Knox Choir Trip 2016: Scotland!

Anne Paquette
Jul 19, 2016
15 min read

2016 Knox Choir Trip to Scotland July 4th - July 13th, 2016

Day one and Two: Glasgow

On July 4th, 2016, the Knox Choir from Westminster Presbyterian Church departed from Dayton, Ohio to travel to Scotland. We rode in a charter bus from Dayton, Ohio to O' Hare airport in Chicago; from Chicago we flew to Schipol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands to connect to Glasgow airport in Scotland. This sponsored by Westminster Presbyterian Church, included 34 youth who completed grades 7th through 12th, and 12 adult advisors. Upon arrival in Scotland, we boarded the bus with our favorite tour guides, Pauline and Collin, who came out of retirement to do another tour for our group, and set off on a bus tour of Glasgow. After our tour we traveled to our hotel for an early night in Edinburgh at Kings Manor Hotel.

Day two: Edinburgh

Our day in Edinburgh started by exploring Edinburgh Castle, which if by fate, the Queen and Princess Anne (I knew I was a princess :) ) were visiting. Because of the royal visit, some of the parts of the castle were taped off for security. Even though it was a burden to have to wait around to explore, it was cool to be able to say we say Scottish Royalty even if it was just for a quick couple of seconds. Once we had explored to our hearts contents, we traveled down hill to the Royal Mile. The Royal Mile is a name given to group of streets forming the main thoroughfare in the Old Town of the city, which leads from the Castle set high on the base of a volcanic rock to the Palace of Holyrood House. We were given free time to explore the Royal Mile and find something for lunch; this is where my group found the best pulled pork place I have ever been to (hole on the wall shop with only standing room). Next, we got to explore the home of John Knox, a Scottish clergyman, writer, and theologian, known for being a leader in the Protestant Reformation. Finally, we departed to Uphall South Church for a prepared meal from the church and a concert. This church has special meaning for me as one of the elderly ladies of the church, who was almost 85 and had been at the church for 75 years, recognized me from the last Scotland trip five years earlier. I was just amazed that this woman first, recognized me even with growing up and changing since 7th grade, but second, that despite having Alzheimers and in her words "a dusty memory", I made a such a difference with my singing that after all this time it still meant the world to her. It was an amazing interaction and "meeting" that I swore to put my best foot foreword in all the rehearsals and concerts despite being tired. The world works in incredible ways sometimes.

Day three: St. Andrews

We stated day three by traveling to the beautiful St. Andrews; St. Andrews is world famous for the oldest golf course in the world, the Old Course. On another note, St. Andrews is home to one of the four oldest universities in Scotland as it was founded in 1410; where Prince William and Kate Middleton both attended and met. This burgh in Fife, Scotland is packed with many types of history: religious, royal, and golf. Upon arrival in St. Andrews the biggest attraction in my mind, other than the world famous Old Course, is the ancient cathedral. The St. Andrews cathedral is in ruins at this time, but is still a working parish, despite having witnessed religious conflicts between Protestants and Catholics. Over all St. Andrews, no matter your religious beliefs, is a thin and beautiful place. After touring and exploring the cathedral, we were set free to explore the town and stop for lunch. Upon recommendation I had the stereotypical British meal of fish and chips, at this small little restaurant. I was quite content instead of shopping and running around to sit down and have a good meal and tea with my friend and close adult advisors. Once we were picked up we went to the concert in Fife, which had a cute sign that said "If lifes' got you bunkerd, let Jesus drive". I thought it was a great sign, especially being so close to St. Andrews.

