Leave the glitz and glam of NI's cosmopolitan cities behind and travel into the heart of the country to where "the people of the land" live and work. Tour guide Barbara Ferguson has put together an intriguing insight into how yesterday's traditions have shaped the life and work of today's rural communities.

From the time of Neolithic farming, this rural lifestyle has remained Ireland's mainstay and helped shape the patchwork fields landscape you see today. On her coach tour, Barbara will unearth tumbledown remains of mud-wall homesteads and old round pillars that once held entrance gates to family farms from where emigrant sons and daughters waved their last farewell.

You'll also learn about the various breeds of sheep, cattle and horses grazing the fields today and view traditional seasonal crops such as potatoes - still a big part of our staple diet today, oats for traditional porridge and apples for the much-loved apple tart. Explore rural settlements with a church spire and village pub, and experience the banter at a traditional "farmers' livestock mart" - a big part of our rural social scene.

While today's rural NI is a successful modern farming business that breeds, grows and exports some of the finest produce in the world, farmers have successfully adapted to respect the rich folklore of the land. If you're travelling with a group and want to do a guided coach tour with stop offs along the way, get in touch with Barbara to arrange your bespoke itinerary and plan that "trip down memory lane".