Scotland

Scotland is part of United Kingdom, yet regarded as an independent nation with it's own autonomy, language and local assembly. It occupies the northern end of the island of Great Britain and the islands of Shetland, Orkney and the Hebrides. This country of a mere 5 million inhabitants has its own educational system, law and bank system. Its capitol is Edinburgh, with half a million citizens. Scotland is widely known for traditional outfits (kilt), whiskey, bagpipes and sense of humor.

Scheduled program

We begin our Scotland experience in the capitol - Edinburgh. This cosmopolitan city is the cultural heart of country. It was built upon volcanic structures and rocky shoreline that tower over Lothian region. The city is surrounded from the north by the shores of Firth of Forth bay. Our first stop is the castle in the capitol. Then we go onward to Stirling, one of the oldest towns in Scotland. From 1226 it served as a royal residence. We see the royal castle and the famous bridge that was a scene of Braveheart`s victory. Later we plan to go to Fort Willis. We'll stop for a drink in one of local whiskey distilleries, and then we go into the Highlands. It's the most attractive and beautiful region in the country. Almost 300 peaks tower over the plains, some of which higher than 3,000 feet (900 m AMSL). They are called munros, after sir Hugo Munro- a naturalist and adventurer who catalogued them in the XIX century. Among the admirers of Scotland's finest mountains a sport named munro-bagging was born. They try to capture as many mountains as possible in a short period of time. The biggest of the munros is Ben Nevis toping the area at 1343 m AMSL. It is also the highest mountain in the United Kingdom. It may not be impressive height for experienced climbers but believe us you will sweat a lot before putting your feet at the very peak. And the view from up there is breath taking. After completing the task we will go north in the direction of Eilean Donan Castle. It was built to secure the area of three lakes: Loch Duich, Loch Long and Loch Aish. Surrounded by the nearby hills, the castle rises from the middle of the lake. It cannot be accessed from the land anyway except for a single stone bridge. The fortress was created by Alexander II in the year 1230 to protect the land from Vikings. Nowadays it serves as a movie set; there are numerous films made there we which can mention, such as Highlander with Christopher Lambert. Eilean Donan is regarded as a "jewel" among Scottish castles and manors. Our next destination is well known but not so pretty Loch Ness. In the XIX century few lakes in the Great Glen valley were combined into the Caledonian Canal that provided an alternative sailing shortcut between Atlantic Ocean and Northern Sea. Loch Ness is a part of this trail but it was the female monster that famed it more than its utility for sailors. Nicknamed "Nessie" (Nessiteras rhombopteryx according to scientific research) it appeared for the first time in the chronicles from VI century. In 1933 the photographs showing the long neck of the lake monster were presented and so the legend was born. Visiting Loch Ness cannot be complete without sightseeing the ruins of Urguhart castle, the favorite spot of Nessie. The stronghold played an important role during the war for independence. On our way back to Poland we stop for one day in Glasgow to visit the local cathedral and university.

Date: July 2006
Deadline for participation: 30.05.2006
Length of the program: 10 days
Cost: