — the largest in Ireland outside the national institutions. The Merrion is home to an important private collection of 19th- and 20th-century art, to which the hotel’s grand interiors offer the perfect backdrop. The result is a dramatic and successful marriage of classical architecture and noteworthy Irish and European art.

Located just minutes’ walk away from the National Gallery, the Royal Hibernian Academy and the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Trinity College, and within easy reach of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Merrion is the perfect choice for a Dublin city art break.

Enjoy a welcome dinner at your hotel tonight

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 2

Classic Dublin & Afternoon Tea with Art

This morning, enjoy a walking tour through historic Dublin, exploring the city’s architecture and cultural layers. Your guide will tell you the fascinating story of Dublin City (and Ireland) including Viking Dublin, O’Connell Street, GPO, Customs House, the River Liffey, Temple Bar , the Ha’penny Bridge, Trinity College and Dublin Castle.

End at Dublin Castle, where a curator will lead you through its State Apartments and remarkable collections, offering insights into the artistic patronage of Ireland’s past. Highlights and hidden gems await you on this special visit to the Castle, in the company of one of our two expert curators. Beginning in the palatial State Apartments, you will go behind the ropes for a private view of key artworks and architectural features, including a portrait by the renowned master Sir Anthony van Dyck and the most important painted ceiling to survive in Ireland from the eighteenth century. Along the way, you will hear first-hand from the curator about the detailed research and conservation work that helps to safeguard these national treasures and bring their stories to life. Moving to the soaring interior of the Chapel Royal, you will be brought behind closed doors for an exclusive visit to the gallery, with its velvet furnishings, jewel-like stained glass windows and array of sculptural ornament. As a memento of your time with us, you will be invited to choose a personally signed and dedicated copy of one of the curator’s Dublin Castle publications.

In the afternoon, return to the Merrion Hotel for a special Art Afternoon Tea. Inspired by the hotel’s collection of 19th- and 20th-century Irish art, each delicacy is designed to echo a specific painting — an elegant fusion of gastronomy and art.

The gracious surroundings of The Merrion’s Drawing Rooms are the perfect place to relax for an afternoon with a selection of delectable treats, accompanied by teas and coffees selected by our in-house tea masters and barista, while browsing through a complimentary copy of The Merrion art collection catalogue.

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 3

A Day of Galleries

Begin the day with a private, expert-led tour of the National Gallery of Ireland, a treasure trove for any art lover, housing over 16,000 works that span from the Renaissance to the modern era. On your private, expert-led tour, you’ll explore its unrivalled collection of Irish art, with special attention to the works of Jack B. Yeats, Ireland’s foremost painter, whose expressive style captures the drama of Irish life and landscape. Your guide will also draw you into the stories behind iconic European masterpieces — including Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, once lost for centuries and now one of the gallery’s most prized possessions. This intimate tour not only showcases great works but also reveals how Ireland positioned itself within the wider European art world.

In the afternoon, discover the Hugh Lane Gallery, a jewel of Dublin’s art scene. Founded in 1908, the Hugh Lane Gallery is one of Dublin’s most dynamic cultural institutions, with a strong focus on modern and contemporary art. The gallery is particularly celebrated for its Francis Bacon Studio, relocated in its entirety from London — down to the scattered brushes, papers, and paint pots — offering visitors a fascinating glimpse into the creative chaos of one of the 20th century’s most influential painters. Alongside Bacon, the gallery’s collection includes works by renowned Irish and international artists, as well as an evolving programme of cutting-edge exhibitions. Your private guide will illuminate both the permanent collection and current exhibitions, situating them within Ireland’s broader art narrative and opening space for discussion with a scholarly, collector’s eye.

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 4

Kilkenny Castle & Contemporary Craft

Travel to medieval Kilkenny, Ireland’s design capital. Begin with a tour of Kilkenny Castle, home to the prestigious Ormond family and its rich art collection, guided by a local expert. One of the most instantly recognised buildings in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle has been an important site since it was built by the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century. The castle has been remodelled in Victorian times and set in extensive parklands which was the principal seat of the Butler family, Marquesses and Dukes of Ormonde. Due to major restoration works, the central block now includes a library, drawing room, and bedrooms decorated in 1830's splendour, as well as the beautiful Long Gallery. A suite of former servant's rooms is now the Butler Art Gallery, which mounts frequently changing exhibitions of contemporary art.

Continue to the Ormonde Collection, where rare works are presented with context and scholarly insight. Step back in time and enjoy the wonder and history of this prestigious stately home. You will be warmly greeted and accompanied throughout your visit by one of our most experienced guides, who will enthral you with wonderful stories of the very powerful and influential Butler Family. This magnificent Castle has many hidden gems, which will be exclusively available to our Unique Experience guests. Some very special pieces from the Ormonde Collection will be available for viewing in the Duchess Closet of the west wing. Our guests will have the opportunity to handle some of these pieces, which may include weaponry, family photographs and special family pieces.

