Throughout the semester my travel study class has assigned group projects. I know, group projects are like the Grinch when you’re in college: they can sometimes suck the fun out of everything, right? I have to say (as a common complainer of these) that the travel study group projects have been very useful and actually fun! It’s been great to meet new people as well as study the places and culture of the places we’ll be visiting now within a matter of weeks!
For the latest group project, each group researched a city/area/attraction we will be attending. All presentations provided a historical background on the attraction as well as information on our tour. My group studied Loch Ness near Inverness, Scotland. This area is home to the famous legend, the Loch Ness monster.
Although the monster has never been scientifically proven to exist, a couple of sightings have been recorded in the past century. Those who claim to spot the monster say it looks like a strange whale body with a dinosaur shaped neck and head. Odd shaped photos like the one above have been shared a few times since the first recorded sighting in 1933.
Our tour for this attraction takes us on a cruise of the loch which stretches over 20 miles and 700 feet deep! The cruise offers Wifi, food and drinks and shelter in case of nasty weather. A tour guide provides history on the loch and monster while a live sonar searching for the monster runs in the background during the tour.
Following the cruise, we will be able to explore the nearby Urquhart Castle. The castle itself was the center of political uprising between England and Scotland in the 1300s before being abandoned. This tour will give us the opportunity to explore the castle ruins and get a front row look at the Medieval tour including a former prison cell.
The tour will end at the Loch Ness Visitor Center before the travel study group moves onto a different Scotland location. This travel study is turning out to be a great experience for history lessons while staying relevant and exciting.
Til next time….
~Wanderlust~