We often talked about the upcoming language trip to Scotland and imagined all the things we would do there. Then the day finally arrived when it all began.
On 15 September 2025, we met in the morning at our school. The classes 7AC, 7BO and 7D, accompanied by Ms. Fröhlich, Mr. Lattacher and Mr. Thomas, made up around 70 students who were taking part in the trip. We drove for about two and a half hours to our first stop, Vienna Airport. Once there, we waited for our flight to Frankfurt.
After a stopover in Frankfurt, we arrived in Edinburgh at 6:30 p.m., said goodbye to our teachers, and were taken by taxi to our host families.
On Tuesday, we had our first lessons at Oxford International School. We were divided into several groups and had our own teachers from 9:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We learned about Scotland, its traditions and the history of the country – all in English. At 12:30 p.m., we had a lunch break, followed by a different exciting activity for the whole group every day.
Orientation Tour:
We explored Edinburgh with our guide, who pointed out some of the special features of the city centre. We saw Edinburgh Castle and learned about its history. The Royal Mile was also part of the tour, as well as an old fountain in the park.
Quiz Afternoon:
Our guide organised a pub quiz for us in small groups. It included questions about Scotland, its islands, special features of Scottish cuisine and even some facts about our teachers, so it was a bit of everything.
Ghost Walk:
Unfortunately, not everything went as planned during the Ghost Walk in Edinburgh. We were divided into two groups, so for one group it was still light outside. However, we still learned about Edinburgh’s medieval history and heard stories about execution sites and ghosts.
Edinburgh Castle:
Together with our teachers, we visited the castle and were free to explore it as we wished. We could visit different parts of the castle and see the crown jewels, but it was also an impressive experience just standing outside and looking out over the surrounding landscape from high above the city.
Afternoon tea at Willow Tearooms:
We all met up and enjoyed a classic and typical British afternoon tea. We ate pastries, cakes and other small delicacies accompanied by British tea.
After these afternoon activities, we always had plenty of free time to explore the city on our own. Some went out to eat, others travelled around the city by bus, some visited the sea and the harbour, and others went to the shopping mall or relaxed in a café.
On Saturday, a day trip to Glasgow was organised for us. In the morning, we took the bus to Glasgow, which took about an hour, and had a tour of this beautiful city. We passed the art museum, Glasgow Cathedral and the large cemetery. Afterwards, we had some free time to explore the city centre.
On Sunday, anyone who wanted to could hike up Arthur’s Seat with our teachers, while the rest of us were able to sleep in for the first time that week. At 3 p.m., we all met at a pub for a Ceilidh & Scottish Music Night. A woman taught us the steps and movements for traditional Scottish dances. Our guide Robert also enjoyed dancing with us. Most of us found it very funny.
The next day, we were at the airport early and began our journey home. After a very long and exhausting day, we finally arrived in Graz around 11 p.m. and were dismissed by our teachers to go home.
We all have great memories of this trip and learned a lot from the experience. We would especially like to thank Ms. Fröhlich, Mr. Lattacher and Mr. Thomas for organising and accompanying this wonderful trip.
Katharina Pirker, 7AC
