Study Abroad program travels to Scotland

Edinboro University is offering two courses in Scotland from July 31 to August 12, 2010.

Gary Grant, professor and chair of the music department, and Tim Thompson, professor of communication and media studies and director of the Edinboro Highland Games, will each teach a course.

The courses will be based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and will include several day trips to sites from the highlands to the coasts.

Said Thompson,"We begin in Edinburgh, touring the royal mile from the castle to the palace.

"It's a wonderful time to be in Edinburgh as the month of August is filled with festival events - the Jazz & Blues festival, Festival Fringe and the International Festival - the place is bursting with theatre and music and all kinds of fun."

Day trips include visits to Glasgow, St. Andrews, Inverness, Oban and the Borders.

Some of the more interesting highlights include a boat ride on Loch Ness, hiking at Glencoe (the site of a famous massacre), and a tour of Rosslyn Chapel, the 13th century Masonic structure popularized as the last stop in The Da Vinci Code.

The group also visits Abbotsford, the home, castle and gardens of Sir Walter Scott.

One of the most exciting aspects of the trip is attending the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

The tattoo is a spectacular show held in the promenade of Edinburgh Castle, featuring several pipe bands, dancers, and special acts from around the globe.

The Scotland courses have been offered seven times in the last 10 years.

Added Professor Grant, "Dr. Tim Cordell got the Scotland program started in the late '90s, and much of what we're doing has evolved from his original ideas. It's always been full of great music at venues throughout Edinburgh."

Thompson taught on four of the earlier trips and led the last course to Edinburgh in 2007.

He can't wait to get back.

"Scotland has a rugged beauty and an old, mythical sense to it," said Thompson.

"As you stroll down the royal mile or up into the highlands you experience places time has touched in different ways. I don't want to play on hyped tourist images, but some of these places really do feel like you're going back to Brigadoon!"

A music course and a communication studies course will be offered, and each can be taken for either undergraduate or graduate credit.

Both courses count toward Act 48 credits for educators.

The first 30 students registered are guaranteed space, and a few spaces have been reserved for non-student travelers.

The course costs $2,500 plus tuition for students and $2,650 for travelers.

For more information contact the Edinboro University International Studies Office at (814) 732-2770.