It’s the people you’ll meet — not the landmarks you’ll photograph — that shape a Meet the Makers holiday. A small number of makers, across Scotland and Ireland, still work the old way: by hand, by instinct, by generations of practice. Weavers and whisky-makers, hill farmers and home cooks, potters, bakers, boat-builders and storytellers.
Meet the Makers holidays introduce you to them, in person, not through a shop counter or a visitor centre, but as a guest in their workshop, their kitchen, or their home. Every route and stay is planned around who you’ll meet, not what you’ll see.
This is travel that changes you.
What Makes This Different
This isn’t a stop at a shop, studio or attraction. You’re welcomed into someone’s work as a guest, not a spectator, by people opening up their world to you.
Weavers, distillers, drystone dykers, bakers, boat-builders, hill farmers, storytellers, skills passed down through generations, sometimes to just a handful of people left practising them.
Every route is planned around the people you’ll meet, not the landmarks you’ll photograph. The wider journey — roads, scenery, stays — is built to serve those encounters, not the other way round.
Every route, stay and introduction has been chosen with care — family-run places to sleep, scenic roads taken at their own pace, and access that comes only from decades of local relationships.
Explore the Collection
Meet the country’s most exciting producers and craftspeople — the people keeping distinctive traditions alive, one craft at a time.
Two legendary archipelagos and the makers, farmers and storytellers who define them. Step into island life as it’s actually lived, not viewed from a coach window.
Home cooks, family farms, artists, craftspeople, storytellers and just a touch of Riverdance magic, because why not? This is Ireland at its most alive.
Meet the Makers in Ireland’s Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way
Step into the home of a family baker, get hands-on in cottage workshops for woodworking, weaving and pottery, and meet the families keeping these crafts alive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Meet the Makers holiday?
A holiday across Scotland or Ireland built around personal, hosted visits to the people keeping traditional crafts and trades alive. Think weavers, distillers, hill farmers, bakers, boat-builders and storytellers.
Which makers will I meet?
Depending on the itinerary, you might meet textile weavers, whisky and spirit distillers, hill farmers, artisan food producers, potters, boat-builders, or musicians and storytellers keeping traditions alive.
Is this different from a normal sightseeing road trip?
Yes! The itinerary is planned around who you’ll meet, not which landmarks you’ll photograph. Scenic routes and stays are built around the encounters, not the other way round.
How are the makers selected?
Every maker featured is a trusted local partner McKinlay Kidd has worked with directly — not a generic visitor attraction — vetted and personally quality-checked as part of every itinerary.
