Embassy Oxford student Madeleine took a weekend trip... all the way to Soctland. Was the long journey worth it? Read on.
Apart from studying English at Embassy, which is rewarding in itself, you also get the opportunity to explore the U.K. and the rest of Europe during your weekends.
Ever since I saw the film "Braveheart" I´ve always wanted to visit Scotland and through Embassy I got the opportunity. So on a late Friday evening in September I, together with my newly found friends, went by coach on a tour to Scotland,"Edinburgh and the Highlands in two days".
The next morning after having a heavy breakfast in the Scottish countryside we arrived in Edinburgh about 10 o`clock a.m.
A local guide met up and we made a citytour which ended up in front of Edinburgh castle. Once there we were shown around in the castle and were told anecdotes about famous Scottish kings and queens.
After the visit to the castle we were free to explore the city and shopping districts ourselves. We chose to go shopping on the famous Prince's Street. From everywhere I heard the bagpipes playing Scottish marches which really enhanced the feeling of being in Scotland...
Late in the afternoon it was time to go back to our Youth Hostel where we spent the whole evening learning and dancing Scottish dances which was real fun actually. Later on you could visit a pub and mingle with the Scots.
The next day we were heading for the Highlands. This trip wasn`t compulsory but I strongly recommend it. Scotland is not all about the Highlands but you haven`t seen Scotland if you haven`t seen both the Lowlands and the Highlands.
I must admit that without our local guide the trip wouldn't have been half as interesting. He normally worked as a university teacher and had a great knowledge about both the Geography and the History of Scotland as well as a special kind of Scottish humour that I liked.
After being driven around in the mountains we went to a whisky distillery where we learnt how barley was turned into whisky. We also a visited Weaving Mill and had the opprtunity to buy the famous Scottish wool and cashmere goods (mainly clothes such as sweaters, cardigans and scarves).
Late on the Sunday afternoon we climbed the William Wallace (read Braveheart) monument and this was absolutely the peak experience for me on this tour. Just standing on the hill and overlooking the town of Stirling, and Stirling castle where he won his famous battle, was thrilling. The guide told us some facts about William Wallace (he was not actually as in the film).
On Monday morning it was time for leaving Edinburgh and going back to our hometown Oxford. After a short guided tour by coach around the Scottish Parliament, the cafe where J.K. Rowling wrote her novels about Harry Potter etc, we were going south back home.
On our way home we stopped at another Weaving Mill where we had a final possibilty to buy some Scottish souvenirs.
So what is my overall experience of the tour? If you want to go to Scotland it`s really worth the price. I`ve never experienced so much in so little time, and what I think Scotland was like - it`s magic in real life!
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