This year my schedule is more organised, but also more packed than ever. Plans are being finalised and trips are already planned. The essay deadlines are lurking as well, but they are not going to cross my plans this time. This semester they have to work for me, not the other way around.
Let me explain. When I left Edinburgh on December 21st to go home for Christmas, my friends and I realised we didn´t do nearly as much as we had planned. Semester one consisted of essay writing and tutorial prep for us. Plus, our exam held us in Edinburgh longer than we would have liked (no offence, but we were desperate for the much needed break). This is why I intend to fully dive into exploring Scotland in the second half of my Erasmus year. Back with a belly filled with all the delicious Christmas treats and a refuelled energy tank, I am ready to get started.
But first things first: let me recap some of the excursions I went on this past November but somehow didn’t manage to report back in on time. As promised, Sterling deserves a mention. I went there on a whim and –since everyone seemed to be busy that particular Saturday—I went alone. It was a refreshing experience to explore a new city all by myself. I guess I could have befriended someone if I really had felt like it since I went with ResLife, an organisation that offers affordable trips specifically for Edinburgh students. Going alone meant that I did not have anyone to share my thoughts with; however, this also meant that I could plug in my headphones and wander around aimlessly. Since the tickets for Stirling Castle were included in the price, I naturally joined a guided tour first. It was a bright and crisp morning and the tour went by quickly. Sadly, I have to confess that the sight itself, even though it has an impressive history, did not sweep me off my feet. But don´t give up on Stirling there! This tiny town is still worth checking out if you are looking for a break from Edinburgh and you don´t have a lot of time on your hands. With its authentic charm and its cobble streets it is definitely worth a short and sweet day trip.
A castle that did sweep me off my feet was Dunnottar Castle. If you have a tight schedule and are visiting for one semester only, you have to put this sight on your to-do-list. It is non-negotiable. Even though it is less of a “castle” and more of a restored ruin, Dunnottar Castle is impressive. Situated on a lone cliff standing at the edge of the sea, you can only access it by climbing an awful lot of stairs (beware: bring mud-and waterproof shoes). But once up there, you will have the most amazing view of rough beaches and the ranging sea. This might sound ridiculous, but try to aim for a rainy day when going there. I am a sun lover myself, but let´s be real, Scotland always looks more dramatic when dark clouds are hovering above it. Once you are at Dunnottar Castle, you may want to pay a visit to Stonehaven, a tiny fisher village right next to it. The trip I went on was organised by the International and Exchange Student Society (IESS) and that´s why we went straight on to drive all the way up to Aberdeen. I cannot say that I was particularly impressed by the city, but then I did not really see much of it either; we didn´t have a lot of time there. A couple of friends and I went for lunch/dinner at the most amazing restaurant called Foodstory (must go there if you get the chance!) and grabbed a quick coffee before heading back to the bus. Maybe we popped into a vintage shop or two on the way back, but other than that, we got only one impression of Aberdeen: it truly deserves its reputation of being the “grey city” of Scotland. Nonetheless, the whole excursion was worth it.
And so…this brings us up to date. Though my trips were few, I loved each of them. If you are looking for some affordable organised excursions, I would definitely look into the Facebook pages of IESS and ResLife.
Until next time,
Nina xx
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