This morning, I dropped my guests off at Dublin Airport for return flight to U.S.at the end of a great Hebrides and Ireland tour lasting two weeks. We all enjoyed exploring and experiencing new sites and places and we have lots of pics and videos to prove it.

After Dublin I drove north and stopped off at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre and then the Newgrange prehistoric site.

The Battle site was OK but considering this was such a watershed in British and Irish history the visitor centre experience fell a little short of my expectations. The Scottish, Culloden experience is, in my view, better. Image below shows re-enactment cavalry at the 1690 battle.

Newgrange proved a big disappointment, principally because I could not visit the actual prehistoric site within time available owing to the huge number of visitors which results in a queuing system. The actual visitor centre is OK but from a learning/academic perspective does, in my opinion, fall short of the similar Scottish site at Kilmartin Glen. Newgrange seems totally geared to mass tourism many of whom probably don't appreaciate the significance of the site. I saw a short film about the site but this is eminently forgettable. I will go back at some time in the future but have learned that early arrival is essential to beat the crowds and guarantee a visit to the site.

Am writing this at Belfast ferry terminal prior to transfer back to Scotland. Isle of Skye on the 18th. Its all go!
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