From castles to karaoke: our edinburgh adventure
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Algemeen
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Schijndel
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Vrijdag 12 december 2025
During the week of the 7th until the 12th our bilingual third years from both vwo and havo took a well-earned break to visit Edinburgh, Scotland. It started fantastically as they enjoyed the buffet on the boat – we honestly thought there would be nothing left for the other passengers. The evening was spent with a pubquiz and eventually the highlight – karaoke. The other passengers loved it. On arrival in Newcastle we got to travel by double decker bus to the station before taking the train to Edinburgh. The weather was quite warm and not too much rain, perfect for the Christmas Market on Princes Street. Some of us were even brave enough to go on the high rides. Our hostel was close by the centre so it was a quick walk home to heat up afterwards.
On day two we went on a spooky visit underground to Mary King’s Close. A close is a small street which Edinburgh is famous for, and this one was built on top of more than one hundred years ago and has been preserved ever since. We were able to walk in and out of the houses and wonder at how up to 15 people could like in such small houses, without a toilet as well.
After lunch we visited the absolutely fabulous National Museum of Scotland. This is an interactive museum with exhibitions for everyone, from Egyptology to Japanese design and even Formula 1 cars.
n day three we first visited Edinburgh Castle to discover more about Scottish history and their wars with England. After lunch we were lucky enough to be able to sit in on a debate being held in the Scottish Parliament. The debate was about young people and the help they need nowadays so it was certainly relevant to our pupils. At one point it got rather heated as arguments went across the debating hall. Our pupils were definitely in awe. They didn’t want to leave.
In the evening we tried some traditional fish and chips at the award-winning fish and chip restaurant Bertie’s. They were absolutely fantastic. We then walked back to our hostel to prepare for our final night in Edinburgh. It was only a five minute walk to the theatre where we could enjoy a musical treat. We went to see Mamma Mia. For many this was the first musical they had experienced. The main comments were: “It was better than I expected and it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen. They certainly joined in and danced along with the songs when they got a chance at the end
The pupils were so enthusiastic during all parts of the trip and the teachers relly enjoyed themselves too. Overall it was a fantastic experience and we learnt a lot as we were able to
practice our English as a preparation for the CAE exam later in the year.