Day four: Sterling and Glenmore

Sterling Castle was the highlight of day four, as well as our stunning ride and entry into the highlands. This stunning castle which sits atop Castle Hill, is surrounded by three sides of a steep cliff. Over Sterling Castle's history from the 12th century to present day it has seen a major share of the conflicts between the English to the south and Scotland. Due to Sterling Castle's strategic position in between two important big cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and at the geographical fault line between the rugged highlands of Scotland and the lowlands which border England, it made this castle a perfect position to take over. This meant that this castle both was taken over and held by both forces, notably the site of The Battle of Bannockburn with Robert the Bruce in 1314 to take over on of the few castles in English hands, to it's last assault on 1745 from the Jacobite Rising where status of the castle did not change. Personally, I really enjoyed this castle, not only because I love history, but I love the story and history of Mary Queen of Scots. Queen Mary of Scots was crowned in this castle at a very young age of not even one year old, as well her son James the VI and I during his reign revamped the castle to some of its current grandeur (also note he united Scotland and England under his rule). After exploring this famous castle we headed off to the grocery store (Sainsbury) for a picnic lunch at Queen Elizabeth Forest Park. This park is quite stunning with rugged trails, waterfalls, Trossachs hills; "where the highlands -and your forest adventure- begin". After taking in the beauty of the surroundings, we traveled into the highlands, in my opinion the best area of Scotland, through Glenmore to the Alexandria Hotel in Fort Williams, the largest settlement in the highlands outside of Inverness.

Day five: Fort Williams and Loch Ness

During day five in Fort Williams, I woke up an hour earlier to my alarm, which in a weird way was really nice. Currently I was reading the Harry Potter series for the first time so to me it was the perfect time to cash in some reading and be down and ready for breakfast early. Specifically, it was beautiful to sit along the window sill and read while the misty fog was lifting out of the neighboring hills and mountains. It was just a stunning and peaceful morning for some reading and reflection as the sun rose. To my surprise later that morning we stopped at the Glenfannin Viaduct to see the train come in, commonly referred to as the Harry Potter bridge with the Hogwarts Express. It was amazing to climb onto the hill and see the train whistle and the crowds go silent to see this now famous bridge, all thanks to J.K. Rowling. Following this magical experience, we climbed aboard the trusty coach (bus) to Urquhart Castle and the infamous Loch Ness. Like a lot of historic sites in Scotland, Urquhart Castle is not technically in ruins but is partially destroyed. The Clan Grant resided over this castle upon creation in the 13th century, later aiding to the cause of the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 14th century. After the 14th century, Urquhart Castle was frequently raided by many other clans, but more famously the Clan MacDonald who was known for big raids of livestock. Having enough of all the raiding and trying to prevent the rising Jacobite forces (whom were rebelling against the government and subsequently were enemies of the Clan Grant) from taking the castle, it was partially destroyed in 1692 and left for ruins. Until the 20th century it was left decaying, but now is in state care and open to the public. I would highly recommend going to see this castle as it is stunning and has great history, but also it sits right on the banks of the infamous Loch Ness (it was kind of a two for one deal for us; we got to see the castle and look for Nessie). Leading on, we went straight to exploring Loch Ness, shopping, and getting some food for lunch. Quite honestly, I am not a huge shopper and had no interest in buying Loch Ness monster gear, so I had some nice time with my girls to be able to sit down and eat. I always find this is especially nice on a trip where this gives us extra time to reflect and talk about our day and our experiences from this trip. It was nice seeing how different people have different highs, lows, and God moments on a trip like this.

Day six: Tobermory, Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull is one of my top five (it is number two) favorite places in the world. To get to the Isle of Mull, you have to get a ferry from the mainland and then drive across the island to get to Tobermory. Tobermory is the largest town on the Isle of Mull at about 700 people which was formed as a fishing port. Honestly, Mull is one of favorite places because it is so small. The world of now seems distant as your cares fade away to the breath taking beauty; a community like this is close-knit and strong, strength in numbers. Due to the amount of traveling on bus and ferry, we didn't have vast amounts of time to explore Mull, but we had a chance to explore Tobermory for about two and a half hours, which was enough time to explore the heart of the city. The town center is small, but it has a kick-ass chocolate shop in the middle of town, that has literally every thing sweet you can think of. I got a really cool tin that says "Tea is the answer to everything", which is my life motto, and a insulated bag the size of a chocolate bar that says "Chocolate reserve, use in case of an emergency". By this point in the trip, I had been saving my money for the highlands and Iona so I could buy something nice and meaningful rather than touristy, so it felt kind of nice to treat myself. The evening of day six, was filled with dinner at the hotel and a concert a the Church of Scotland in Tobermory. This church was a small community church with a beautiful exterior and sat in front of the hill over looking the stunning bay. Actually before the concert started I went up the block a few houses and looked down at the church and bay, it was a stunning view as the sun set. I felt really calm and serene as our concert time grew closer; I just really felt connected to the community and nature. Sometimes it is amazing to top off a beautiful day with watching the sunset and mulling over good memories. (I hope all of you reading this catch the pun I just made there; I am really proud of myself for that one) The concert went amazingly and we were all treated to a desert spread by the church community and tea; super happy about this as I love short bread and tea and they had tons; I am easily made happy by the little things. As we were getting ready to leave, a member of the church treated us to a rendition of a song we sang in native Gaelic; it was pretty stunning to listen to. It amazes me how much of an impact my choir has on community churches we visit and how we make a differences in the individual lives of the parish members. Though it was an amazing day, I was really glad to go home and get some sleep, especially because my roommate and I got a suite room with giant windows overlooking the bay. I was excited for what tomorrow was going to bring as we visited the illustrious and historical Isle of Iona and the infamous Iona Abbey.

