Your Guide to Trips - Lewis School of English

LEWIS SCHOOL
OF ENGLISH
Your Guide to Trips
Dundee Junior Centre
Trips at the Lewis School of English
We believe learning should not be confined to the classroom!
That’s why our trips, as well as being fun-filled, offer opportunities for
you to practise your English and learn about British culture.
Linking Learning with Leisure
Each trip has a learning theme that is explored during English lessons
and then reinforced during the trip. In this way, you will be prepared
with the knowledge and vocabulary to help you get the most out of
your visit, making it a more vivid and memorable experience.
On each trip, our Activity Leaders will bring to life the sights of the city
with interesting stories and facts, as you discover British culture and
attractions first-hand.
Our trips are interactive, too! You will have a Lewis Passport
with a specially designed multiple-choice quiz for each trip,
so you can practice your English and record what you
have learned.
Safety and Welfare
Your safety and well-being are our top priorities. On all trips,
you will be accompanied by our Activity Leaders at a ratio of
1:20. All our leaders are trained in welfare and safety issues and
many have qualifications in first aid.
You will be supervised at all times. We also provide you with a map
for each trip and there is a 24-hour telephone number that you can
call if you are lost or in difficulty.
Trips from
Dundee
Glamis Castle
Arbroath
Pitlochry
Scone Palace
Stirling
DUNDEE
St Andrews
Edinburgh
Full-day trips
Half-day trips
Optional Trips
Half-Day Trips
Full-Day Trips
Edinburgh
Pitlochry
Stirling
St Andrews
Glamis Castle
Scone Palace
Arbroath
Destination
Includes
Learning Theme
Page
Edinburgh
Walking tour and entry to
Edinburgh Castle
The city of Edinburgh
4
Pitlochry
Blair Castle, Blair Athol Distillery,
Soldier’s Leap, Salmon Ladder &
House of Bruar
Scottish wildlife
5
Stirling
Tour of Stirling Castle, visit to
Wallace Monument, town visit
Braveheart, William Wallace
& Robert the Bruce
6
Glamis Castle &
Kirriemuir
Tour of castle and visit to
Kirriemuir
Macbeth / Peter Pan
7
Scone Palace
Tour of Scone Palace
Famous Scottish Kings
8
St Andrews
Walking tour
Golf /
University of St Andrews
9
Arbroath
Walking tour, visit to Arbroath
Abbey and smokehouses
Scottish food / Declaration
of Arbroath
10
Optional Highlands Weekend
11
Optional Sunday Trips
12
Structure of Trips
Trips generally consist of a walking tour, followed by free time for shopping. Please turn to the relevant
page to find out what is included in each trip.
Additional Entrances
If you are arriving as a group and wish to book an additional or different entrance to the one listed above,
please contact us for prices prior to arrival. We also offer optional extra trips on Sundays. These are listed
on pages 12-14.
4
Full-Day Trips
Edinburgh Trip
Edinburgh is one of Europe’s great historic capital cities and attracts
1 million overseas visitors a year.
The stunning Old Town, with medieval and 16th-century buildings,
and the elegant New Town, built in the 18th century, together
form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Old Town contains the
famous Royal Mile running from Holyrood Palace to Edinburgh
Castle. This steep route contains many museums, shops and
fascinating narrow side streets.
Edinburgh Castle has a magnificence all its own. Built on top of an
extinct volcano, it has witnessed many defining events in Scottish
history. Highlights include the Great Hall, which was built in 1511
for important ceremonies and feasts, the Honours of Scotland,
which are the nation’s crown jewels, and the Stone of Destiny,
another powerful Scottish national symbol as it was the coronation
seat of ancient Scottish kings.
Other things to see include Greyfriars Bobby, the Sir Walter
Scott Memorial and Mons Meg, a medieval siege cannon. Every
afternoon except on Sundays, Good Friday and Christmas Day,
the One o’Clock Gun is fired, a tradition remaining from the days
when it was used as a time signal for the ships in the port of Leith.
Beautiful, majestic and full of culture, Edinburgh will stay with you forever!
