Arcadia Scotland

This past Saturday, students from Aberdeen, Stirling, St Andrews, Edinburgh and Glasgow all made their way to the Edinburgh Center, from which we launched our adventure to the Scottish Borders.  Spirits were high and our lovely guide and Glasgow-rep Thea Stevens recounted dramatic tales from Scottish history as we made our way towards our first stop, Abbotsford House.

Abbotsford was Sir Walter Scott's home and is an incredibly beautiful place to visit.  With an amazing walled garden, manicured lawns and bold baronial architecture, the majestic grounds only hint at the treasures inside the house.  As we made our way inside, we were dazzled by his collection of books in the library, the hand-painted wallpaper and the array of artefacts that Scott collected during his lifetime, which included a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie's hair and the cross that Mary, Queen of Scots took with her to execution...supposedly....

While we could have spent hours in the Scott's home, the hills were calling, and we made our way to Scott's View. Looking out into the Eildon Hills and over the River Tweed, this spot is said to have been Scott's favorite vantage point.

After admiring the lush hills, we set off for the lunch in the small town of Melrose and a visit to the romantic ruins of Melrose Abbey.  Again, Dr Thea Stevens made the site come alive with stories of Robert the Bruce and insight into what remains of the structure, and we had the chance to run up the tower of the abbey and explore the grounds.  With pies and hearty Scottish fare for lunch, the opportunity to run around and climb was very much welcomed.

Our last stop of the day was to Rosslyn Chapel.  While the chapel may have most recently been made famous by a Mr Dan Brown and his book, The Da Vinci Code, the chapel's history and its incredible carvings hold their own.  We were mesmerised by the intricate and seemingly impossible tangle of figures, green men and symbols.  Of course, no visit to Rosslyn is complete without paying some attention to the chapel's most famous resident, William the cat!

After a successful day of taking in the sites, we headed back to Edinburgh to enjoy the rest of the weekend.  It was a great day out and we are looking forward to the upcoming golf, Isle of Skye, Belfast and Highlands events!