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  • Writer's pictureMary Farley

Day Trips Around Scotland

Updated: Sep 29, 2019

This week was filled with exploring the island I am beginning to call home. A big perk of being in the middle of Scotland is that most locations are no more than a few hours away.


My first trip of the week was to Oban. My roommates and I took a beautiful 3-hour train ride north until we reached the sea. Our rainy day in Oban was filled with exploring all the town had to offer. We started off our trip by enjoying Nories fish and chips...despite the fact that it was my first time tasting fish and chips I think they will be the best I've ever had... the fish was extremely (like 10 meters from the sea) fresh which made them delicious! After lunch we somehow found more room in our stomach to visit the Oban Chocolate Company for their famous handmade chocolates-- they were so delicious I almost felt bad for not sending any back home. From there we hiked the hill to McCaig's Tower which overlooks the town of Oban. The tower was built in the late nineteenth century to give local masonries work but was never completely finished. After taking in great views of both the city and the sea we continued our walk to the local castle (as you can't throw a stone without hitting a castle in Scotland). By the castle, we took a walk on the rocky beach and found perfect, huge seashells! Our day concluded with a tour of the Oban Distillery. In addition to learning how they make whiskey, we learned that the tour formed because of the establishment of the distillery... build it and they will come is true I suppose. Overall, the trip was a great way to see Scotland's shore and experience a small fishing town.



My other day trip of the week was to Loch Lomond. On this school tour, we took a bus and visited 3 small towns around the loch. We also were told that it is NOT a lake, it is a loch... the Minnesotan in me had many slip-ups. Our first stop brought us to a hiking path in the national park. We hiked to the top of the hill and got to soak in the beautiful views of the loch from above. Next, we travelled to a nearby town for lunch so naturally, I had to try their "legendary" fish and chips... as every town seems to possess around here (Oban's is still my #1). After lunch, we hopped back on the bus for our final loch destination. In the town of Luss, we walked through a fairy trail and heard many fairytales from our guide. I have quickly learned that fairies are mean creatures that do sneaky things to cause havoc on humans. After the fairy walk, we ventured to the pier and got to take in the loch. My other two friends from Minnesota and I felt right at home by the freshwater. I loved seeing Loch Lomond from all angles and having a guide to give more insider details on the cities and lore surrounding the area.



Aside from the day trips, I managed to stay busy on campus. Tuesday night I enjoyed the IYAZ concert at one of the student unions. The student unions are venues that run student activities for the entire campus so they were hopping with an event every night of Freshies Week (orientation week). It was fun to see IYAZ, who sings "Replay" and "Solo", and relive my middle school jam sessions. I also ended up in the front row (peep me in the red shirt to the left of IYAZ) which made everything 10x more fun.

Freshies week also brought "testers" for clubs. I was able to try boxing (a really hard but great workout) and swimming while also checking out the Gin Society. I learned that club sports are very much so social clubs who sometimes work out. Each sports club is sponsored by a restaurant and a night club so there seems to be no shortage of free food or social events. It is a very interesting club here surrounded around drinking-- but of course a fun culture as well.


Today everyone was wishing each other a "happy last day of summer" which is crazy to think because some of my friends have been in school for 2 months. That being said, I am very excited for classes to start and finally have some kind of routine. I am taking a religion class, bagpiping, and an accounting course. I look forward to reporting back on what more Glasgow has to teach me!

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