We fly out of Atlanta en route to Scotland on 14 May, 2011. We arrive at Heathrow in London, the world's busiest airport, and then take a shorter flight into Edinburgh, Scotland’s political and cultural capital. Using the local bus system, we will make our way to Herald House Hotel in Edinburgh, where will we spend the next six nights. While it may not be the most fashionable hotel in the city, you can't beat its location, which is just off the Royal Mile in historic Edinburgh. Each room has its own bathroom, television, safe, and internet connections (for a small fee). More images of Herald House can be found here.Once we settle in, students will have a brief on-site orientation and neighborhood tour. Dinner will be at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern located on the Royal Mile. We will also take a ghost tour before calling it a night.
Over the next several days, we will visit the sites of Edinburgh and the surrounding area. In Edinburgh, these will include the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh Castle, Mary King’s Close, Holyrood Palace, John Knox House, the University of Edinburgh, Surgeon’s Hall Museum, the Scottish Storytelling Center, the Walter Scott Memorial, and the National Scotland Museum.
We will intersperse those sites with day trips in the surrounding area. First up will be Stirling and its historic castle – a site made famous by William Wallace and Robert the Bruce in their struggles for Scottish independence against England. This struggle was made known to most Americans through the popular film, Braveheart. The next trip will be to Falkirk, just North of Edinburgh to visit the Falkirk Wheel and remains on Antonine Wall -- the Roman wall. Finally we will take a full-day tour through the Scottish Highlands. Sites will include Glencoe (site of an infamous 17th Century massacre), Loch Ness (believed by many to house a prehistoric dinosaur), Ben Nevis, and the Monadhlaith Mountains.
Since we will have some free-time in Edinburgh, students may want to consider purchasing an Edinburgh Pass, which gets you into several sites including the Edinburgh Zoo, the Camera Obscura, the Whiskey Experience, 3-D Loch Ness Experience, Insect World, Hidden Gardens, Edinburgh Dungeon, and more.
We will then jump aboard a ScotRail train en route to Glasgow, Scotland’s other major city, where will stay for four nights at the Euro Hostel. While there will tour the historic homes, museums, and visit Robert Burns Cottage. The last day or two will be open days, which will allow students to explore the city, other parts of Scotland, or perhaps even parts of England on their own.
On 25 May, we will take the bus to Glasgow International Airport and fly home to Atlanta.
