Scottish Adventure '12 Part II: Isle of Arran

Scotland, Day 4: Isle of Arran (17th November 2012)

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you" - A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Although my memory has gone a little rusty by this time, I easily recall Isle of Arran as the highlight of my Scottish escapade - a day well spent on an enchanting island in the company of two of my most favorite people - Rudmila and Intisar. I was already a little glum that I did not have enough time to visit the famous Scottish highlands or see the beauty of Inverness or Glen Coe, and hence when the opportunity to spend a day in the Isle of Arran presented itself in the form of a trip organized by the study abroad organization of the University of Glasgow, I was beside myself with excitement.

View from the ferry: Start/end of a rainbow

The Isle of Arran is the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, and the seventh largest island in Scotland. Our trip was a day-long excursion involving a bus ride from Glasgow and a short ferry journey to the island. Intisar had arrived in Glasgow the night before, and the three of us literally had to wake up at the crack of dawn to make it on time for the bus. Once we were on board the MV Caledonian Isles ferry and had a decent breakfast to quell our starving stomachs and caffeine to stir our sleepy minds, we were finally awake and ready for the day. It was absolutely freezing on the deck of the ferry, but the stunning beauty that engulfed us made the chillingly windy ferry ride totally worth it!

Brodick Castle Gardens

Freshwater stream

The Isle of Arran is such a breathtakingly beautiful place - the ruggedly mountainous landscape looming around us and the untarnished natural surroundings were a refreshing change from the canopy of urban jungle and suburban towns that we usually find ourselves in. Freshwater streams ran down the mountains, and Highland cattle lounged idly on the rough plains. The weather was surprisingly pleasant for a winter day, I was glad we could take advantage of it. The bus took us around various spots throughout the island, and we had time to get off at each spot and explore a little bit before moving on to the next destination. Our first destination within the Isle of Arran was Brodick Castle. We walked around the gardens and visited the store, but since the castle itself was undergoing some reconstruction we could not enter the building. Next we stopped by the Arran Distillery in Lochranza before moving on to Lochranza Castle. My favorite spots were the rocky beaches spread across the Isle - we stopped at a number of them and took pictures. Looking out of the window during the bus rides, I was truly mesmerized by the rough and colorful beauty of the mountainous backdrop, sparsely populated countryside and splendid beaches. We stopped for lunch at a small inn where we gobbled down as many sandwiches as we could, hungry from all the walking yet loving every minute of it.

Dusk was almost approaching when we arrived at our last destination, a small hotel next to a beach that I really cannot recall the name of. We watched the sky turn crimson orange with the setting sun, and finally headed off to the embark on the returning ferry just before it started getting dark. It was one of those days you always cherish and remember - we drank from freshwater streams, all three of us slipped on rocks and fell, watched baby seals jump near the shore and enjoyed the splendor of the setting sun near the beach. And of course, best friends make the experience much, much more memorable!

After all, even time is a social construct

Here's the thing about being a Mount Holyoke student: you never have enough time. As soon as my study abroad experience ended and I flew back to the United States for a fresh start and my junior year at Mount Holyoke, I soon came to realize that I would never have enough time on my hands to continue writing this blog. Once I became preoccupied with academics and various other activities, it was difficult to regain or even dream of all the leisurely time (and space) I had enjoyed in the United Kingdom!

Anyway, looking back at the motto with which I started writing this blog: it is never too late. So I'm picking up from where I had stopped, even though there has been quite a long gap!

Keep Calm and Get Oan Wae It: Scottish Adventure '12 Part I: Glasgow

Scotland, Days 1-3: Glasgow (14^th-16^th November 2012)

"Good friends, good books, and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." - Mark Twain

I could not be happier that instead of spending a meager weekend in Scotland as initially planned, I was able to immerse myself in the fascinating culture and mesmerizing beauty of Scotland for almost an entire week. Classes were suspended since it was Reading Week at Royal Holloway, and I decided to make the most out of it and visit Rudmila, one of my best friends from Mount Holyoke, who is currently studying abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Upon my arrival in Glasgow, it did not entirely feel like I had just stepped into another country, yet in some queer ways it did. It was quite early in the afternoon, yet the sun had set and the city was already in its nighttime attire. As we meandered into the bustling city center lined with shopping malls and myriad other stores, cafes and restaurants, I heard notes of the traditional Scottish bagpipe drifting towards me – it was then that it sunk in that I was in Scotland! We spent the rest of the evening wandering around the streets as Rudmila pointed out the numerous landmarks around the city center. After a wonderful dinner catching up on each others’ adventures so far, we retired early and went back to her dormitory, more because I wanted to avoid hauling  my carry-on suitcase around town rather than because I was worn out after my long train journey!