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Full-day trip
• Distance: 90km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Walking tour of Royal Mile
and Princes Street
Visit to Edinburgh Castle
Free time for shopping
Learning Theme
The city of Edinburgh
• Find out about the famous
sights of the capital!
Full-Day Trips
Pitlochry Trip
A varied and fascinating day awaits you on Pitlochry trip. Here,
you’ll visit a wide range of landmarks and attractions.
Founded in 1269, Blair Castle presents an impressive sight as you
approach. In front of the castle you may see a piper, one of the Athol
Highlanders (the duke’s private army – a unique privilege given to
him by Queen Victoria). Highlights of the castle include the soaring
entrance hall, the Tapestry Room, and the vast ballroom with its
timber roof, antlers and portraits. Highland cows graze the ancient
landscaped grounds and peacocks strut about. The water garden,
riding stable and surrounding woodland can also be explored.
Nearby Soldier’s Leap is a narrow point in a beautiful gorge where
it’s said a soldier jumped to safety during the Battle of Killiecrankie in
1689. The Pitlochry Dam is a massive concrete wall that harnesses
the water of the man-made Loch Faskally, for hydroelectric power.
It has an interesting visitor centre but what draws most attention
is the salmon ladder, a staircase of glass boxes through which you
might see salmon making their way upstream.
We’ll also visit Blair Athol Distillery, where you’ll have the chance
to learn about whisky production, and last but not least we’ll go
to the House of Bruar, Scotland’s most prestigious independent
store.
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Full-day trip
• Distance: 85km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Entrance to Blair Castle
Visit to Pitlochry Dam and
Salmon Ladder
Visit to Soldier’s Leap
Visit to Blair Athol Whisky
Distillery
Shopping trip to House of
Bruar
Learning Theme
Scottish wildlife
• Learn about some of
Scotland’s best known animals
and plants
5
6
Half-Day Trips
Stirling Trip
Located between the Highlands and Lowlands, Stirling is small in
size but rich in history. The town is overlooked by Stirling Castle,
is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically
and architecturally, in Scotland.
For centuries the nation’s kings and queens delighted in its fabulous
location and used it as a meeting place for the royal court. Below
its ramparts, plains stretch out where medieval armies fought in
battles that helped determine Scotland’s fate. You’ll understand
why the Stewart kings and queens loved Stirling Castle. As a court
it was impressive and as a residence it was sumptuous. Its great
defensive walls protect many fine buildings, among them some of
the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in Europe.
There is an imposing statue of Robert the Bruce commemorating
his victory at nearby Bannockburn over the English army in 1314,
and in the distance you’ll see the impressive monument to William
Wallace, Scotland’s hero made internationally famous by the film
Braveheart. Wallace defeated a huge English army at Stirling Bridge
in 1297.
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Full-day trip
• Distance: 95km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Tour of Stirling Castle
Visit to Wallace Monument
Visit to town centre
Learning Theme
Braveheart, William Wallace
and Robert the Bruce
• Learn about two famous
battles that took place near
Stirling Castle
Half-Day Trips
Glamis Castle & Kirriemuir Trip
The modern visitor seeing Glamis Castle for the first time at the
end of its long avenue cannot but draw breath in admiration. It is
quite simply one of the most beautiful castles in all of Scotland.
The stunning exterior is matched by an elegant interior: the dining
room with its elaborate fireplace, massive oak armorial and stained
glass, the billiard room, the drawing room full of family portraits,
King Malcolm’s room, and the chapel with its richly decorated
panels on the walls and ceilings.
Legends and myths have grown around the castle. The castle is said
to be one of the most haunted in Britain - the ghost of a woman
(the ‘grey lady’) with no tongue is said to haunt the grounds.There
is also Duncan’s Hall, which is among the oldest and eeriest parts
of the Castle and commemorates the killing of King Duncan by
Macbeth.
Kirriemuir is a lovely red sandstone town and home to the
birthplace of novelist JM Barrie, creator of the much-loved
children’s character Peter Pan (below).
