Excursions

June 12, 2017

As a lover of the outdoors, I would have to say that so far my favorite landmarks in Edinburgh have been Arthur’s Seat and Pentland Hills Regional Park. Both of these places allow you to take in a view of the entire city of Edinburgh and beyond once you hike to the top. At Pentland Hills Regional Park, the views were breathtaking. This hike was definitely one of the most memorable ones I’ve ever done due to it’s vastness and the ability to make your way to the top in any way you would imagine. Along the way, there were many highland cattle (the long-haired fuzzy cows) grazing along the hills. In fact during our hike, there was one right along our path! Once we made our way to the top, the views were spectacular. You were able to see all the rolling green and yellow hills surrounding Edinburgh while the wind swept across your face. Unlike the Pentlands, Arthur’s Seat is more of a tourist destination. This hill, the only hill located in the middle of Edinburgh near the Holyrood Palace, attracts many locals and tourists each day. While the Pentlands took about 2 hours to climb, Arthur’s seat took about 30 minutes. Our entire dialogue came for this hike in the morning so it was nice to be able to share an experience with everybody.

In addition, as a group we have had one excursion and have one planned for this upcoming weekend. Our first excursion was to Glasgow, a buzzing city west of Edinburgh. In Glasgow, we visited a traumatic brain injury rehabilitation facility one day and explored the city the next. In Glasgow, we visited the Botanical Gardens as well as the Kelvingrove Museum. Both of these places as well as the vast amount of things to do in the city make me more than eager to hopefully visit it again in the future. However, this weekend we are taking a trip to Inverness, a town in the Scottish Highlands in the north. We are even planning to canoe on Loch Ness Lake and (hopefully) see Nellie the Loch Ness Monster. In addition to this, it will be a peaceful breath of fresh air away from the city and into the open mountains to expose ourselves to a completely different landscape in Scotland. Overall, in my opinion the three places we are traveling on this dialogue could not encompass each aspect of this beautiful and diverse country any better.

Written By

Audrey Brigham

As a student studying health sciences, a dialogue encompassing research, cultural differences, and exploring the various fields embodying each aspect of healthcare could not have appealed to me more. My goals for this trip are to actively engage in every opportunity that presents itself to me. I hope to learn from the research I am assisting with, the professionals I am shadowing, as well as the patients I am working with. During this program, I also hope to take in all of the scenery and culture I can. Outside of school, I am the Vice President and member of the Northeastern Club Field Hockey team and am an active runner. I spend most of my time outdoors so I hope to catch some beautiful sights on my travels and runs throughout Edinburgh. I also have a passion for nutrition and cuisine so I hope to be able to indulge myself at some of the local restaurants as well. Overall, I cannot be more than grateful for the opportunity to document this experience and share everything that I can!