Afterward, explore the Kilkenny Design Centre, a hub of Irish craftsmanship.

Some free time is set aside to discover the town’s private galleries — such as Butler Gallery (contemporary art in a restored heritage building), or intimate spaces like National Craft Gallery showcasing Ireland’s leading makers.

Return to Dublin in the evening.

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 5

Contemporary Dublin

This morning, enjoy a curated contemporary art tour of Dublin. This walking tour starts on the Northside of Dublin’s famous river Liffey at the CHQ building at the Docklands and beside the pedestrian Sean O’Casey bridge. This tour focuses on the more modern and also contemporary public art that adorns our city, dating from the present day and back to the formation of the Irish State in the 1920s. The narrative of this tour has a strong overlap with Irish history as many modern art works reflect and express our past , such as the monuments to the Great Famine of the 1840s. The tour finishes in St Stephen’s Green at Henry Moore’s iconic bronze tribute to W.B Yeats, on the south side of the river Liffey.

The afternoon is left free for independent exploration — you may wish to browse smaller galleries, return to favourite collections, or enjoy the city’s atmosphere at leisure.

In the evening, a private tour and discussion with an expert awaits at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Ireland’s premier institution for modern and contemporary art, housed in the grand Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Housed in the stately Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a 17th-century building often compared to Les Invalides in Paris, the Irish Museum of Modern Art offers a striking juxtaposition of classical architecture and cutting-edge contemporary art. As Ireland’s leading national institution for modern and contemporary practice, IMMA is home to more than 3,500 works by Irish and international artists, from the mid-20th century to today.

Your private, after-hours tour with an expert guide provides an opportunity to explore both the permanent collection and current exhibitions in depth, with special attention given to the evolving themes of identity, politics, and landscape in Irish art. Highlights may include works by Sean Scully, Dorothy Cross, Louis le Brocquy, and other internationally acclaimed artists.

Following the tour, enjoy a private discussion in one of the grand halls or intimate gallery spaces, where your expert host will open a dialogue on Ireland’s role in the global contemporary art scene. This is more than a museum visit — it is a privileged encounter with the ideas shaping Irish art today, within one of the country’s most atmospheric historic settings.

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 6

Celtic Roots & Sculpture in Nature

Travel west into Ireland’s midlands to the Celtic Roots Studio, where you will meet Eibhlin (Helen), a celtic sculptress and feminine maker – who’s medium of expression is the numinous bog oak. Her servitude to this sacred wood – ranges from large scale public art installations to more poignant sculptures rousing many interior designers to take note. Eibhlín has also sculpted impassioned pret-a-porter jewellery collections, for which she has won an award of ‘Jewellery Designer of the Year’. Celtic Roots was established in 1990 and has been based in Ballinahown, County Westmeath, Ireland since 1998. The wood with which Eibhlín works is sourced from Lough Boora, County Offaly. Her impactful and more sizable pieces are made to commission and include Metamorphosis (2011) a wall-mounted piece for Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, which relates the curved forms of bog oak to sound waves.

In the company of Eibhlín’s firepower energy, her tales and with her expert tuition, inspiring memories are created through hands on experiences with this sacred wood. You get to choose your own wood for carving from Eibhlín’s bog oak depository, where no-one usually gets to enter! Eibhlín is the only sculptress and feminine maker in Ireland who shares her wood carving expertise. What a privilege to learn from her.

Her sculpture atelier and exhibition space is located in the Old Schoolhouse in the centre of a little village – it epitomises a real Irish village where people still work with their hands in the most honest and connected way. Immerse yourself in an authentic village experience and enjoy the lunch served in the private dining room of the school house – all organic and local ingredients with a choice of organic wines.

In the afternoon, continue to Lough Boora Discovery Park, where expansive boglands are home to a striking outdoor sculpture park. A private guide will lead you through works created by Irish and international artists, each engaging in dialogue with the wild landscape.

Overnight at your hotel in Dublin or area.

Day 7

Departure

Transfer to Dublin Airport for your onward journey, departing with memories of Ireland’s artistic heritage and contemporary creativity.

Start Planning Your UK & Ireland Tour

Work directly with our senior sales experts to create exceptional travel experiences. Colin Wynne (North America & Long Haul) and Mylène Campalto (Europe) are here to collaborate with you in crafting tailor-made journeys that showcase the very best of the UK and Ireland.

NA & LH market

Colin Wynne
Head of Sales
Contact the sales team

European market

Mylène Campalto
Head of Sales