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Half-day trip
• Distance: 20km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Tour of Glamis Castle
Visit to Kirriemuir and statue
of Peter Pan
Learning Theme
Macbeth / Peter Pan
7
8
Half-Day Trips
Scone Palace Trip
Located near Perth, beautiful and mysterious Scone Palace is the
home of the Stone of Destiny and is the place where the Scottish
Kings of Scots used to be crowned. Here you’ll follow in the
footsteps of Macbeth, Robert the Bruce, Charles II and many
others - Scone breathes history like nowhere else in Scotland.
You can admire Mary, Queen of Scots’ bed hangings that she
worked on while in prison on Loch Leven, and the desk at which
France’s tragic young Queen, Marie Antoinette, wrote her letters
prior to the days when the guillotine beckoned. You can also see
the State Rooms where Queen Victoria was entertained on her
way to the Highlands in 1842, and the bedroom in which she slept.
The Palace is surrounded by beautiful gardens, not to mention the
unique ‘tartan’ maze of 2000 beech trees - half green, half copper
- designed by the world-famous designer Adrian Fisher.
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Half-day trip
• Distance: 35km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Tour of Scone Palace,
including the Stone of
Destiny
Learning Theme
Famous Scottish kings
• Find out the monarchs
that helped to shape Scottish
history
Half-Day Trips
St Andrews Trip
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east
coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew
the Apostle, and is today known worldwide as the ‘home of golf’.
Your Trip with Lewis
Two striking ruins are among the main landmarks of this beautiful
town. Founded in 1160, the cathedral was not finished and
consecrated until 1318, in the presence of Robert the Bruce. It
was then ruined following the Reformation in the 16th century.
Not too far from the cathedral are the rocky coastline curves and
the ruined castle. Founded around 1200, the castle was built as a
part of the palace for the bishops and archbishops of St. Andrews
What You’ll See & Do
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest
and most prestigious golf clubs in the world.
The University of St Andrews is the oldest university in Scotland
and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded
between 1410 and 1413. It is one of Britain’s top universities and
was famously where Prince William and Kate Middleton - who
were both students here - first met.
Travel Information
• Half-day trip
• Distance: 20km
• Travel by coach
Walking tour, to see:
• St Andrews Cathedral
• St Andrews Castle
• University of St Andrews
Free time for shopping
Learning Theme
Golf / University of St
Andrews
• Find out why St Andrews is
famous throughout the world
9
10 Half-Day Trips
Arbroath Trip
An alternative trip available to groups on a longer stay.
Arbroath is a historic town and fishing port on the North Sea coast.
The town’s most important landmark is Arbroath Abbey. This
is famed for the Declaration of Arbroath, written in April 1320
by King Robert I’s chancellor, which articulated the right of the
Scottish people to freedom from English interference.
Founded in 1178, the abbey flourished for nearly 400 years but
fell into a steep decline after the Protestant Reformation of 1560.
Today its impressive ruins inspire visitors and serve as a reminder
that this was once the richest abbey in Scotland.
The town’s most famous product is the Arbroath Smokie – linecaught haddock, smoke-cured over smouldering oak chips, and
still made here in a number of family-run smokehouses around the
harbour.
Your Trip with Lewis
Travel Information
• Half-day trip
• Distance: 27km
• Travel by coach
What You’ll See & Do
Visit to town of Arbroath
Visit to Arbroath Abbey
Visit to harbour and
smokehouses
Free time for shopping
Learning Theme
Traditional Scottish food /
Declaration of Arbroath
• Find out about the town’s
most famous product and an
important event in Scottish
history.
Optional Trips 11
Optional Highland Weekend
An Action-Packed Weekend in the Highlands!
Join us for an action-packed weekend among some of Scotland’s most beautiful scenery. See the romantic
ruins of Urquhart Castle (pictured here), take a boat trip on world-famous Loch Ness (home of the
legend of the Loch Ness Monster) and see traditional Highlands life at a fascinating open-air museum.
Day One
Departure after breakfast (packed lunch provided) by minibus.
Pitlochry. Visit Blair Atholl Whisky Distillery and the Salmon Ladder.
Visit Blair Castle.
