⚠️ Itinerary subject to weather, ferries, and Stuart's optimism about drive times. This is NOT the NC500.
Not the NC500™
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The itinerary, hour by hour.

Six days, five castles, two ferries and roughly 1,100 miles. Times are local (UK & Ireland are both on BST/IST — no clock change).

Tue 2 — Glasgow + Troon Wed 3 — Ferry + Mount Juliet Thu 4 — Kenmare Fri 5 — Ring of Kerry Sat 6 — Donegal Sun 7 — Causeway + home
Troon, Ayrshire
Day 0 · Tue 2 Jun
EY Glasgow, then reposition to Troon
Drem → Glasgow → Marine Troon
  • 05:45Leave Drem (EH39 5BA). Live drive is 1h 36m; the early start buys a 2-hour buffer against rush hour.
  • ~07:45Arrive EY Glasgow (5 George Square, G2 1DY). Park, find the room, in for 08:00.
  • 08:00–21:00EY Entrepreneur of the Year — Scotland judging day.
  • 09:00–11:00Forge Topco board — Zoom from a booked room at EY.
  • ~21:15Drive Glasgow → Marine Troon — 32.7 mi, ~47 min via M77/A78.
  • ~22:05Arrive Marine Troon, 8 Crosbie Rd, KA10 6HE. Stuart's already checked in. Meet at the bar.
Overnight Marine Troon — Shane & Stuart. Colin joins for breakfast tomorrow.Booking.com #6400961578 · PIN 4264
Mount Juliet Estate
Day 1 · Wed 3 Jun
Ferry day → Mount Juliet
Troon → Cairnryan ⛴ Belfast → Co. Kilkenny
  • 08:00Breakfast at Marine Troon. Colin arrives — the crew's complete.
  • 09:00Leave for Cairnryan — ~49.7 mi / 1h 12m via the A77. Don't over-run breakfast.
  • 11:30Stena Line sailing Cairnryan → Belfast. The trip officially begins the moment the ramp lifts.
  • ~14:00Arrive Belfast (W Bank Rd, BT3 9JL).
  • ~14:15Drive Belfast → Mount Juliet — ~191 mi / 3h 13m. Watch the M50 at Dublin rush hour. Toll roads.
  • ~18:00Arrive Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny.
Dinner 19:00 Lady Helen — 7pm tasting menu. Booked.£203 pp B&B · Trip.com
Kenmare, Co. Kerry
Day 2 · Thu 4 Jun
Down to Kenmare — pints & trad
Mount Juliet → Dungarvan → Kenmare
  • 10:30Leave Mount Juliet. Motorway, then proper roads.
  • ~12:00Coffee in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford.
  • ~13:00Push on via Cork ring road → N22 → Skibbereen.
  • 17:30Arrive Park Hotel, Kenmare. Central, safe parking for the cars.
  • 20:30+Into town — Stuart's pick: Crowley's Bar. Colin can join in on the piano.
Dinner 19:00 Landline Restaurant — normal menu. Booked.£533 pp B&B · Expedia
Dromoland Castle
Day 3 · Fri 5 Jun
Ring of Kerry + Wild Atlantic Way
Kenmare → Ring of Kerry → Shannon ferry → Dromoland
  • 10:30Leave Kenmare and drive the Ring of Kerry anti-clockwise — N70 via Sneem → Waterville (~2 hours).
  • ~13:00Waterville — lunch en route or here.
  • ~15:00Killimer–Tarbert Shannon ferry (short crossing — runs often, can pause for weather).
  • ~15:45Doonbeg, Co. Clare — a brief, dignified pause (Stuart's orders).
  • 17:30Arrive Dromoland Castle, Newmarket-on-Fergus, V95 ATD3.
Dinner 18:45 Earl of Thomond — table d'hôte. Booked. Smart dress after 7pm.£700 pp + €25 heritage
Lough Eske, Donegal
Day 4 · Sat 6 Jun
The long one — up to Donegal
Dromoland → Burren → Galway → Sligo → Lough Eske
  • 10:30Leave Dromoland — M18 north.
  • ~11:30The Burren — otherworldly limestone, optional detour.
  • ~13:00Galway — lunch.
  • ~15:00Sligo — coffee, Yeats country, Benbulben.
  • ~17:00–19:00Arrive Lough Eske Castle, Co. Donegal F94 HX59.
Dinner 19:30 Cedar's, Lough Eske Castle. Booked.£383 pp B&B · Expedia
Giant's Causeway
Day 5 · Sun 7 Jun
Giant's Causeway, then home
Donegal → Causeway → Belfast ⛴ Cairnryan → Drem
  • 10:00Leave Donegal. N15 → N13 → cross into the UK at Derry → A2 coast road.
  • 12:15–12:45Giant's Causeway — 30-minute stop.
  • 14:30Arrive Belfast Port — comfortable buffer for the 15:30 sailing.
  • 15:30Stena Line Belfast → Cairnryan (~2h 30m).
  • ~18:00Arrive Cairnryan, then drive 145 mi home.
  • ~21:10Home. Back on the sofa, slightly broken, grinning.
Return ferry Included in the £400 pp crossing.Stena Line · Belfast ⇆ Cairnryan