Arcadia Scotland

Scotland looks forward to welcoming you this coming semester! We’re very excited to announce the events that will be taking place this fall semester. We do our best to offer experiences that you’d otherwise struggle to find when living here and we hope they’ll enhance your experience of Scotland!

Events are first come, first served on your Arcadia Passport account so don't wait too long to register! In the event that an excursion you wanted to sign up for is full, you’ll be able to join the waitlist.

HIGHLAND GAMES & LOCH LEVEN

Saturday 29th September 

Highland games combine sport, fun and culture in a uniquely Scottish style! Join us as we travel north to Perthshire to try our hands at traditional Scottish events including the caber toss, tug o’ war, welly wanging, stone put, maide leisg (lazy stick) and more! Afterwards, we’ll have a BBQ lunch and on our return to Edinburgh, stop at Loch Leven to see the island castle where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned in 1567.

REGIONAL – HADRIAN’S WALL AND THE ROMANS Weekend

Friday 19th - Sunday 21st October

A three-day trip with students from Arcadia England and Arcadia Ireland crossing the ‘official’ border between Scotland and England to see the remains of the world famous Hadrian’s Wall!

We’ll visit Carlisle Castle, the Roman auxiliary fort of Vindolanda (occupied from approximately 85 AD to 370 AD), the Roman Army Museum, and learn about the Roman’s experience and interaction with the many peoples of Britain 2,000 years ago. We’ll walk up to what remains of the wall itself and also stop off at Alnwick Castle (aka Hogwarts!) on one of the days.

Two nights in hotels with breakfast and wifi are included and there will be free time to explore the northern cities of Carlisle and Newcastle.

LOCH TAY ACTIVITY WEEKEND

Friday 12th - Sunday 14th October

One of our most popular events, Firbush Outdoor Centre hosts an activity-filled weekend run by the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Sport and Exercise staff.

Firbush is based in a spectacular location in the southern Highlands on the shores of Loch Tay. Many activities are on offer depending on weather conditions including: hill-walking, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, canoeing, orienteering and a historical tour of the area. The neighbouring village of Killin offers quaint tea shops and pubs as well as the dramatic Falls of Dochart. There will also be a traditional ceilidh dance and Burns supper on one of the evenings.

MACBETH AT THE FESTIVAL THEATRE

Thursday 25th October 

Sleep no more! The National Theatre bring this epic and visually daring production of Shakespeare’s most intense tragedy to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre immediately following a sold out run in London. The ruined aftermath of a bloody civil war. Ruthlessly fighting to survive, the Macbeths are thrust towards the crown by forces of elemental darkness.

Directed by National Theatre Artistic Director Rufus Norris (Cabaret, London Road) and designed by Rae Smith (War Horse, This House) this new production propels Shakespeare’s classic title into a post-apocalyptic world of anarchy and uncertainty.

AN EVENING WITH A SCOTTISH AUTHOR – JAMES ROBERTSON

Date TBC

Every semester, the Edinburgh Center hosts an evening with a Scottish author. This semester, we’re delighted to announce that James Robertson will join us to discuss his book Joseph Knight:

Exiled to Jamaica after the horrors of the Battle of Culloden, the young Sir John Wedderburn quickly made a fortune as a sugar planter. When he returned to Scotland to marry and re-establish the family name, he brought with him Joseph Knight, a black slave, one of the first in Scotland, as a token of his years in the Caribbean. Now at the end of his life, long after the Edinburgh court case which went to the heart of Scottish society, pitting master against slave, property against freedom, Wedderburn tries to track down Joseph Knight who has been missing for twenty-four years and whom he has never forgotten.

This is a fantastic opportunity to meet and learn from a published author and will be of great interest to those studying creative writing and literature. Previous authors have included Alan Bissett, Kirsty Gunn, Kevin MacNeil, Victoria Whitworth, Bella Bathurst, Ken MacLeod and more.

“A book of such quality as to persuade you that historical novels are the true business of the writer.” – Sunday Telegraph

LOCH NESS & THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS WEEKEND

Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th November 

A jam-packed weekend excursion to explore the beautiful and fascinating history of the Highlands!

We will travel through the incredible Trossachs National Park, stopping at medieval stronghold Doune Castle, recently made famous by Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Game of Thrones and Outlander. From there, we will drive over Rannoch Moor and through the Glencoe Valley and then continue up to Loch Ness where we will visit Urquhart Castle. Everyone will have a free evening in Inverness before we set off on Sunday morning to visit the Battlefield of Culloden, explore the mountain town of Aviemore and stop in for a wee dram at the Famous Grouse Whisky Distillery on our way back to the central belt of Scotland.

FIRST WORLD WAR CENTENARY EVENT 

Wednesday 7th November 

An afternoon remembering the First World War on the centenary week of its armistice. Drawing on the collections of the National Records of Scotland and the National Museums of Scotland, we’ll learn about the causes and catalysts of the war, life on the front lines, the new developing technologies and the unrecognisable shape of Europe in November 1918. We’ll also explore what life was like for Scottish people during the war

More details to follow…

THANKSGIVING CEILIDH DANCE

Wednesday 21st November 

Ceilidh [kay-lee] is the Gaelic word for 'gathering' and involves Scottish country dancing to traditional folk music. Ceilidhs have played a vital role in Scotland’s cultural and social life for many years and the day before Thanksgiving, Arcadia students from all over Scotland will come together for a fun evening of dancing. There will be a live band, a buffet dinner and the chance to learn all the dances from experienced folk dancers!