I have never planned any travel for recreation in my life. Rather, I have a bad memory because I came to the US during the pandemic. Also, I cannot drive a car so I was always stuck on campus at Wabash College. The concept of traveling drastically changed once I started my semester in the UK. This country has much more convenient transportation compared to Indiana. Thanks to that, I have been able to explore various places in the UK with support from Harlaxton College. This Spring Break I traveled around Scotland for one week with other students. This blog will focus on my trip to Edinburgh.
Edinburgh was a city which was rich in diversity like London, but the entire landscape looked old which reminded me of Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. There were many sites to see but I think the most famous one is Edinburgh Castle. I did not know where was the castle when I went out from the hostel located in the city center. After I walked about 5 minutes toward the East, it suddenly appeared as if clouds or crowds have disappeared before me. The impregnable castle had its own world. Only the wide bridge with a gradual ascent connected with the edge of the city. There was only one main entrance, other places were surrounded by sheer cliffs. How did enemies try to invade in the past (or how can I enter the castle by buying a ticket)?
The artificial rocks on the natural rock. I thought that people did not need to worry about fire, unlike typical Japanese castles which are made out of wood. It is believed that Celts inhabited Castle Rock at least from the Iron Age. Then, King Malcolm III, who took revenge for his father’s death by defeating Macbeth, built this Edinburgh Castle on the rock during the 11th century. It remained as the fort and king’s residence until Scotland unified with England in 1707. There was a period when Jacobites occupied this castle during the civil war. After it was settled, the castle became the place for prisoners of various wars. It was finally inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO with Old and New Towns of Edinburgh in 1995.
The entire city was abundant in art. I was able to hear someone playing the bagpipe all the time. It had different scenery from various points such as Greek-like Calton Hill, Arthur’s Seat, and Victorian Gothic Scott Monument. Each photo that I took contained a mixture of Edinburgh’s natural and artificial beauty. Art is something that is not about appreciating in a museum, but it can be done outside too as long as people have a mind to discover beauty. There is no need to have abundant knowledge of artists and art history, everybody has that insight naturally.
I would like to thank the Givens family for their generosity. Because of their scholarship, I was able to encounter life-changing experiences by traveling around the UK. Traveling is also studying for this semester. I hope that these memories would benefit me who is double majoring in English and Music, subjects which are closely related to art. I appreciate a lot for being selected as a recipient of this scholarship.
