Paradise on the Scottish Border

The clear Number One event on our GLC trip to Scotland was our break at Bamburgh beach – which surprisingly enough is not situated in Scotland but in England. Since it lies close enough to the Scottish border at the North Sea to view Scotland – well, with some phantasy – and since we were still in a sort of Scottish mood I dare to count this event as part of the Scottish experience.
We came here on our long way back home and had a picnic break, one that we did not use for eating, for the beach felt almost like paradise to our souls dogged by university work. And you do not want to waste your time in paradise with such inessential things as eating. Filled with all our impressions from our days in Scotland, from dungeon tours in Edinburgh, ceilidh dancing in a brewery, sight-seeing tours in Glasgow and a bone-breaking and muscle-tearing hike at Loch Lomond, we now had the sun shining on our seawind-dishevelled hair and the sand trickling between our toes. I have to admit that trousers got wet even more than we had intended to and that getting the sand out of our clothes even after having had them in the washing machine at home was unnerving. But the jeans dried… and we had paradise lying in front of us. The crystal clear, but of course cold water, the warm sand, blue skies, Bamburgh’s huge castle right on that little green hill at the beach, and the width of that far outstreched beach with only few people was a heart-tearingly beautiful image of nature and, well, it might have convinced me that it is true that the sea is all they talk about in heaven. Probably right above Bamburgh, England, at the border to Scotland.

Dominik Knoll

Open-Hearted Scots in a Special City

A highlight of our trip to Edinburgh? Surely Edinburgh itself and the people living in this wonderful capital!
As our group had the interview project, we were “forced” to talk to the citizens. And had such nice experiences! The Scots are really open-hearted and still talked to us even after their interview was over. They for example asked us what we thought about Edinburgh. Our answers were quite similar to those of the Scottish people. In our interviews we as well had asked them what is special about Scotland and their capital. A lot of them then talked about the nice buildings and the ease with which you can reach nearly every important place in the city by walking. “One is living in a city but doesn’t really feel like that. You could be in the countryside as well,” somebody told us. I knew what they meant, especially when strolling through Princes Gardens.
There was a thing I noticed besides: When walking over the bridge from the Old Town of Edinburgh with the Castle and entering the New Town with Princes Street and all the shops, you really felt as if you had experienced a time warp. For that reason, I cannot decide which part of the city I liked better. Both of them have their special sides and views.
To talk again about the people: They, of course, were polite and friendly everywhere in the city and people from other places in Scotland (Glasgow for example) as well. I will always keep the conversations with them in mind and when I come back to Edinburgh (and I surely will!) try to talk again to as many people as possible. Without being “forced” to! ;-)

Nina Kring

2)
A particular highlight of Scotland?
Certainly Loch Lomond!
A highlight of Scotland,
a highlight of the excursion.

3)
A highlight of Edinburgh?
Sights, bookshops, pubs…
Certainly a bit of everything,
Highlights of Edinburgh.