Trip to The Burn

On Friday I joined nine University of Edinburgh postgraduate history students and three profs for a retreat at The Burn, a 1791 manor built on 160+ acres of land 100 miles north of Edinburgh.  We were all under the mistaken impression that it was in the Highlands -- its too close to the east coast, and the hills were nowhere near high enough.  The term 'burn' is the Scots word for a smallish river and is fitting, as a rapidly flowing river stretches along the one side of the land.

The weekend flew by.  There were four 1.5 hour long sessions on topics such as 'Favourite Historians,' 'Numeracy and History,' and 'Shortcuts in History.'  The food was good, although too exotic for me.  On Saturday night I skipped the bright red chicken tandoori and stuck with white rice.  The building was very cold, and our bedroom colder.  With a comforter the width of the twin size bed and a small radiator on the far side of the huge master bedroom, my roommate and I struggled to sleep.  The stairway up to the girls' bedrooms looked like something out of Beauty and the Beast.  All we needed was our ballgowns.

The best part of trips like these has to be the free time.  The Games Room was a hit, with a ping pong table and snooker table (my preference).  I was surprised that a game of snooker could go on for 2.5 hours and not be finished, although we must consider the fact that 3 of us had never played before.  Luckily we had a great coach and a lot of fun.

Discussions around the fireplace on all sorts of current events, academia and our countries of origin lasted until 1am on both nights.  There was also a tiny bar the size of a janitor's closet which closed at ten, so everyone had to get their glasses of whisky or bottles of wine early and prepare for the evening ahead.  This was the best time to bond with fellow students whom we'd never met, as the school provides little opportunity for students in different years to meet each other.

We also did quite a lot of walking.  On Saturday we walked a couple miles to Edzell Castle, a 14th century castle/home.  While it looked like ruins from the lane, there were rooms to explore and a gorgeous garden unique for Scotland.  On Sunday afternoon we took a bus to Arbroath Abbey, the site of the creation of the famous Declaration of Arbroath.  Founded in 1178, the abbey must have been massive.  It was dedicated to the late Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury.

I was definitely hesitant to go on the trip, as more and more students dropped out in the weeks leading up to it, but I'm so glad I went.  I think I've made a good friend or two and took some great photos, so it was well worth the frigid nights.