Glasgow City Center at night

My second day in Glasgow was a crisp, beautiful day – not as chilly as the previous day yet much colder when compared to the current temperature in London. However, the sun was up and it was a perfect day to go out and explore the city! Alas, although I myself was on temporary holiday, it was a Thursday and Rudmila had classes to attend. I was fascinated to discover that she was taking a lesson in learning to play the bagpipe - she could not have picked a better way to take home a slice of Scottish culture with her when this term is over! Since I was pretty much a stranger in this city and hours of daylight in good old United Kingdom were diminishing with every passing day, we did not get around to much exploring that day but just took more in of the vibrant city center and wandered around the numerous shopping arcades in the town square. I also got a taste of Glasgow’s famously dynamic nightlife as Rudmila and her friends took me to a Student Union party at night!

              

Lessons learnt/points noted that day:

 1. There is a statue of Adam Smith, the Father of modern economics, almost around every street corner in Glasgow (needless to clarify, he is probably the most distinguished alumna of the University of Glasgow!).

 2. Men in tartan kilts are not a myth but actually a commonplace sight in Scotland!

Day 3 reflected more of what I had expected Scottish weather to be like – a damp and overcast day with periodical bouts of rainfall every few hours. It wasn’t, however, enough to dampen our spirits since we had both by then pretty much become accustomed to the idiosyncrasies of British/Scottish weather. Rudmila did not have any lectures, so that morning she showed me around the campus of the University of Glasgow at the West End of the city. The West End of Glasgow has a trendy atmosphere, packed with numerous pubs, bars and quaint cafes. One of the oldest university campuses in the English-speaking world, the magnificent main building is an impressive structure that appropriately mirrors its heritage as one of the oldest university buildings in the United Kingdom. I was spellbound by the grandeur of old Scottish architecture, and thrilled to visit the famous Hunterian Galleries, which I had previously only seen in pictures. After Rudmila’s elaborate and extremely informative tour of the university campus (I must say she is indeed a fantastic tour guide!), we took the Glasgow subway to the city center since I wanted to visit the Clyde Riverside. One of the most curious things about Glasgow is its subway system – compared to the intricate subway maps I’m accustomed to after frequenting London and New York City, the sight of Glasgow’s tiny oval-shaped subway map struck me as hilarious yet absolutely adorable. The train literally goes around in a circle with fifteen stops, and it’s a tiny orange train which looks like it’s a character straight out of an animated cartoon film! It was dusk by the time we reached the Clyde Riverside, and the brilliantly lit bridges all across the river were a charming sight at night. Despite the freezing rain and forceful wind cutting through our skin and bones, we braved a walk to Glasgow Green, a park located on the north bank of the River Clyde. Next up we embarked on a search for the Clyde Auditorium, an iconic Glasgow landmark more commonly known as the Armadillo due to its structure. It took us quite some time and numerous detours to find it, but we finally did! By the end of the day we were supremely proud of ourselves for managing to visit every major tourist spot in Glasgow without being deterred by the cascading downpour. J

           

             The University of Glasgow Main Building                                      The Hunterian Galleries

 

Glasgow Subway Map!

Clyde Auditorium/ Armadillo

Lessons learnt/ points noted that day:
 1. Our lives would not be half of what it is without access to the ingenious technological masterpiece that is Google maps on our smartphones.
 2. Never wear ballet flats on a November day out in the UK again. Ever.
 3. Glasgow is THE city when it comes to cheap yet amazing food options!
 4.  I was pretty much under the impression that the Scottish accent is incredibly attractive. Two days in, I kind of don’t feel the same way anymore…

All in all, my short stay in Glasgow has been memorable in every way. Thank you Rudmila Salek for making it possible :)