We hope you are getting excited about your time in Scotland this Spring! We have put together a range of events for you that will get you properly immersed into Scottish culture and maybe trying some new experiences! There is something for everyone and we encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity. Below is a first look at what you've got in store! 

Event registration opens SOON in your Arcadia Portal. 

Don’t forget, if an event is full you can add yourself to the waitlist to be notified automatically if more space becomes available. And remember to be responsive to your emails if you’ve signed up to an event, we sometimes need you to do some things in order to come to the event!     

SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MATCH - FEBRUARY 4TH

Join us for a Scottish Football match at the grounds at Easter Road. Watch one of Edinburgh’s biggest teams and soak up the atmosphere. 

Accessibility: There are accessible entrances at the football but the seats tend to be up several flights of steps so please get in touch early if you have any accessibility issues. Football matches are very busy and loud so bring earplugs/headphones if you are noise sensitive. The public transport and surrounding areas are also often busy on match days.

*Timings confirmed closer to time but will be evening kick-off time.

Price: $10 Includes: Light lunch/snack at the grounds and ticket for the football.

BRISTOL AND BATH REGIONAL - FEBRUARY 20TH-22ND

This weekend gives you a chance to meet with Arcadia students from England and Ireland. We will travel to Bristol to see the city's street art, try our hand at making our own graffiti art in a workshop and visit the historic city of Bath. We will see the Roman baths and have time to explore the city.

*Timings and travel to be confirmed but will be a morning departure on the Friday.

Accessibility: We will be travelling by train which will be up to 7 hours, we will also be spending time walking around the cities, Bristol is a little hilly. Any concerns please reach out. 

Price: $200 Includes: Travel to Bristol, 2x nights stay in a hostel. 2x breakfast, one dinner. Walking tour, street art workshop. Entry into Roman Baths. Travel to Bath.

AUTHOR TALK AND RECEPTION - FEBRUARY 25TH

We are delighted to welcome back James Robertson for our semester author talk.  James Robertson is one of Scotland’s best loved writers. His novels have won numerous prizes including the Saltire Society Scottish Book of the Year (twice)  and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year,  and The Testament of Gideon Mack was long-listed for the 2006 Man Booker Prize. James Robertson is also the author of four short story collections, most recently 365: Stories which has also been turned into an immersive sound installation with music by the folk fiddle player and composer Aidan O’Rourke. He has published five poetry collections and numerous children’s books written in English and Scots. He runs the independent publishing house Kettillonia, and he is co-founder and general editor of the Scots language imprint Itchy Coo, which produces books in Scots for children and young adults.

James has agreed to discuss one of his earlier works with us, his award winning Saltire Society Book of the Year - And the Land Lay Still. It is hard to describe this book in a paragraph as it is a sweeping tale that offers an overview of the emerging identity of Scotland through its social and political history with its range of wonderfully drawn characters from the span of the post World War II 1950’s to the early 2000’s.  In the words of Irvine Welsh, another great Scottish novelist, 

“. . . he maintains the pace and luminous prose that make his books such a joy to read. And the Land Lay Still is a wonderful novel, brilliant in a very different way from its acclaimed predecessor, The Testament of Gideon Mack. A panoramic, illuminating and compassionate portrait of a turbulent and confused era, the book represents nothing less than a landmark for the novel in Scotland, and underlines the author's position as one of Britain's best contemporary novelists.”

Accessibility: Talk will be recorded, it will take place in the Arcadia Edinburgh Centre which is up four flights of stairs. 

Price: Free

FIRBUSH ADVENTURE WEEKEND -  FEBRUARY 27TH- MARCH 1ST

Join us for one of our most popular events– the Loch Tay Outdoor Activity Weekend - Firbush. This is an activity-filled weekend set in the southern Highlands; staying in a log cabin, opening your curtains to the rolling mountains and still waters of Loch Tay you will embark on an amazing weekend of hill-walking, kayaking, canoeing and mountain biking. Come rain, snow or sun you will get to experience the best outdoor activities that the Highlands has to offer. The neighboring village of Killin offers quaint tea shops and pubs as well as the dramatic Falls of Dochart. If you are wanting a more leisurely exploration of the area, you are more than welcome to enjoy it in a less adrenaline-packed manner. On the Saturday evening, we will have a traditional Burns' Supper where you will get to try Haggis, Neeps and Tatties followed by a ceilidh and evening of music. This really is a weekend not to be missed!

Accessibility: This event includes a walk up a hill and water sports such as kayaking, students sleep in shared single-sex dorms. The Burns supper will be loud with a band and physical contact dancing (though dancing is always optional). 

Price: $100 Includes: Round trip travel by coach from Edinburgh and pick up from Stirling, two nights’ accommodation, all meals (Breakfast, lunch & dinner) and all activities with equipment hire.

