Author: Kim Winter

Hello again from the beautiful city of Edinburgh! This week I stayed in the lovely city, exploring some local shops and settling into taking classes again. This semester I’m taking three classes– British politics, Scottish politics, and Scottish Society and Culture. Exactly what one would expect to prepare for an internship with the Scottish Parliament, right? I’ll be taking these classes for five weeks before settling into an internship with an member of Scottish Parliament for the remaining ten weeks.

Last Sunday I got to know some of my new flatmates a little better by climbing up Arthur’s Seat at sunset with them. Arthur’s Seat is a small mountain that lies just beyond Holyrood Palace at the foot of the Royal Mile. It’s a dormant volcano that overlooks the city of Edinburgh and the surrounding towns– from the top you can even see all the way to the bridges that span the Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife! It really is a magnificent view for a relatively short hike.

This week has been pretty chill; as I’ve said, I’ve taken to exploring the streets of Edinburgh when I’m not doing school work. Even without visiting major monuments, there’s plenty to see just wandering the streets surrounding my flat. The streets of the Old Town are very picturesque, with buildings that rarely are taller than five stories and cute boutiques and cafes and brightly painted storefronts and pubs that seem reminiscent of the 17 & 1800s.

 

Edinburgh’s other claim to fame is being the city where JK Rowling wrote the beginning concepts of Harry Potter. Many cafes lay claim to this honor, most notably the Elephant House. Others, however, were so quiet (and nice to write in!) that they closed long before Harry Potter became a global success. Places all around the city are said to have provided her inspiration for her influential novels.

Another highlight of the week included a tour of the Scottish Parliament building where we’ll be having our internship in a couple weeks. The building (it was raining so I didn’t stay outside to take pictures of the outside!) is incredibly unique as far as government buildings go! It’s very new– it opened in 2004. That’s because the Scottish Parliament itself is still relatively young– it was reformed in 1997 with a referendum after being disbanded in 1707. The British Parliament in Westminster still controls many issues concerning all of the United Kingdom, but with the creation of the Scottish Parliament certain issues came under Scottish control, such as sports, art, healthcare, and other domestic issues. Other things, such as law and education, have been under Scottish control since 1707, despite being part of the United Kingdom.

This morning my flatmates and I went out to a couple farmers markets! Vendors come and set up tents and sell local Scottish goods, everything ranging from produce to leatherworks to vinyl albums to cashmere scarves. It’s a great way to sample local food– I had a delicious cup of hot chocolate and an award winning mutton pie all for under 5 pounds.

That’s all for this week! I hope to get out some more and see some more famous sights that Edinburgh has to offer!

-Kim Winter

Okay, I have a confession– I have already been to Scotland. I travelled here in 2014 and loved it so much I just had to go back. I’m here again in 2016 and it has been an interesting change in perspective from coming here as a tourist and staying for only two weeks to coming as a student who will be here for a whole semester. For one thing, its day 1 of living in an apartment (with 6 other people– only 1 of whom has moved in!) and adjusting to cooking all my meals for myself.

I’ve been here for about five days. The first couple days were spent doing orientation with all the other Arcadia programs in Scotland. There was one other Bucknell student there, but she’s studying at the University of Glasgow. The very first day I was here I met a couple other Arcadia students at the airport and together we explored Edinburgh. Edinburgh is a relatively small city with a population of ~500,000 people. It’s fairly easy to cover most of the well-known sites in just a day; so, after just a couple hours we were able to see some of the beautiful places Edinburgh has to offer in the heart of the city where the Old Town and the New Town meet. We went to St. Giles cathedral on the Royal Mile (exterior above, interior below) which, in addition to beautiful stained glass and arched marble ceilings typical of cathedrals, has another hidden gem known as the Thistle Chapel, a gorgeous wood-paneled room that pays homage to all sorts of cultural and religious Scottish icons.

We were able to see the view from the top of Calton Hill, which hosts Edinburgh’s own mini Parthenon and observatory…

…And also get a great view from the top of the Walter Scott monument, dedicated to one of Scotland’s most famous authors. You can see the view we had (and the Edinburgh Castle!) in the picture at the top of this post!

On my second day, we took the time to visit a few local pubs, which, if you are ever in Edinburgh (or any other British city for that matter), I highly suggest doing. They provide a unique cross-section of British life, allowing you to interact closely with local people and fellow travelers alike all while providing a comfortable environment to relax in. Everyone wants to Haggis when they come to Scotland; instead, I suggest trying a meat pie from a pub! It’s a personal favourite of mine, but if you ever are wondering what you should try, ask the bartender. Chances are they will be more than happy to provide suggestions.

Edinburgh is a historic city– practically every building in its center has a unique story behind it’s doors. It’s essentially split into two parts– the Old Town and the New Town. The Old Town, the side with the University of Edinburgh where I’ll be studying, is best known for the iconic Edinburgh Castle, the University, and Holyrood Palace. It is centered around the Royal Mile which runs from the foot of the palace up to the Castle.

The New Town is approximately as old as the United States (so I guess “new” is all relative, isn’t it? Too us Americans its pretty darn old!) and features the Scott Monument, Calton Hill, and Princes Street, which is where most of the main commerce in the city is.

The split is defined by the long-drained valley of Nor Loch where the Waverly Train Station is now built.

We left Edinburgh for a couple days to visit Stirling and stay with a host family. I was hosted by a very kind woman named Irene, her husband James, and their spaniel Holly.

Stirling is filled with its own illustrious history, too. Despite the cozy feel of the city streets, reminders of the part the city played in Scottish history are everywhere.

From the top of the William Wallace monument, you can see all of Stirling and even all the way to Edinburgh. Plaques at the top point out where the Battle of Stirling Bridge took place 700 years ago. It is remembered for the victory of the outnumbered Scottish army against the English. They won due to the military genius of William Wallace, who you probably know best as Mel Gibson from the movie Braveheart, which, despite being a rousing film, is incredibly historically inaccurate. For one thing, during the 13th century neither the iconic blue face paint (which was used largely by the Picts during the time of the Romans) nor kilts (which were first seen in the 17th century) were worn. For another, Wallace’s lover Isabelle of France wouldn’t have ever met Wallace; at the time the film takes place she was four years old! Finally, as I mentioned, the battle is best known as the Battle of Stirling Bridge… However, if you watch the film you may notice the lack of, well, a bridge, despite it being an integral part of how the Scots defeated the English.

Nonetheless, battlefield, bridge, and castle (Stirling Castle, that is) can all be seen in this picture!

We were also able to see the Stirling Castle, which has a remarkable view of the hills and fields surrounding Stirling. Its a fantastic piece of history and it’s incredible to walk around and take it in and realize that where you’re standing very well could have been the same place a king or queen walked hundreds of years before. Absolutely one of my favourite Scottish castles!

This Monday will be the start of my classes in preparation for my internship at the Scottish parliament! It promises to be an exciting time, what with the after effects of Brexit and the possibility of another referendum for independence! I can’t wait to start learning about Scotland and it’s politics and history.

Follow me on Instagram at winterk63 ! I usually update with pictures once or twice a day.