Mysterious Scotland

Edinburgh, one of the most charming cities I`ve ever visited, full of mysteries and warm, open-minded people, who despite the rainy weather, can really make you feel at home.
I studied at the SAC (the Scottish Agricultural College) and I am really satisfied with this experience. My advisor helped me carrying out many different short researches on food policy, consumer behaviour and agricultural economics, coming up with a project almost every day. I was glad I did not have to work on just one single project for the whole period of my stay, so that I could see everything under a bigger prospective. I focused a bit more on the CAP (the Common Agricultural Policy) reform, since it was a hot topic for the European Union at the time, and analysed all the implications of the reform for the main Member States. The data we used to analyse the different policies came from publications of European research centres, official documents of the European Commission and a specific and rare database that the SAC had in its archives. I had the chance to talk with many researchers at the college and from them I've always received very useful insights. I am also really grateful for all the help and suggestions my advisor provided me with. I think this experience will be a guideline and a benchmark for my future career.
When not working in Edinburgh there is plenty to see: dramatic castles, old underground tunnels, beautiful gothic churches, interesting museums, florid gardens and so on and so forth. The highlands are also an unforgettable experience. The landscapes there are so stunningly beautiful that they do not seem even real. The food is not that bad as in the rest of the UK, at least as far as my Italian taste is concerned… The Scottish salmon is a delicacy, then for less sophisticated palates, there is the traditional haggis, which is better not to know how it is made, but it tastes really good, especially with a whisky cream on top! Drinks are much more famous than the food; there are probably more types of beer than the whole Scottish population and it is well worth trying them all!
The accommodation was really comfortable from the second week on, with very large rooms and close to the city centre. I had some troubles during the first week due to an overlapping of students, coming (another girl and I) and going (other students who had almost finished their projects), but nevertheless we managed to survive and after some moving, I got along very well with my housemate.
I would definitely recommend this experience, I enjoyed myself improving my skills at the same time, just a small advice, do not forget closed waterproof shoes and an umbrella!:)