Just six months until the Highlands and Islands tours. I’m excited and those of you that have already booked tell me you are too. I hope you’ll join us!

Not a very experienced harp player? No worries! This is not a school – it is a vacation! Play as much (or as little) as you like. We’ll be having fun. Not a harper but love traditional music? No worries! We don’t discriminate. Bring your own small traditional instrument along (whistle, concertina, fiddle, guitar, etc.). We’re happy to have you too. We’ll learn and play together. We’ll share some great tunes and play in some incredible places. Our music appreciating guests (who are not playing an instrument) are welcome to sit with us as we play but also have opportunities to see and do additional things – and they tell us they enjoy these little escapes!

But if you just don’t fancy playing the harp all over Scotland all week, you might prefer to join us for the Highlands and Islands Distillery tour. We visit six different distilleries, each very special and different in its own right. We’ll enjoy the sites and tastes of the Highlands and Islands learning all about the “uisge beatha” and its place in Scotland historically and today. While we don’t play music on this tour – we do have a great time sampling, learning, and having fun.

For more information click on https://www.jeniuscreations.com/tours-of-scotland/ and book the trip that is just right for you!

You know that I’m excited about the upcoming 2016 Harp the Highlands and Islands Tour – we are planning this trip in July to enjoy the Scottish summer! Dates for 2016 are 30 July – 6 August 2016.  This timing will allow you the easy option to stay a little longer if you chose to go to the Tattoo, the Festival and the Fringe as well – you’ll already be there!

The tour will include the breathtaking Highlands and the Isle of Skye as well as learning and playing and having a great time.  We cater to harp players at all levels and we also welcome other traditional musicians as well as “harp appreciators”! Each day we’ll take on a tune, learn more harp lore, and learn how the music is intertwined with the history and culture.

We will depart from Edinburgh and then spend eight days seeing the Highlands and Skye.  Our tour group will be small – no more than six travelers – which allows enough flexibility each day to see the very best Scotland has to offer and still include those special things that can’t be planned. And each day, there is a tune that matches our travels, experiences, and mood.

The early booking discount date is rapidly approaching! Book by 15 September and pay only $3000, saving nearly 15%. Prices go up after that – book by the end of the year and pay just $3200. From 1 January, $3499*. Got a crowd? Call for options.

I hope you’ll join us. For more details go to this year’s website (click on the button above for Tours of Scotland).

* Of course, there is small print:  Prices per person, double occupancy and include eight day/seven night dinner, bed and breakfast accommodations, tour and professional driver guide, entrance to all attractions, morning and afternoon coffee or tea, as well as other special treats along the way.

We are very excited to be planning the 2016 Harp the Highlands and Islands Tour – this will be our 5^th year! We’re planning to go at the height of summer when the sun shines and it is beautiful!

We are looking forward to traveling 30 July – 6 August 2016.  See the beautiful, powerful sights of Scotland while we’re learning and playing and having a great time.  Our trip is designed for harp players at all levels. Each day we’ll have a harp event – learn a tune, add to your harp lore, and more all while experiencing the history of our musical heritage. Don’t play the harp?  We’re happy to have all musicians with small traditional instruments and appreciators of the music are also welcome – there’s no lack of interesting things to do!

We kick off from Edinburgh and spend the next eight days seeing the highlands and Skye.  Our tour is intimate, consisting of just six travelers on each outing. This very small group size allows flexibility so that each day we can see the very best Scotland has to offer as well as those special things that can’t be planned. And each tune will match our travels, experiences, and mood.

All this for just $3499/ppdo. Book early for a discount — book by 15 September and pay just $3000. Book by 31 December and pay $3200. Got a crowd? Call for options.

This schedule also positions you should you decide to stay on after our tour and go to the Festival, the Fringe or the Tattoo. I hope you’ll join us. For more details go to this year’s website (click on the button above for Tours of Scotland).

Well, Harpa 2015 Scotland is in the books and the general consensus is that it was a great trip!  We had a fantastic time.  All the wonderful Harpaniks made the trip so much fun.  And of course, David, our tour guide and Heather, our Roadie did a fantastic job – they really made the trip.

If you haven’t already, check out our photos and commentary at Harpa 2015 on Facebook

Photo by Jack Kolle

You’re probably kicking yourself at this point – yes, you should have joined us and been part of the fun.  But fear not, we have already started planning the next one.

And of course, in 2016 we’ll be doing a Harp the Highlands and Islands Tour – so watch this space with details to come soon.

I am very excited to be departing for Harpa 2015 – Scotland!  I will be in the impressive company of 14 other delightful people and I can’t wait to get on the road! I’m throwing the last few things into my luggage, nestling my harp into its travel case and preparing to depart.

We’ll post some from the road – but remember we’re on vacation so we’ll post when we can and what we’ve got – and we’ll look forward to telling you about it when we get back!

We are back from this year’s Harp the Highlands and Islands tour and did we have a great time! In fact, you could say we were “destined” to have an excellent experience.
We saw some iconic sites and learned some excellent tunes – right there where they spring from.

And then some of us were delighted to go on to the Cromarty Harp Village – WOW – so excellent I didn’t get any photos!

Watch this space, we’ll be posting the dates for next year soon – hope you’ll be able to join us.