Slàinte to Scotland

I almost don't want to write about my week in Scotland because there's no way I could remember everything or begin to describe it, with words or pictures. The country was beautiful, and the greenness and hills was so nice to see compared to Denmark.

 

We started our week in Glasgow on Sunday. We went to Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Scotland's most visited attraction, with 22 themed galleries. Afterward I meditated for the first time at the Vajrayana Buddhist Centre. It was hard to stay awake, but it was a positive experience. We concentrated on turning our feelings outward and focusing on compassion during the meditation. Also, no one tried to convert us.

On Monday, we traveled out to the countryside to Fife to visit the Playfield Institute, located on the grounds of an old asylum. It's a resource for first-line professionals working with children and adolescents, including social workers, teachers, foster parents, etc. The institute provides free training classes and support to for these local adults to promote mental health and well-being of children. They focus on developing self-worth rather than self-esteem and separating problems from solutions.

 

That night we went to Glengoyne Distillery in the southern Highlands, close to Loch Lomond. We toured the distillery and sampled 10, 12, 17, and 21 year old whiskeys. Some of us enjoyed this more than others, - I had no problem with it. Needless to say, our bus ride to dinner was a bit rowdy, with multiple rounds singing and a lot of snuggling. Our class is very close.

Tuesday we had some academic visits, unbelievable tea and treats, and went to a weird cult-like meditation place. But that night we went to the oldest bar in Glasgow, Scotia Bar, established 1792. My classmate Andrew took his guitar, and we hung out with a group of locals, including the owner of the bar, who had their own guitars. There was a round of Hey Jude, All along the Watchtower, and we heard some traditional Scottish music, too. This was one of my favorite parts of the week.

 

Wednesday we went over to Glasgow's prettier sister, Edinburgh, and our minds were blown. There's no wonder Will and Kate met there, it's a town made for romance. We had a walking tour to begin the day, and that afternoon we hiked up to Arthur's Seat, the peak of a clump of high hills in the middle of the city, 823 ft above ground. The feeling at the top was the feeling of conquering the world. The wind was so strong it was dangerous to stand at some points. I felt that incredible natural high that carried me through the rest of the night. We had a casual pub dinner at the Fiddler's elbow that night, enjoyed some live music, and went to be early (i.e. 12:30p).

 
 

Thursday we toured Edinburgh castle, which sits atop volcanic Castle Rock and was built in the 1100s. Our tour started in the rain so the pictures weren't great but the view was nice and castles are generally impressive. Follow the link if you're interested. For our last night, nearly all of us went to The Conan Doyle, chaparones included, a pub named for the author of Sherlock Holmes. We also visited The World's End pub, which I heard might have been on the edge of the city in a former age, signifying, of course, the only relevant border in the world. It's nice to be in places where even the pubs are full of history.

Scotland's weather was similar enough to Danish weather but it seemed even more unpredictable, and when it rained, it poured and blew. I think I could live with Danish weather but maybe not Scottish.

I wish I could be more detailed in my descriptions of our visits and the history behind each of them, but in that case I could go on forever. There's a lot I didn't cover here, but be assured the trip went far beyond my expectations and I'm so glad I chose Scotland. And Positive Psych A is full of great people that I'm so glad I've gotten to meet.

 

And many thanks to my classmates from whom I graciously stole some of these beautiful shots.