Fall 2007
Andrew Brazis
Ethan Ellenberger
Our Scottish Experience
From
September 12th-17th the London program invaded Scotland. It all began
with an overnight train to Glasgow, Scotland. We arrived in Scotland
Thursday mourning via a ScotRail Train and then took a coach to Pitlochry,
a small Scottish Village. The weather was temperate and the people were
very friendly. After our time in Glasgow and Pitlochry we headed to
Aberfeldy to tour the Dewar's Distillery -Scotland's oldest and most
renowned Scotch Whisky Distillery. Next, we headed for Falkirk, and the
Falkirk Wheel. The wheel is the world's first and only rotating boat lift
and connects the Union Canal with the Forth & Clyde Canal. We learned the
importance of waterway transportation in Scotland for the transportation
of goods and people. Next, we were off to Edinburgh where our most
memorable experiences of Scotland began. We learned about the history of
Scotland, their relationship with England and the many conflicts they
endured during the 13th, 14th and 15th century. We visited many old town
sites, highlighted by the Edinburgh Castle. The Edinburgh castle displayed
the most of Scotland's history, telling the tale of how power in Scotland
fluctuated with who controlled the castle. The castle also commemorated
all the Scottish men and women who gave their lives at war. Edinburgh was
a beautiful city and our rail travels through the Scottish countryside
revealed some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen.
On
Sunday morning, eight of us departed Edinburgh for St. Andrews Links to
play a round of golf on the Eden Course. The links style course was
unlike anything we have ever played before, and the weather elements made
the experience complete. The wind and cold rain soaked us to the core,
but nothing was going to stop us from this once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. Afterwards we walked the fairways and greens of the Old
Course, the most famous course in golf. St. Andrew's is host to one of
golf's coveted major championships, the British Open. The best golfers in
the world have walked this course since the invention of the game. Our day
trip to St. Andrew's enabled us to visit the birthplace of golf, and
taught us the rich tradition of golf in Scotland. After playing at St.
Andrew's we began to understand the history of a sport that is so popular
in America and it opened our eyes up to how a European pastime has
influenced so much of America's sports culture.
On Monday morning we departed Edinburgh en route for Selkirk and the Lochcarron Woolen Mill. Lochcarron is another Scottish gem that produces only the finest quality of woven fabrics. After our tour through the noisy mill and the extensive gift shop we boarded the coach one last time for the quaint town of Berwick upon Tweed. After a quick lunch we boarded a First Scot Rail train back to London.
From the unique industries of whiskey, water travel, and woolen products, as well as the historic Links at St. Andrew's, and the rolling countryside, Scotland provided us a unique cultural experience that we will never forget.
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