This summer, student from the Honors & Scholars Program traveled to Scotland and Ireland.

“I learned a lot on this trip,” said senior psychology major Carolyn Purdy. “ This was more of an experience-based trip to learn the culture in various facets — museums, castle tours and being dropped off in the middle of a city.”

Last year, honors students had a chance to enter a raffle to travel abroad. The original trip was to Scotland and London, England. However, scheduling issues switched plans to Scotland and Ireland.

Ten students went on the trip, accompanied by professor Jennifer McLaughlin, the assistant director of the Honors and Scholars Program, and Megan Boone Valkenberg, the former head of the civic engagement office. The group spent five days in Scotland and three days in Ireland. 

On their first day in Scotland, participants went on a city walk in Edinburgh to Charlotte Square, Alexander Graham Bell’s home, Robert Louis Stevenson’s home and the Robert Burns Monument. Some of the students even went to a famous cemetery called Glasnevin cemetery. Those buried there include some of the original names that inspired characters in the Harry Potter series.

“It was absolutely beautiful seeing both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ sides with their different architecture,” said senior political science and history major Kaelin Hughes. “There was so much to do! I am not much of a Harry Potter fan, but we made a stop at Victoria Street, which is the rumored inspiration for Diagon Alley, and it was absolutely phenomenal! The view was amazing, and the shops were fantastic.” 

On their second day, students went on a guided tour to see all of Edinburgh’s landmarks, including the Royal Mile, Old Town and the Sir Walter Scott Monument. They also visited Edinburgh Castle and ended the evening with a ghost tour.

“One of my favorite parts of the trip was driving through the Highlands,” said senior biology major Esther Orlando. The Highlands and Stirling Castle were highlights of Day three.

On day four, the group took a boat cruise and tried to find Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. Their time in Scotland ended with visits to various universities.

For the second part of the trip, the students and their leaders headed to Belfast, Northern Ireland. They also went to Giant’s Causeway, which is one of the most popular locations in all of the United Kingdom. The rocky beach was formed due to a volcanic eruption. Belfast also hosts the Titanic Museum.

“My favorite part of the trip was Belfast, specifically the Titanic museum where I learned a lot more about the aftermath of the sinking,” said Purdy. “Belfast was amazing as we got to ride the public transportation, and eat really good food with my best friends.”

Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom and not a part of the Republic of Ireland. In 1968, the Republic of Ireland did not want to be under British rule anymore. This conflict, known as the Troubles, lasted for 30 years. In 1998, there was a peace treaty signed which gave independence to the Republic of Ireland, but only certain parts of it. Six territories were to remain part of the United Kingdom and those six territories make up Northern Ireland.

“Our tour gave us information on the Troubles and information on the difference between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland,” said Hughes. “We even went to a peace wall. This was awesome for me because I took Dr. Toll and Dr. Kuiken’s history of Northern Ireland class this past semester.”

On their second day in Ireland, the students took a Belfast guided sightseeing tour and saw the Lower Falls, Shankill Road and the Belfast Murals. They also traveled to Dublin and saw the famous O’Connell Street, Parnell Square, Henry Street and the infamous Temple Bar area.

On the final day, the group visited Phoenix Park, where U.S. Ambassadors have stayed at the Deer eld residence. They also visited Trinity College and the famous library, Book of Kells.

“This was my first time traveling abroad, and my longest time ever away from home, so I was very nervous about how to handle everything,” said Hughes. “Depending on where you go, the culture, the food, the amenities, potentially everything can be different than what we are used to here in the states. It brings you out of your comfort zone but once you adjust it is amazing.”

Honors program students will have the opportunity to put their name into another raffle for a chance to go to Northern France next summer.