Holiday Funtimes | The Irish & Swedish Invasion

First blog post of 2014......its only taken me two weeks :(

Safe to say my 4th year has taken over my life right now! I can't remember the last day I was not in the library! 

However, over the festives I got to take a few days off while my beautiful friends from exchange came to visit me! 

 We did a fair amount of sightseeing, drinking and sampling Scotland's Finest foods! Here are is what we got up to:

Happy New Year 

"It's all in like Swedish or Something?!"

Sexy Scottish Men

Haggis, Bru and Macaroni pie! 

Haggis Time

Edinburgh GreyFriers Bobby

First and most importantly, I wanted the girls to experience a proper Scottish Hogmanay (New Years Eve). Up north we go all out at this time of year! Us Scots love it so much we even get two public holidays for the event! I personally hate club nights for Hogmanay! For me, nothing is better than taking in the bells surrounded by those you love at a house or flat party, so thats exactly what we did! In true Scottish style we drank far too much.... including a Swedish tradition of shooting some very strong Swedish Schnapps! We drank, danced and partied until the not so wee hours of the morning.... and then saw the first day of the new year completely indoors, nursing some rather sore heads!  

The next day, determined to display my tourism degree prowess, I took the girls to the Capital, Edinburgh, Where we did a whistle stop tour of everything we could possibly see and do! I know Edinburgh very well after living and studying there for a year so I was the perfect tour guide, showing them parliament, the castle, Grey Friers Bobby, Royal mile, National Museum of Scotland, and, my personal favourite, the Edinburgh Dungeons!!  

That evening, after returning home we feasted on Haggis, Macaroni pie (a legendary dish I had told the girls about while on exchange) and Irn Bru! the perfect way to end a wee trip to my beautiful home country! We have already promised each other to spend Paddy's Day in Dublin and Midsummer in Sweden so watch this space!

Hope you guys all had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

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Sxx

In

Culloden Battlefield | National Trust for Scotland

Cuil Lodair | Culloden

Sensible Shoes

"Our blood is still our fathers And ours the valour of their hearts..."

Culloden Battlefield

The Well of the Dead

The government soldiers memorial stone

Cameron Clan Mass Grave (my Clan)

As a hospitality and tourism major in international business, I have the great excuse currently to visit several museums, exhibitions and experiences, and do it all in the name of 'reseach' for my 4th year dissertation. This weekend I headed up to the north of Scotland to visit the Culloden Battlefield site, just a few miles outside Inverness. The last time I paid a visit this site was during History at high school (around 7 years ago) and how things have changed. Once just a cold, muddy battlefield, that you were quickly escorted round by a shoddily dressed Jacobite, the battlefield at Culloden is now a fully educational and enlightening experience. Long gone are the myths of the Scots Vs the English, the new visiter centre looks to unveil the long romanticised propaganda of bonnie prince charlie and his struggle against the 'evil English army' and bring to light the real story of the Battle of Culloden. On entering the visiter centre, you are taken through each part in the history and the lead up for battle by both the government (red coats) and the Jacobites point of view.  After the educational part you then enter the battle itself, in the form of a 360 surround video of the battle re-enactment (Warning, this part can be quite graphic, so would skip it if you are of a sensitive nature or have young children). Then, if the weather is not too horrendous, its off out to the battlefield itself with your own GPS operated listening guide. At each point of interest you stop at, the guide jumps to life explaining information, without the need to mess around with buttons. This is an excellent use of technology on the NTS half. It really lets you stay in the moment as you are not having to look down at your remote every two minutes to play around with the keypad! In all I spent a good two hours around the visitor centre and the battlefield, but could have spent longer if we had been luckier with the weather. Since I am now a NTS member this was completely free but for adults it was only around £8 and I would of happily paid that for this experience.

Have you visited this legendary Scottish Battlefield?

What's your favourite Scottish Tourism site?

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Sarah X 

A very 'Wedding' Weekend

My OOTD

Engagement cake

Bridesmaid's Flowers

As summer comes to a close I had one last wedding to attend this season of my lovely cousin and his fiancée! The night before we had also a surprise engagement party for my flatmate so I was very much feeling the love (and a little hungover) by Sunday night. I thought I would share some pictures of the beautiful day.

Have you been to many weddings this year? 

Do you Have a go to formal outfit/ hair/ make-up look?

Sxx

Saltire in the Sky

Saltire in the Scottish Sky

Just wanted to share this lovely pic, I glanced out of my window and say the Scottish flag embalmed on a unusual blue scottish sky and just thought it was rather beautiful.

Do you have any beautiful pictures of your homeland?
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Sxx

Edinburgh Festival '13 | #4

I'm With The Band | Tim Price

Long Live The Little Knife | David Leddy

Where did the past four weeks go....!?

with late night shifts and late shows I havn't had much chance to see many new shows! Tomorrow is my last night and I get to see Brand New Ancients by poet and playwright, Kate Tempest, and I am super excited about that! It was my last time working some of my favourite shows that have been on this year so I also picked up a few scripts!  

Edinburgh Festival '13 | #2

Week two and I've been busy, busy, busy!! 

The Traverse Theatre is always a first for new Scottish playwriting, and one particular favourite of mine is 'The Events' by David Greig. With a live choir and a cast of two, this play takes you through the motions that protaganist Vicar Claire goes thought after certain life changing 'Events' take place at a choir group she runs.  

Another Show at the Traverse this past week in 'Secret Agent' by Theatre O. This production is pure pleasure for all your senses. Inspired by Joseph Conrad's  novel, this almost intoxicating play sways on the edge of insanity, with an array of colourful characters, highly stylised movment and voluptuous sets.    Tickets are still available of the Traverse Theatre, but it will also be touring after its Festival run and I can't recommend it enough! Click here for more info!

With my one day off this week, I attempted to fill it with some other shows out with the Venue that I work in. I First found myself at the Cameo Theatre to see indie flick 'Frances Ha'. A heat-warming comedy about a Ballet dancer living in New York who still hasn't quite found her place in the world.
In the evening I had my first taste of a semi am-dram production of 'Spring Awakening' by theatre group Ophiuchus Rising. The cast were young, and some were a little too enthusiastic and there was some car crash overacting that was hard to look away from at times. However, two of the leading females vocals really made the show worth while, even if you couldn't always here all of them (and I was sitting only two rows from the front.)