So Thursday after class ended I headed up to the Oxford Train Station to buy a Railcard. There are different types, but I got the 16-26/fulltime student card. It cost twenty-six pounds and lasts a whole year; the reason for getting the card is each ticket you buy after is 1/3 of the price. I ended up saving ten pounds after buying the Railcard and my ticket to Edinburgh, Scotland than I would have if I just bought an adult ticket to Edinburgh.
Over the course of the week everyone got groups together and figured out where to go. I was torn between going to Paris for the weekend (which I knew I was going to do after the program ended anyway) or going to Edinburgh or hiking in Whales on my own. I was thankfully convinced to join the group going to Edinburgh, even though I knew I was going to come back again the next weekend for the British Open. We all met up and caught the 1:30pm train that arrived in Edinburgh shortly after 8:45pm.
We played cards, slept, and drank wine, which we were able to bring onto the train with us, to pass the time. The train ride was broken up and we had to change trains twice, although annoying actually helped to break up the time a bit.
When we arrived we headed straight to the hostel that we found on www.hostelworld.com. It was called Edinburgh Metro Hostel and had single rooms that we were all able to book. The rooms were nice, the bathrooms were decent, and there were lots of pamphlets and free maps waiting in the lobby. The people who worked there were also very helpful in directing us what to do and where to eat. If looking for a hostel in Edinburgh this one was good. (I say this now, but my opinion of hostels changes by the time I get to Venice…)
We walked around the city trying to find something to eat but it was too late for any of the pubs to be serving. So I went to this great fried foods place called the Clam Shell located on the Royal Mile. I had delicious fish and chips that just came out of the fryer. The fried haggis and fried mars bar also seemed to be house favorites. We all met up again at the World’s End Pub for a quick drink and then it was off to the hostel for a good night sleep.
The next morning we woke up and decided to catch an early Scottish Whiskey tour. The Scotch Whiskey Experience, started out with a 3D barrel ride where we learned about the making of Scotch. We were then put in a room upstairs and went through a 30 minute video presentation where the guide walked us through the different areas and types of Scotch and we did a smell test to see which one we would like to try. The four main producing areas are Islay, Campbeltown, Highlands, and Lowlands. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what it was that I tried but it was from the Island of Campbeltown and had a salty, citrus, and tropical flavor to it. The exhibit also has the world's largest collection of Scotch in the world with over 3,500 bottles.
After a good strong shot of Scotch at 10:30 in the morning helped wake everyone up we headed down the Royal Mile towards the Palace of Holyroodhouse. The Palace is currently used by the Queen for her royal garden parties. Unfortunately the weekend we were there it was closed because members of the royal family were visiting. We were unable to tell exactly who it was but I was able to take a picture of the presentation of the Royal Army in front of the Palace door.
We decided to hike up Arthur’s Seat instead. Arthur’s Seat is a 853 foot mountain on the outskirts of the town that overlooks all of Edinburgh. It was a bit of a steep climb up through lots of tiny steps we finally made it to the top and the view of Edinburgh was fantastic. These are pictures of Mark, Elisabeth, Ben, Doug, Rachel, Jay, and myself climbing up to the top.
We all went to dinner at the Tass Pub, which that night was featuring a local Scottish folk band. We stayed for a while talking, getting to know each other, and listening to the music.
Saturday morning Doug and I got tickets to take the three-hour bus up to the Scottish Highlands to go hiking. We got off at the Glencoe Visitor Center and hiked some of the trails up to the top of the mountain. By that I actually mean we hiked service trails and forged our way through off bounds areas to try to get to the top. When we successfully got to the top through many off the beaten path trails the view was absolutely spectacular.
By the time we hiked back down and then into the nearby town of Glencoe to get food and wait for the bus, I was exhausted. Doug and I fell asleep while waiting for the bus to take us back to Edinburgh. On the ride back we started talking to this guy a few years older than us. He told us some good pubs to go to and offered us up a room if we ever needed a place to stay. Here’s a tip: when you are traveling do not be afraid to strike up conversations with people, I have met some interesting people that way throughout my trips.
Sunday morning we got up at 9:30, checked out of the hostel and headed back to Oxford for week two of the program. Tip about hostels: you often have to put down a ten pound deposit to check out the key, but you get it back when you return the key. It is supposed to act as an incentive for people to bring back their room keys. Also you often have to pay at least a pound of two to rent towels. My recommendation with that is if at all possible to bring your own towel because the ones I received did not wrap around my whole body.
It was nice coming back to Oxford with a new group of friends. And thus we all headed into the next week of the program…
I think my favorite image is the one of you studying on the train! cheers.
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