Biddick Academy

 The other day while in Newcastle, I had the pleasure of visiting our sister school, Biddick Academy. Students’ summer break lasts about six weeks and they go back to school sometime next week. The school had many great sports and arts facilities.

Angel of the North

This statue is called “The Angel of the North.” It is located in Newcastle, England and is dedicated to the miners that used to flourish in this area. Mining no longer exists in the area, but around town there are many monuments to the lives of these men.

Scottish Breakfast

Today I had a proper Scottish breakfast. It was very similar to an English breakfast except for one thing, haggis. Haggis is a traditional Scottish food item that basically pig intestines mixed with oatmeal and seasoning. It sounds fairly disgusted, but it actually tasted quite nice!

Scottish Referendum

September 18th of this year may become a extremely important date in Scotland's history. This is the date that Scotland will vote on its independence. Currently Scotland is apart of the United Kingdom along with England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. I have spoken with a number of people about this topic and I have heard both sides of the argument. However, the recent polls are suggesting that Scotland will definitely stay in the Union. According to The Telegraph an August 15th poll said that 51% of people are backing with the Union and only 38% want independence.

Loch Ness

While on my tour of the Highlands, I went on a cruise around the world famous Loch Ness. Unfortunately I was unable to sight the monster Nessie. Loch Ness is the largest body of freshwater in Britain and its deepest point is 754 feet. The loch is 22.5 miles long and around 1-1.5 miles wide.

Highland Cattle

Other than the scenery, another thing that the Highlands are known for is the breed of cattle that inhabit the area. These Highland cattle are usually black, red, or yellow. They are mostly cultivated for meat. I was able to get very close to one. It was extremely large, even Old Ben in Highland Park would be impressed.

Scottish Highlands

The country of Scotland is basically divided into two sections. The highlands and the lowlands. Edinburgh is located in the lowlands and is very flat for the most part. On the other hand, as one would expect from the name, the highlands are quite mountainous. I was able to take a day trip from Edinburgh to tour around the highlands. It was neat because the tops of most mountains were covered in mist, adding to the mystery and wonder of the area. There were also many rivers and lakes scattered around the highlands.  The bus I was on drove through the various glens or valleys of the highlands. The scenery was breathtaking. It is hard to believe that the Scottish Clans used to inhabit this area before the advent of modern day technology.

Edinburgh

These are pictures I took of Edinburgh from on top of Arthur's Seat, the highest point in a group of hills located near the middle of the city. I climbed 823 feet to reach the peak. Many people go there to picnic, although it was extremely windy when I went there. In fact, the wind almost blew my phone out of my hands when taking these photos. Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland and has around half a million people. Other than London, it is the United Kingdom's largest financial center.

The view from the bottom of the hill

About 3/4 of the way up

The very top. People seen here were either taking a rest or having a picnic.

American Food in Scotland

Today I found a store specializing in American food. There were a variety of items ranging from Pop Tarts to Lucky Charms to M&M's. Everything looked delicious after being out of the USA for so long, but the prices were over double what they would cost in the States. I guess that's what happens when you have to import items to a country.

Giant's Causeway

Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO world heritage site in Northern Ireland. The site is a geological phenomenon full of myth and mystery. The area was extremely picturesque.  There were many trails on which to hike and climb. Completed awed by the scenery, I could have spent an entire day there.

Some Irish Trivia

The famous band U2 is originally from Dublin. I heard their songs being played many times while in the city.

Leprechauns, a staple of Irish lore, were first mentioned in the 14^th century of a retelling of an even older story. I saw a rainbow on my first day in Dublin, but alas I could not reach the end of the rainbow nor have I eaten any Lucky Charms while in Ireland.

Finding the rare Four Leaf Clover is said to give you good luck, but you need a lot of luck to find this genetic mutation. I apparently lack the required luck.

Irish Government

The Republic of Ireland is a constitutional government with a parliament. The current president is Michael D. Higgins.

Trinity College and the Book of Kells

Trinity College, the Emerald Isle’s oldest university was first founded in the year 1592. It was a lovely place to walk around. It is entirely open to the public. The world famous Book of Kells is on display here. The Book of Kells is an ancient manuscript containing the four Gospels of the Bible written in Latin. The book dates back to around 800 AD.

The entrance to Trinity College