SCOTTISH MUSIC EVENT - MARCH 4TH

Join us for an evening of Scottish music with Sean Shibe Scottish Lute's concert at the historic Queen's Hall. We'll have a dinner and attend the pre-concert talk. The music is drawn from Scotland's national archives so some of these tunes won't have been played in decades.

Accessibility: Short walk from restaurant to Queen’s Hall. Disabled access available at Queen’s Hall, please get in touch for details. 

 Price:$10  Includes: Dinner and concert ticket. 

BORDERS DAY TRIP- MARCH 7TH

For hundreds of years the Scottish Borders have marked the boundary between Scotland and England, and for this reason the region is rich with history, culture, and literature. From Walter Scott, to James Hogg, and John Buchan, the Borders has provided inspiration for great works of prose, poetry, and song. The day will begin with a visit to Rosslyn Chapel, a 15th century chapel featured in the 2006 film The Da Vinci Code. The Chapel is also associated with the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar. After this we will visit Melrose Abbey, a partially ruined monastery that is nearly 900 years old. Despite the best efforts of Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell the abbey still stands to this day, and provides a valuable insight into Scotland’s past. After lunch in the town of Melrose, we will be visiting Abbotsford House, the stately home of Scotland’s greatest novelist Sir Walter Scott. The house itself is full of history, and also boasts fantastic grounds including a walled garden. We will then move to Scot’s viewpoint, overlooking the verdant valley of the River Tweed.

Accessibility: Short periods of time on a coach, some walking. Scenes of death/skulls and faces depicted in Rosslyn chapel through medieval stone carvings. 

Price: $20 Includes: Round trip travel by coach from Edinburgh, Entry to Rosslyn Chapel, Entry to Abbotsford House.

HIGHLANDS WEEKEND TRIP - MARCH 13TH-15TH

Come away to the Highlands of Scotland! This 3-day weekend trip will feature a drive up to the historic town of Crieff where you will tour a distillery to sample some of the finest whiskies in the land. You’ll stop at the Victorian holiday town of Pitlochry and visit a working sheepdog farm. You’ll take in the dramatic views of Loch Morlich and stay the night in the capital of the Highlands, Inverness. 

You will visit the historic Culloden Battlefield and the beautifully ruined Urquhart Castle which sits perched on the banks of Loch Ness. Then onto Fort Augustus and viewpoint for the beautiful Glenfinnan viaduct rail bridge. A drive filled with dramatic scenery will round the day out as we head to Oban, a beautiful village that clings to the edge of the waters of the Firth of Lorn. Some of the best seafood in Scotland comes from here. 

On Sunday you will pay a visit to St Conan’s Kirk, stop for lunch at an inn next to a waterfall that runs through a village, the Falls of Dochart. Then on to Doune Castle, the set for many a castle on screen, such as Winterfell in Season 1 of Game of Thrones and Monty Python and the quest for the Holy Grail. Afterwards we will drive back down to Edinburgh.  

Details may change due to weather. 

Accessibility: There are long periods of time on a coach during this trip, students stay in shared, mixed gender hostel rooms but preferences such as single-sex, or a single room can sometimes be accommodated. There is a fair amount of walking to wear appropriate footwear. The weather in the Highlands is often cold and wet so bring appropriate layers as we are outside often. Glenfinnan Viaduct viewpoint is a steep hill but there is a flat walk if preferred.   

Price: $100 Includes: Round trip travel by coach from Edinburgh, 2 nights accommodation - Inverness Youth Hostel & Oban Youth Hostel, 2x breakfasts, 2x Lunch. Entrance to all attractions.

TROSSACHS DAYTRIP -  MARCH 21ST 

On this excursion, we’ll traverse the cultural area found betwixt the counties of Perthshire and Stirlingshire, near the Trossachs National Park. We'll begin our day visiting Scone Palace, epicentre of Scottish royal ordination (both fictional and real). We’ll then lunch in the town of Killin,  built upon roaring rapids, known for its many supernatural creatures such as water horses and banshees. Our day will end with a tour of a western whisky distillery that has been in operation for 200 years!

This event includes time traveling on a coach and some light walking. For any accessibility concerns, please get in touch. There will be a toilet on the coach for this trip. 

Price: $20  Includes: Entry into Scone Palace, lunch and entry into a distillery. 

FAREWELL CEILIDH - APRIL 22ND 

Ceilidh [kay-lee] is the Gaelic word for 'gathering' and involves Scottish country dancing to traditional folk music. Strip the Willow? Orcadian Reel? Flying Scotsman? Soon you’ll know what all of these mean, and be pretty good at them too. At our Fall Ceilidh we’ll provide a buffet meal, followed by an evening of dancing. Please join us for this amazing night with a live band and a caller to help you learn some moves. Feel free to bring friends to the ceilidh! It will be held at The Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh.

Accessibility: Ceilidhs are high energy dances with physical contact and loud music, ensure you wear proper footwear and stay hydrated. Dancing is always optional (but highly encouraged).

Price: $10 Includes: Buffet dinner and dance.