Carrbridge. Visit the Highland Folk Museum and Landmark Forest Theme Park or Culloden Moore Battlefield.
Arrival at Drumnadrochit (Loch Ness) in the evening. Check in at hotel. Dinner.
Day Two
Breakfast. Visit to Loch Ness Exhibition Centre, Drumnadrochit.
Boat on Loch Ness.
Packed Lunch. See Urquhart Castle from hilltop viewpoint.
Fort William and Glencoe (scene of the massacre of the MacDonalds in 1692). Entrance to Visitor’s
Centre included.
Glencoe Valley. The Three Sisters and Rannoch Moor.
Arrival back in Dundee. Packed Dinner.
Price
Additional fee of £220 per student, based on a minimum of
15 students.
Please note: this is a 2-day trip and any lessons/activities
normally scheduled on those days will be missed.
12 Optional Trips
Optional Sunday Trips
For Groups
Optional Sunday trips are available on request at extra cost. Details about our most popular trips and
a guide to prices are provided below. If you wish to visit somewhere not listed, please contact us. All
optional trips are offered subject to availability and we recommend booking your trip as soon as possible.
The deadline for all bookings is the Wednesday prior to the trip.
For Individuals
Each Sunday we offer an optional trip at extra cost. See the noticeboard at our Junior Centre each week
for details of the trip. You will need to book your place by the Wednesday before the trip. Please note
that all optional trips are subject to minimum numbers and will be cancelled if not enough students book.
Optional Trips from Dundee
All ful-day trips are priced at £18-22 per student, based on a minimum of 30 students. Free group leader
places are available at a ratio of 1:15. Additional group leaders will assume full price. Please contact us for
more details.
Full-Day Trips
Our Dynamic Earth,
Edinburgh
Our Dynamic Earth takes you on a journey through our planet’s past,
present and future, with interactive exhibits and impressive technology.
Beginning with the BIG BANG, children and adults alike can witness the
creation of the Earth, follow the planet through its evolution and even
catch glimpses of the future.
There are new outdoor learning activities allow visitors to discover
the properties of different types of rock and how to identify them.
Furthermore, a new educational programme includes interactive
workshops on Climate Change and Natural Disasters but also the
importance of body language and voice dynamics.
Optional Trips 13
Palace of Holyroodhouse,
Edinburgh
The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the official residence in Scotland of Her
Majesty the Queen, stands at the end of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, against
the spectacular backdrop of Arthur’s Seat. The palace is perhaps best
known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots and was the setting for many
dramatic episodes in her short reign. Mary witnessed the brutal murder
of her secretary, Rizzio, by her Jealous husband Lord Darnley in her
private apartments. During the 1745 Jacobite rising, the Palace served
briefly as the headquarters of Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Adjacent to the Palace there is Holyrood Abbey. The ruins of the 12thcentury Abbey enhance the Palace’s romantic atmosphere. According
to the legend, King David I founded the Abbey in 1128 on the very
spot where he had a vision of a stag with a cross between its antlers.
Despite being the burial place of several Scottish Kings and the site of the
coronation of Charles I in 1633, the Abbey was abandoned after the roof
collapsed in 1768 (Audio Tour is available).
Scottish Parliament,
Edinburgh
Scotland’s Parliament sits at the foot of Edinburgh’s famous Royal Mile in
front of the spectacular Holyrood Park and Salisbury Crags. Constructed
from a mixture of steel, oak, and granite, the complex building was hailed
on opening as one of the most innovative designs in Britain today. Drawing inspiration from the surrounding landscape, the flower paintings
by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the upturned boats on the seashore,
Enric Miralles, one of the world’s premier architects, developed a design
that he said was a building “growing out of the land”.
The walking tour lasts one hour and takes you through the building and
on the floor of the Chamber to see where MPs meet to debate and
decide on the issues that matter to the people of Scotland, such as the
recent referendum on independence!
Balmoral Castle & Estate
Balmoral has been a residence of the British Royal Family since 1852,
when it was purchased by Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, who
described Balmoral as “my dear paradise in the Highlands”.
