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| Leah's picture of Edinburgh Castle |
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| Adam's picture in Scotland |
Alex
Upon arrival, the Edinburgh Castle was one of the first sites we went to go visit. One of the most notable things is the crown jewels of Scotland, which were previously sealed when the original Scottish parliament was dissolved in 1707. They were later unlocked, and are now on display, but serve no official purpose.
At the same time, the new Scottish Parliament building was conceived after a 1998 bill in the English Parliament was passed stating “there shall be a Scottish parliament guided by justice, wisdom, integrity, and compassion.” The building was finished in 2004, and was designed by Catalan architect Enric Miralles to be environmentally sustainable through the use of large windows and native building resources. The building looks modern and trendy, and houses numerous offices and the “debating chambers.” While when I arrived, the legislators were not in session, it was still interesting to see the building and to observe the architecture.
Luke
Standing in the center of Old Town, Edinburgh is the focal point of the city and pride of Scotland. Upon a dormant volcanic hill, the impressive structure known as the Edinburgh Castle once housed the royalty of Scotland. The Castle has now been converted into the ultimate tourist destination in Scotland by showing off the Scottish crown jewels along with some of the best views of the city. Incorporated into the keep of the castle was the Scottish War Memorial. This exhibit paid tribute to native Scottish soldiers who had fallen in battle; this included huge books from each branch of military where the names of these brave Scots could be found.
Across from the memorial we found the great hall where the king and his men would gather for feasts and celebrations. Close to the great hall were the crown jewels and the stone of destiny. The stone of destiny was an interesting looking object that marked the ruler of Scotland. After it had been hauled away to London under a king who united Scotland and England, it would not return to the castle until 1996. A huge ceremony was held as they escorted the rock up into the castle where we found it chilling next to the crown jewels.
Perhaps the most interesting part of the Castle was the prisons. Venturing into the dungeons of the castle led me to some interesting information about how these vaults had held prisoners all the way up to World War II. Americans fighting the naval battles in the Atlantic in what they called the “American war for Independence” were taken as prisoners of war and held in these chambers as well. While deals were made to release men from other countries, the young and unorganized government of the United States never helped their prisoners of war gain freedom from the prison. Interesting stuff!
Robert
We went on a tour of the castle and saw just how difficult it would have been to construct the castle in the 12th century. Without any modern tools I can only imagine what it would have taken to build the walls and buildings that make up the structure. We also saw many exhibits inside the castle that dealt with the royalty and the military. It was neat to hear the stories behind the royal objects and how much they mean to the people that make Scotland their home. The military aspects really stuck out to me because I too plan on joining the military after graduation. The stories of conquest and how the Edinburgh Castle itself traded hands multiple times before being destroyed and rebuilt were particularly interesting. You could tell the strong connection that the people of Edinburgh had with not only the Castle but the city as well. For example, one of the guides that led a tour was from Australia and he seemed just as interested in the city and its history as if he was born there. The view from atop the castle was outstanding and was only beat by the one at Arthur’s seat, some might find it hard to get up there but I would definitely give it a try.
Katie
Last weekend we visited Edinburgh, Scotland. To understand more about the beautiful city part of our group did a walking tour with a guide. The guide gave us a great synopsis of the history of Scotland, which I had not been aware of. One story he told us dealt with a graveyard, and was oddly the sweetest legend I heard in Scotland.
The story began with a police man named John Gray who had protected the city many years ago. He was companioned by a small terrier named Bobby. Although Bobby was not the average big and tough police dog, he loved his owner. Unfortunately, John passed away and was carried through town to be buried in Greyfriar’s graveyard. The legend says that the dog followed his master’s coffin all the way to the graveyard. After the service was over and John was buried, Bobby continued to sit directly on top of his grave for 14 years until he died as well.
Our tour guide told us that the legend says that many people brought the dog food and toys while he sat on the grave. The dog probably left to explore town or look for food, but the people of Edinburgh claimed that he always returned to the grave. Because the graveyard was for people only, Bobby could not be buried directly beside John. He was instead buried right outside the graveyard.
Today, many of the people in Edinburgh, along with tourists, visit Bobby’s grave and to leave him sticks to play with and flowers. Just outside the graveyard is a popular pub called Greyfriar’s Bobby. Also, on the street of the graveyard is a statue of Bobby, which is said to be one of the most photographed statues in Edinburgh.
I thought this legend was very revealing of the ideal character in Scotland. It is a story of loyalty and friendship. Many people admire the story due to its lessons of a friendship that was so strong it was even supported after death. The story can also relate to the historical nature of the city. The Scottish people are proud of their rich history and aged buildings. A castle marks the center of the city that dates back through the history of Scotland. We learned that the people of Scotland will be voting on whether or not to remain a part of the United Kingdom in 2014. This vote will also speak volume about loyalty – will the Scottish people be loyal to the United Kingdom, or will they prefer to be loyal to their own land and strive to create a nation separate from England? I found the legend of Greyfriar’s Bobby to be precious to the town of Edinburgh and telling of the values of the country.
