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Published: June 17th 2008
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Yeah, so Scotland, we went there. It was me, Andrea, Laura and Holly who decided on a whim one night that we should try going to Scotland. We at first were planning a trip to Amsterdam...the obligatory hot spot for college students to go while studying abroad. But instead, we found very cheap flights to good ole Scotland and thought, why not? Plus my mom's side is Cameron...a very Scottish name. I found out that the Camerons were one of the "big clans" that ruled the highlands. Grampa would be so proud?
It was a cool place to go. It's not as popular as many other cities to travel to, so when you go there you truly feel as though you are the only American around. At our first hostel in Edinburgh there were a lot of French, Canadians, French-Canadians, English, Spanish and others but we were the only Americans I could spot on the list although I'm sure there were others there.
Friday morning bright and early we left from Dublin to fly to Glasgow, the stabbing capital of the world, ha. The plane ride was about 40 minutes so we got to Glasgow around 10am and then
took a train to Edinburgh. During the day we saw the Edinburgh Castle which is the main attraction to see there because it is huge and looks out over the entire city. It was really beautiful, old, and huge. Our hostel (Castle Rock Hostel) was right underneath the castle practically so that worked out well. Also, I loved how everything was named Castle! Yay castles 😊
We did a day walking tour that was free. A guide walked us around the city and showed us the sites. This city was very different than Dublin. The buildings were bigger and felt more British-which would make sense since Scotland is in the UK.
The next morning Andrea and I took a bus tour up to the highlands. We left Edinburgh at 8am and then took a 12 hour bus ride all the way up to Loch Ness and then the city of Inverness. We stopped at Urquhart Castle which was this ancient castle on Loch Ness from the 700's A.D. so it was mostly just ruins left. Driving through the Scottish highlands feels a lot like you're in a fairytale or something--hence why all the tourist attractions have to do
with things that fairy-like or ghost like. Also, what struck me was how the locals and our tour guide talked about the "Loch Ness monster"--they sort of act like the monster is real. It's a little strange. To be honest with you I didn't have a clue where the Loch Ness actually was until I came here and it was all over the tours. But I can now say that I've been out on a boat on the Loch Ness! And NO I didn't see "Nessie".
Then it was back to Edinburgh and from there we hopped on a train to Glasgow to meet up with our other friends; Laura and Holly who had apparently been stranded all day in the Scottish country side because their tour bus broke down. It really sucked for them, but I still laugh about it because they're the kind of people that make fun of everything. Needless to say they were really pissed and tired, so they ended up staying in when we were planning a night out. Andrea and I still went out, and had a great time. All I have to say is if you visit Glasgow...be ready for a party.
It was absolutely crazy, maybe a little unsafe, but we didn't stay out for long and just stuck together.
By the time Sunday morning rolled around we wanted get back "home" to Dublin. We all had a good time...but it was also very tiring and sometimes uncomfortable. We found a lot of anti-american sentiment while traveling in Scotland unlike what we are used to in Ireland. The Irish have this attitude about them that's just amazing. They're friendly people who like to laugh and drink pints...they don't complain hardly ever and they're welcoming. We experienced something different while in Scotland...and we wanted to return to our spoiled way of life. But overall I had a great time...a beautiful country and worth every penny that I spent--which was pretty rough thanks to the pound (everything is about double the american dollar). I decided after this visit to the U.K. im not going back until the pound is better, which will never happen.
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Maria Kendra
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Castles do rock!
Dear Emily, It looks as if you are having tons of fun and seeing some wonderful places. Hopefully the internship is better and at least it allows for lots of travel time. I love you! Keep up the exploration. you rock!!