The Balmoral Estate is set within magnificent scenery within
the Cairngorms National Park and in the shadow of Lochnagar. Each
year the Ranger Service offers guided walks, which will allow you to
view examples of Scottish wildlife in their natural surroundings. Visitors
participate in a guided tour around the grounds, gardens and exhibitions
and perhaps a tour around the monuments and cairns situated within the
grounds.
The highlight for every visit to Balmoral is the castle ballroom, the largest
room in the castle. Please note: other rooms within the castle are the
Queen’s private rooms and are not open to the public.
Falkirk Wheel & Surrounding
Area
The Falkirk Wheel is the world’s first rotating boat lift, and is a
masterpiece of modern engineering. Standing 35 metres high, it connects
the Forth & Clyde and Union canals.
This fascinating trip can include visits to many other highlights of the local
area, including Dunfermline, Culross, Kincardine Bridge, Falkirk, The
Helix, Bo’ness and the Forth Bridge.
14 Optional Trips
Dundee Visits
RRS Discovery
(2-hour visit)
In the late 19th Century, Dundee was a major whaling center with a wellearned reputation for building ships to withstand the icy Arctic conditions.
This same expertise was used to build RRS Discovery, the first ever vessel
specifically designed for scientific exploration in Antarctica. Come aboard
and walk in the footsteps of the intrepid crew who braved the first great
adventure of the 20th century. Visit Captain Scott’s authentically restored
cabin, and walk through the Mess Deck and Officer’s Wardroom where
the men slept, ate and worked through two long Antarctic winters.
Please contact us for prices.
Jute Museum @ Verdant Works
(can be combined with RRS
Discovery)
Scotland’s Jute Museum @ Verdant Works tells the tale of old Dundee
and the jute industry that was once central to the life of the city. Jute is a
natural fibre and is so versatile that in the 19th and early 20th centuries
it was used in sacking, ropes, boot linings, aprons, carpets, tents,
satchels, meat wrappers, electric cable, and many other products - even
parachutes!
The museum transports you back over 100 years to a time when jute was
king. You’ll feel the earth tremble as the original machines roar into life,
and you’ll enjoy a fantastic range of displays from film shows, multimedia
and hands-on interactive features.
Please contact us for prices.
Photo Credits
“DynamicEarth1” by Globaltraveller - Self-photographed. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DynamicEarth1.
JPG#/media/File:DynamicEarth1.JPG
“Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh” by Kim Traynor - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Palace_of_Holyroodhouse,_Edinburgh.jpg#/media/File:Palace_of_Holyroodhouse,_Edinburgh.jpg
“Scottish Parliament Debating Chamber 2” by © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.
org/wiki/File:Scottish_Parliament_Debating_Chamber_2.jpg#/media/File:Scottish_Parliament_Debating_Chamber_2.jpg
“Arbroath Abbey2”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arbroath_Abbey2.jpg#/media/File:Arbroath_Abbey2.jpg
“Arbroath Harbour” by Karen Vernon. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arbroath_Harbour.jpg#/media/
File:Arbroath_Harbour.jpg
“Balmoral Castle” by Stuart Yeates from Oxford, UK - Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Balmoral_
Castle.jpg#/media/File:Balmoral_Castle.jpg
“Verdant” by David Hawgood. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verdant.jpg#/media/File:Verdant.jpg
Optional Trips 15
Ten Reasons to Choose Lewis
for Junior Summer and Year-Round Programmes
1
Challenging and motivating lessons
6
Excellent level of welfare
2
Innovative range of programmes
7
Over 30 nationalities per year
3
Strong links between learning
and leisure
8
Choice of homestay and residential
centres
4
Choice of six UK centres all British Council accredited
9
Dynamic team of skilled and
experienced staff
5
Attractive locations - all within
easy travelling distance of the capital
10
FREE English & teacher training
programmes for Group Leaders
(at certain centres - see website)
Visit www.lewis-school.co.uk
for full details of our adult, junior and teacher training courses
LEWIS SCHOOL OF ENGLISH
30-33 Palmerston Road, Southampton SO14 1LL, UK
Tel. +44 23 8022 8203 [email protected]