DAY 1: April 22, 2023
Passport? Check. BWR Swag? Check. Bags? Check. Sounds like you’re all set and ready to go! Make your way to Toronto Pearson International Airport to meet up with the gang and check in for your overnight flight to Glasgow. Close your eyes, count some sheep, and wake up in Scotland (we promise it’s not a dream!).
DAY 2: April 23, 2023
Welcome to Bonnie Scotland! You have just touched down in incredible Glasgow! Don’t get comfortable, we are promptly making our way over to the breathtaking capital – Edinburgh! Don’t worry, we’ll be back to explore Glasgow at the end of the week. After collecting our belongings, we will be met by our guide for the week and whisked off to Edinburgh to get started on our adventure!
We kick off our adventure with a walking tour of Edinburgh. With stunning architecture, endless winding streets, and an awe-inspiring castle that is perched on a dormant volcano, it’s clear to see that this is certainly a special place. It’s not enough to see the incredible Edinburgh Castle from the outside, so we will venture inside and learn more of the exciting tales of its time as a military fortress, royal residence, and prison of war.
Tonight, we enjoy A Scottish Evening as we celebrate our arrival to Scotland as a group over a hearty meal and show.
- Walking tour of Edinburgh
- Edinburgh Castle Tour
- A Scottish Evening – dinner & show
(B, D)
DAY 3: April 24, 2023
After a restful night’s sleep, wake up and feel ready to seize the day, the Scottish way. Today, we join our colleagues and fellow students at New College Lanarkshire for an educational session and tour of their Motherwell Campus!
Next stop – the Scotch Whisky Experience on Royal Mile. This five-star attraction sits at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile and has been educating its visitors about Scotch whisky for over 30 years. We will enjoy a guided tour where we will become ‘one-hour-whisky-experts’ and perhaps discover our favourite Scotch region to aid in choosing a dram of a single malt or blended Scotch whisky in The World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky!
No trip to Edinburgh would be complete without exploring it above and below ground. This evening, we join Mercat Tours for a ghostly tour of the underground vaults. Listen to the chilling stories of the of Old Town Edinburgh’s grim and ghostly past.
- AM Partner visit
- Scotch Whisky Experience tour and tasting
- Underground Vaults & Ghost Tour with Mercat Tours
(B)
DAY 4: April 25, 2023
This morning, we collect our things and say our goodbyes to Edinburgh to head for the highlands. We will join our friends at New College Lanarkshire again this morning for more educational activities before making the drive north.
On our way to Inverness, we stop at one of the most notable distilleries in the Highlands – Dalwhinnie Distillery! This distillery stands in the majestic Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands and is the highest distillery in Scotland, sitting 1164 feet above sea level. The name Dalwhinnie is derived from the Gaelic language, meaning “meeting place”, referring to the meeting of ancient cattle drovers’ routes through the mountains. Here, we will enjoy a tour and tasting before arriving in Inverness where we will settle in for the evening.
- AM Partner Visit
- Visit Dalwhinnie Distillery for a tour and tasting
- Arrive in Inverness
(B)
DAY 5: April 26, 2023
Welcome to the incredible Scottish Highlands! Today, we dive deep into local folklore as we set out to discover the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. The birth of this legend dates back well over 1000 years when the Highlands were occupied by tribes the Romans called Picts. The modern legend of Loch Ness that we are more familiar with dates from 1933, when a local couple was driving home and spotted “an enormous animal rolling and plunging on the surface”. Their account was shared by the Inverness Courier, where the animal was described as a “monster”, launching it as a media phenomenon ever since.
This afternoon, we visit the Scottish Kiltmaker Visitor Centre and learn more about the history of the kilt. This national dress of Scotland represents tradition, history, and culture and here we will discover the incredible craftsmanship that goes into the making of each and every kilt.
- Loch Ness Cruise & Urquhart Castle
- Scottish Kilt Maker Visitor Centre
(B)
DAY 6: April 27, 2023
This morning we get a real taste of adventure as we make our way to the Nevis Range Mountain Gondola! Being the only one of its kind in Britain, reaching an impressive height of 650m, it is a truly unique attraction to experience. Enjoy a scenic ride to take in the stunning views and the fresh mountain air.
Enjoy the remainder of your day at leisure to explore all this beautiful town has to offer.
- Nevis Range Mountain Gondola
- Overnight Fort William
(B)
DAY 7: April 28, 2023
Rise and shine! This morning we pack up our things and we make our way back down to Glasgow, but not without a bit of adventure along the way.
Enter the world of Scotland’s Renaissance kings and queens with a visit to Stirling Castle. Learn of their history, uncover their secrets and marvel in the glorious craftsmanship that the castle has to offer.
Before we check into our Glasgow hotel, we link up with our friends at New College Lanarkshire for more insights into life as a Scottish student.
- Morning departure to Glasgow
- Visit Stirling Castle enroute
- Visit NCL Motherwell Campus
(B)
DAY 8: April 29, 2023
Today is about all things Glasgow. We kick off our morning with a city tour, followed by visits at both the People’s Palace and Clydeside Distillery.
The People’s Palace is Glasgow’s social history museum and is set in historic Glasgow Green and is home to a collection that offers a unique view into how Glaswegians lived, worked, and played in the years gone by to the present day.
Clydeside Distillery, located beside the River Clyde, is the city’s first dedicated single malt whisky distillery in over 100 years. From just 3 humble ingredients, the master distillers apply amazing craft to produce incredible spirit and we will learn more about their incredible process on our tour and tasting.
- City tour of Glasgow
- People’s Palace
- Clydeside Distillery
(B)
DAY 9: April 30, 2023
What an amazing time it has been! Pack your bags, souvenirs and reflect on the great week its been as we depart Glasgow for Toronto. Haste ye back!
(B)
Disclaimers: Be World Ready does their best to execute the itinerary as outlined above, however all elements are subject to change based on availability or requirement to adapt due to circumstances outside of our control. Cost of the overall experience may fluctuate up to a maximum of $200.00 +/- CAD due to volume of participants and local exchange rate. Students will be informed in writing as early as possible if it is foreseen that the cost will increase. Students are also reminded that it is their responsibility to research the entry requirements to the destination countries visited per their nationality and vaccination status.
* Price per student is in Canadian Dollars and reflects the Be World Ready (BWR) grant which has been applied to the total trip cost to heavily subsidize the rate per person for our Spring 2023 International Field Studies (IFS). Our future IFS BWR grants will not remain this high. To qualify for the full value of the BWR grant applied to this IFS, mandatory training and tasks are required to be completed, training and task expectations will be clearly communicated by BWR staff upon registration. Failure to complete the requirements as outlined by BWR staff will result in the value of the grant being billed back to the applicable student account, up to a maximum of $2500. Securing your seat on this trip will occur on a first come, first serve basis based on registration date, and meeting payment timelines.
