UK and Ireland this summer!

[goinsumwhere]

I finally got official permission from my generous boss to take off three weeks this summer. Any suggestions on my itinerary would be great. I will be staying in hostels and want to spend most of the time in Scotland. I like cities but also want to see countryside, coastline, and castles/ruins....so here's what I have (days indicate FULL days. Including travel time I've got 21 days).

London - 2 days
(train) Edinburgh - 2
(bus) Stonehaven - 1
(bus) Inverness - 1
(bus, ferry) Orkney Islands - 2
(plane) Glasgow - 0.5
(bus, ferry) Belfast - 2
(train) Dublin - 2

Specific sites I want to see are: Edinburgh castle, Dunnottar Castle, Loch Ness, Skara Brae, Ring of Brodgar, Giant's causeway, Jameson Distillery.

Other questions: can anyone recommend a good day trip out of Dublin? Are there any good national parks or whatever near these places where I can go on day hikes?
and how far in advance should I book hostels?
thanks!

[madamtrashheap]

As you have 21 days, would you consider driving a portion of your trip? I ask as this would allow you to maximise your time, set your own schedule (rather than arranging travel according to train/bus timetables) and let you explore parts, especially Scotland, where trains don't reach. You could take the train London-Edinburgh, then once you leave Edinburgh you could drive that section and even continue on driving through Ireland (there are ferries between Scotland and Ireland) if you feel confident.

If you decide to drive, I can suggest places like Stirling and the Wheel of Falkirk, St Andrews, drive the Whisky Trail from Pitlochry to Inverness (detour or do a day trip to Loch Ness from Inverness), head up to Orkney, back down through Kyle of Lochalsh, Oban, Loch Lomond, Glasgow and then take the ferry from Stranraer to Belfast. Some of these stops are only for a look, others are overnight, so you can time it well within your 21days.

Ireland to drive can be comfortably done in 10days, but again that depends on your final decision.

Belfast - interesting city, worth 2 full days as you'll need a day to explore and most of a day to get to-from the Giant's Causeway.

Day trips out of Dublin are possible, and the Wicklow Mountains are a great start for hiking www.wicklowmountainsnationalpark.ie/ Howth Head, to the north of Dublin, is a great short day trip for a (careful) walk along the cliffs for views across Dublin and to the Wicklow if the weather is good (if it's not, don't bother with the trip). Don't forget sights within Dublin like Kilmainham Gaol, Guinness Storehouse, walking tours of the 1916 Uprising (if you're into history), Trinity College & the Book of Kells, Dublin Castle. You could also travel by car or bus (or train where applicable) to places like Galway, Dingle (great seaside town), Cork (for Jameson Old Midelton Distillery and Blarney Castle), Killarney, Cobh and Kilkenny if any of them suit your interests and if you have additional time in your final itinerary.

I'd also consider adding a day to London as there is much to see and you may have to combat a little jet lag.

Book as far in advance as you can once you've planned your route as this will help with your budget and also ensure you get the accommodation you want. If you drive, B&Bs are also a good form of inexpensive accommodation.

Make sure you bring back a small present for your boss!