Program Reviews

This trip was an amazing experience. Every day was different - sometimes we would go to nature reserves and speak to habitat managers about their work, other days we would work out on peat bogs, and some days we could sneak in a visit to a castle or two. I learned a lot about conservation in Scotland, and I look forward to applying what I've learned in the future.

Our four weeks was packed with cultural visits, sight seeing, hiking, and fascinating projects pertaining to our field of studies. We were never far away from an ancient burial site, a castle, or a beautiful mountain view. After this trip I am positive that I am in the correct field for my interests and I feel confident that I can succeed in any place my career takes me.

Be prepared for cooler weather, long hikes, and manual labour. I'm not trying to scare anyone away, I just want everyone who is interested to be prepared so bring a comfortable pair of hiking boots. I think this year's program was unlike any other where we worked a lot in bogs or spraying for giant hogweed for example. This program does give you a good idea what it will be like to work in the ecology field from the several nature reserves visited and hands on activities. One day we went bird ringing (or bird banding in the US and my personal favourite thing out of the entire trip) and on other day trip we did electrofishing.

The staff here is incredibly friendly, relaxed, and will do anything they can to make the program more enjoyable for you. They're also extremely knowledgeable in their respected fields and are qualified to work somewhere more posh than the SRUC Oatridge campus. Things are a bit unorganized at times, but you will always be in for a good time. You will receive two assessments where you will get multiple chances to correct mistakes as well.

From the social aspect things are similar, but different in others. The Oatridge campus is located about a 20-30 minute walk to Broxburn. The Scottish locals are just as friendly as the staff and are easy to strike a conversation with.

If you are feeling adventurous, take an overnight trip to Aviemore and hike to the top of Cairngorm Mountain. It has a spectacular view! When you're there you can go from 32 degrees at the top of the mountain to 70s at the lake walking back from the mountain to Aviemore. We stayed at the SYHA hostel and would recommend staying there...it's only £23 a night for one adult.

And if you find yourself in Sterling looking for dinner there is an amazing Indian restaurant called Maharaja.

Trip has been fun. I thoroughly enjoyed working with the horses. Anatomy was my favorite course taken. Scotland is absolutely beautiful. Our advisor Jackie was great. However communication was terrible.

This is a once in a life time trip that I will never forget! Seeing this beautiful country and being able to do so many different excursions and activities is amazing. I gained an enormous amount of knowledge through hands-on experience with horses. The classes were challenging but not impossible. The staff is also very friendly and welcoming.

Overall I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in Scotland. The country is absolutely gorgeous and being able to ride horses in this country is amazing. The classes are not too difficult, but they are still very interesting for someone who is interested in Equine. You get a lot of freedom on this trip to do what you want, you're able to travel to Edinburgh or wherever you want. They give you a lot of free time to do what you want. This trip has been well worth it.

Day to day was great for me personally. The classes were in order and I loved a new adventure to seek for everyday. One of the instructors took us on a field trip to the Morris Center which was completely overwhelming and AWESOME. I learned so much just by getting out of the classroom. I love going on excursions and the scenery is beautiful. Not an opportunity to miss out on.

My experiences in Scotland have been amazing and are irreplaceable. The campus grounds are beautiful and have many paths to walk on. I encountered no problems, but wish we could have spent more time with the students at Oatridge. Nevertheless, I still met many great friends and hope I can come back to Scotland soon.

This trip was fantastic, I made so many friends and I don't want to leave!! The day to day schedule was pretty structured and the weekends all had planned outings. Riding and classes were fun and our free evenings we could go into town or do anything we wanted
to do. The Scottish students are very friendly and this trip is the best option!!

Fun, awesome trip in Scotland with really nice people. The first two weeks the students were still around, and we really enjoyed meeting and spending time with them. After it quieted down it was less fun, so my one recommendation would be to adjust the timing of the program so that the Scottish students were still around for the whole thing. But good fun, organized trips and the freedom to go into Edinburgh and do other things during the evening and on the free weekend.