Day seven: Isle of Iona

Day seven was a day I had been looking forward to since 2011, the last time I was in Scotland. For many the Isle of Iona represents what is often called a thin place, "In the Celtic tradition such places that give us an opening into the magnificence and wonder of that Presence are called “Thin Places.” There is a Celtic saying that heaven and earth are only three feet apart, but in the thin places that distance is even smaller. A thin place is where the veil that separates heaven and earth is lifted and one is able to receive a glimpse of the glory of God." Stepping aside from religious views and ideology, I believe that a thin place can also translate to a place where a person feels content and at ease. Personally Iona is my thin place, a place where I feel at home, at ease, content, natural happiness and gratitude combined with a sense of spiritual history and connection; a connection that grows my belief in good. Just to be noted, I am an extrovert and love interacting people, but I also dislike too many people, the big cities; an emphasis on individuality while having a kind of strength in number. So for Iona is a combination of my ideals, a small tight-knit community where your individuality can be expressed as much or as little as you want.

Travel on day seven started early, we had to cross the Isle of Mull (approximately a thirty-minute drive) to Fionnphort , the second largest settlement on the Isle of Mull, where we took a five minute ferry ride to Iona that came twice a day. This ferry was very small and quaint, but also a challenge to navigate because it was not wheelchair accessible and since my friend was using her crutches instead, the wet slippery stairs were not helping. Once we got onto the island, the whole group was guided up to the abbey. It is be noted that the geography of Iona is kind of cone shaped, there is a mountain in the middle with lower edges along the shore; the abbey sits on one of the middle elevation on the island over looking the seaside beach. It was a pleasant surprise once getting to the abbey because they had made some "national park" style renovations; there was a little booth that sold tickets (relatively inexpensive) which had some historical facts on the walls. In 2011, you would walk through the nunnery and garden to head towards the actual abbey itself. Although it felt like the "outside world" was encroaching on the rustic beauty of the island, I think it helped some of the younger kids realize the significance of the island, that the country found it to be special enough to charge tickets and make it a national historic site (which it already was, but just got some "street cred"). While everyone else was upset to have it misting on the island, I found it to be relaxing in a weird way. I love the fluidity and the ever changing aspect of water; how it always rolls with the punches and rolls on. I think for me, the water helped for the serenity of the island and how water can wash away guilt, sin, and painful memories to bring about a new experience -- Iona. Once inside the abbey we had a short amount of time to explore before the concert, like twenty minutes. While everyone else was running around trying to experience everything, I sat down with my newly bought sketch pad and pencil from Mull and started taking in the architectural beauty of the building. Although I stink at drawing at mostly everything, I do pretty well with scenery and architecture, but I had had practice on drawing Gothic buttresses and rolling arches with my church. Sometimes I find it hard to sit still and listen to the sermon, so I will listen to the sermon while starring at something on the walls while drawing it free-handed; basically I would be looking at the subject without looking at the paper and judging it. This method is pretty calming for me and it allows me to take in the beauty of the subject without being distracted by my attempt to recreate it. After exploring time was over we sang in front of a small group of people that came to the Abbey. It was a really surreal experience -- music just seemed to flow freely in this place with a content and calming sense. I have visited and sang in some amazing places, but singing in Iona Abbey was different all together and magical. The world seemed to slow down and be at peace while we gave our gift to the community of our concert. The Isle of Iona is a thin place, but singing in the abbey was a thin place taken to a new level, a transcendence above the world and its earthly desires. Now to you it might seem like I have lost my mind and am a hippie now, but until you have an experience like this, it is hard to explain the divinity and transcendent feeling that it comes with now and the memories it shapes.