Leah
The Elephant House Café is a small red building located in Edinburgh quite close to the historic street, the Royal Mile. If only passing by, you wouldn’t think much about it except the sign in the front window that reads “the Birthplace of Harry Potter” which you may not even notice if you were in a hurry. The café is where J.K. Rowling wrote the highly popular Harry Potter series. On Sunday evening, my friends and I met outside on the sidewalk in front of the café for a light dinner. Some of them had heard about it from a walking tour that morning and it was a place we all agreed that had to be seen while in Edinburgh. Over the next hour or so, we shared appetizers, dessert, and coffee in the cozy back room of the café. Our large group of eight had shoved around a tiny table. We admired the artwork while eating and realized that it was a place of character and warmth. I believe we all understood why the place brought Mrs. Rowling to write her wonderful books there. As a very dedicated Harry Potter fan, it meant a lot to be in the very same restaurant it was born in. The story has been such an inspiration growing up and being there feels as if the whole thing has started over again. Over the stretch of this program, I hope to witness more Harry Potter sites that inspired the great author to give the world her story.
While there, we packed a lot of sightseeing and food eating into two days, but I had the chance to go off on my own and learn more about something that I was interested—whiskey distilleries. Scotland is known for many things, but if you ask anyone back home and they will probably tell you that it is known for its Scotch Whiskey. Edinburgh has an attraction called “The Scotch Whiskey Experience”. I elected to branch off from the group to do this activity both because I found it to be interesting and because most of it was sitting. The first section takes you on a tour of the process and history of scotch whiskey in a ride which can only be described as “It’s a Small World” for adults. However, this is where we got a lot of information presented to us quickly and in a fun, animated fashion. After the tour, we were given a presentation about the different regions of Scotland that produce the whiskey and how each of them differs. We were given a scratch and sniff card of the flavors that they use in each region. We were then taken into the whiskey room – the largest collection of scotch whiskey in the world. As always, the tour concluded in a gift shop where I purchased a few gifts for my friends and family. I loved Scotland, and cannot wait to go back in the future.
Before the LONDON:ENG 331 program began, two students did traveling on their own in Scotland.
ThomasWhen I signed up for this summer study abroad program one of my main goals was to experience the United Kingdom as a whole. I decided to start off with a bang by flying in three days early into the Scottish city of Glasgow. Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland despite not being the Scottish capital. It is a beautiful combination of innovative modern architecture and majestic cathedrals. I started off a hike passing over the Clyde Arch, a suspension bridge that spans the mighty river Clyde as it winds through Glasgow. Further down the river floats the Tall Ship a bygone of the 19th century. Dubbed the Glenlee, this ship boasts 100 years afloat and has circumnavigated the globe over 4 times. Glasgow's community center is a riverside icon, nicknamed the "Armadillo" for its interesting shape. Its modern feel brings a feeling of youth into central Glasgow. From the top of a medieval church I spotted the site that I knew would be my favorite of Glasgow. A short time later I found myself on top of a hillside graveyard. Aptly named the "Necropolis," this cemetery was filled with rows of degraded tombstones and dotted with elaborate monuments that had stood the test of time. As you moved up the hill the trees thinned out and offered 360° views of the city and surrounding countryside. Cityscape soon gave way to rolling farmland and amidst the hills stood numerous wind turbines. Standing at the top of the City of the Dead I knew that these were the views that brought me across the big pond.
One of my very first experiences abroad was the hostel that I stayed at in Glasgow before the program started. I had never booked a hotel, inn or hostel in my life, and on top of that, I had never been out of the country without my family so I knew going in that this was going to be an experience. Overall I have concluded that hostel life is definitely convenient, but don’t expect the world. With my two experiences staying in hostels in Glasgow as well as Dover, they have been the definition of bare minimum, but at least for what I was looking for, they were perfect. In Glasgow the room I stayed in had 10 beds in it and in Dover it had 4 beds in it. The cool thing was how many people from around the world that I was able to meet that were just in our room. In the rooms I stayed in I met people from France, Spain, Italy, America, Scotland, and even New Zealand. It was interesting talking to some of these people and hearing their stories and what they are doing in that particular location. Hostels are a great place to connect with people around the world. Hostels are definitely “cozy,” but it is impossible to beat the price. For someone who is traveling on a budget, they are the best option. The hostel in Glasgow was £12 a night and the one in Dover was still only £15; for being in the United Kingdom where everything is more expensive anyway, that is a great deal. Staying in hostels is a great way to meet people from all around the world and to learn about their lives and cultures.
While Thomas and I were in Glasgow first learning our way around the city, we stumbled across a very cool sport that I had never seen in the United States. It was called bowling, but don’t be fooled, other than the act of rolling a ball, it was nothing like bowling in the United States. It was a lot like Bocce ball, except for it being played on nice manicured lawns that were like putting greens in golf. Thomas and I walked around the outdoor bowling complex watching a few people who were bowling, trying to figure out what exactly they were doing and the object of the game. After walking around the entire thing and finally finding the entrance gate, we read that it was open from 9-9 and free to play. Not having a clue what this game even was, naturally we wanted to give it a try. At the little hut where you get the equipment, we told the man that we had no idea how to “bowl” and he kindly took us aside and taught us all of the rules and strategies for bowling. After we started playing, we liked it so much that we played for about two hours and then came back later in the day to play again. We were so lucky because we just found it by exploring the city and now it is one of my favorite experiences thus far in Scotland or the entire UK. Thomas and I could have just walked right by it with no more that the thought, “Well that’s weird.” I doubt this is in many places at all in the US but if it is I am sure to seek it out.
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