COSAM News Articles 2015 February Scotland 2015: Walking in the footsteps of Hutton

Scotland 2015: Walking in the footsteps of Hutton

Published: 02/09/2015

Registration for the study abroad program in Scotland, “Walking in the footsteps of Hutton,” is now open?

The course will start in Edinburgh, Scotland. We will be staying near the center of old town and will be within walking distance to many of the classic local attractions. Edinburgh is a modern city that still has all of its old world charm. You will be captivated by its unique culture, vibrant night life, and the sounds of distant bagpipes playing old Scottish tunes. With its free museums and affordable public transportation, you will be spoiled for choice of activities in your free time. After three days of indulging on the geology and culture of Edinburgh, we will leave the rolling volcanic hills and ancient volcanic remains for the rocky exposed shores on the northwest Highlands. We will start our exploration of the Scottish Highlands on the Isle of Skye, thought by many to be the most beautiful of the Inner Hebrides. We will enjoy the long summer days of northern Scotland by exploring many locations as rich in folklore as they are in geology. Upon leaving the Isle of Skye we will travel north to the vacation town of Ullapool. This small vacation spot is very pedestrian friendly, and you will be able to enjoy a late dinner of fish and chips out by the loch. We will spend several days in Ullapool before moving even more northward to the shores of Clachtoll Beach. You will see the true rugged nature of the Scottish Highlands and see how its rural and remote culture differs from that of Edinburgh. Toward the end of our highland journey, we will have the opportunity to venture out north of Kinlockbervie to visit a mid 1800’s bothy. The hike to the bothy alone is worth the effort due to its natural moors and beaches, but this will provide insight to the peat cutting culture and simple living of the northern Scots of the past. After our northern Scottish adventure is complete, we will return to Edinburgh to enjoy two more nights of this historic city before we depart for home.

There will be three course offerings with this program: GEOL4930-GeoVenture, GEOL4300-Geodynamics, and GEOL4930-Directed Study. They are designed to target the non-geology/non-science majors, upper level geology majors, and intro geology majors. For more details about the courses and the overall trip costs, please view to above flyer or visit www.auburn.edu/~jfh0005/Scotland. For further questions, please contact John Hawkins at jfh0005@auburn.edu.