After the concert we had free rain on the island as long as we were in a group of four with someone over eighteen years old (seniors or an adult advisor). I was asked by many people to be their adult and help them climb to the top of the mountain on the island, but I needed some reflection/alone time and gracefully declined. At this point in the trip I needed a break from the energy of being with my friends and other youth and wanted some adult time with my small group advisor and friend, Vail. Over the course of my time in the youth program at Westminster, Vail has watched and help me discover myself in different ways are grow into the person I am now. While she could technically be my grandmother, she felt like a mom to me, a person with knowledge and wisdom beyond my years, whom I could confide in and grow with. We both wandered the abbey and explored and went to sit on a bench for our packed lunch just to talk, which is what I wanted unconsciously as I was beginning to make my life transition to adulthood and my movement to college. Once we had chatted to our content, we browsed the gift shops and went back to their to wait for the ferry to take us back to the Isle of Mull. Although the day on the Isle of Iona was not exciting in nature, it refueled my faith and the desire for calm serenity in my life. After the ferry ride and then drive back to the other end of the Isle of Mull, back to Tobermory, we had an amazing group dinner and closing circle in the main square of the city (in a green space with a obliques dedicated to the lives lost from the town in WWI and WWII). It was what I like to call a crisp evening, cool and chilly but enough to get the blood flowing in your veins and awaken.

Day eight: Oban

Day eight for all tense and purposes, a travel day; we left the Isle of Mull early in the morning to catch the ferry ride to the mainland, the city of Oban. Once in Oban we were giving time to get lunch and explore the city for about an hour total for both. With our bellies filled, we left to head back on the road to Glasgow. With breaks along the way back to Glasgow which included ice cream, bathroom, and highland coo (Scottish Highland cows that has long curly red hair and have fairly large horns) stops, we were finishing our trip. Once we arrived at the hotel at the Glasgow International Airport, we made our teary goodbyes and love to our ever faithful guides, who actually came out of retirement to lead our group on one final trip). For me it was bitter sweet, I was able to come back to this amazing country and spend more time with Collin and Pauline on this trip, but I had to say goodbye all over again; I compare this to ripping off a scab. I absolutely love Scotland, its country, land, and people, and having to tear myself away and leave was hard. Scotland represented to me a world where in general, lived in peace with acknowledgement of history and taking it forward into the future with a prideful step. It was like leaving a piece of my life and love behind, which sucks. Following the teary goodbye and drop-off, we went down to the hotel lobby for a really nice final dinner in Scotland where we met my Dad who had just flown in that day to pick up Sean and head off to their European adventure the next day. After dinner we had senior spotlight/goodbyes, this is where everyone has a chance to say how they feel about the seniors and their favorite memories, and seniors have the opportunity to give the younger youth types words of wisdom. This is usually a long and emotional process, but we were restricted in time because the hotel had to set up for breakfast at like 3 am. It is a beautiful experience which I am an not going to share because I want to keep that personal.

Day nine: Depart from Glasgow

On day nine, we left super early, like 6 a.m., to go to the airport next door and start heading home. Honestly I do not remember a whole lot about the travel to coming back home because I went to bed at 3 am and woke up three hours later to leave for Dayton. What I do remember was a little about the flight back once we transferred in Amsterdam to a flight to Chicago, is that I thought the way the flight attendants and pilot said Chicago was hysterical; like they pronounced it with an overdrawn "ca". I don't know why it was so funny, but it kept me occupied for like an hour on the flight. So basically I watched new movies the entire flight because I couldn't fall asleep even though I was sleep deprived. Once in Chicago, I remember TSA being a pain in the ass because I had to help Morgan get through security and TSA, I was pushing the wheelchair while carrying a backpack and two suitcases while Morgan had another suitcase on her lap. What I remember was that the lady would not let someone else carry the suitcases for me while I pushed the wheelchair, so I was struggling. It was a pain and I was grumpy and sleep deprived. We departed from the Chicago airport with our trusty bus driver Dave and made it home at like 11:30 at night which concluded an amazing trip I will never forget.