Arrival in Scotland

I won't lie. I woke up last night to a peculiar bump in the night that made it hard to go back to sleep. Not sure if it was my wandering mind, the tolling of the Cathedral bells or knowing we had to wake for a 7 am departure, but I did not sleep well.

We said our goodbyes and headed north. The University of Stirling welcomed us with homemade treats and a local soda in our gift bags. It was so sweet--literally and figuratively.  We had a series of sessions on the internationalization strategy at Stirling and general differences between the English and Scottish systems of higher education. Most notable, they have a 4 year degree and charge English students at the international rate, but cannot do so for EU countries because of rules on equity. We also had a bit of a chance to hear about the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence.

Stirling reminds me a bit of Ball State in that they have strong sports programs and a commitment to applied social sciences. They also have a school of education. Campus is beautiful, with lush greenery and shiny new (looking) buildings for sports. They even have a lake and a small castle undergoing renovation. Out my hotel window I can see the William Wallace Memorial. I don't know how to put my finger on it, but there is just a general sense that the two schools have much in common.

After our sessions they loaded us up on a coach and took us for a private tour of Sterling Castle. Our guide was great and had a nice thick Scottish accent :-) The views from the castle were amazing. It was such a treat to have the place to ourselves and even a specially-arranged welcome from a bagpiper. Dinner afterward was in a nice restaurant by a small loch. The school arranged to have special whiskey sets made commemorating the visit. We have all decided our pants are not going to fit at the end of the program from all the good food they keep feeding us.