We arrived at the festival and cannot even describe how perfect the weather was. I was about to see some amazing musical acts, culminating in a performance from one of my favorite bands, Mumford and Sons. I had been looking forward to the T in the Park music festival all summer and as I boarded the bus heading to Kinross, Scotland, it started to become real. My final day in Scotland came too soon, but I knew it would be one of my favorite days and it did not disappoint. It symbolized our farewell to Stirling it was wonderful. We learned some traditional Scottish dances and had a wonderful time. This dance consisted of a four piece string band, and delicious Scottish food. The University of Stirling staff put on a traditional Scottish Ceilidh for us. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Scottish Parliament, but I hurried back to Stirling for one last hurrah with my fellow International Summer School students. There were many similarities to our nation's Congress, but there were certainly some differences. One of my favorite parts was visiting the debating chamber where the Parliament meets to introduce and vote on bills. At first I was unsure if I liked it, but the more I saw of the building, the more I appreciated what the architecture was trying to convey. The architecture is supposed to symbolize the many regions of Scotland coming together for the future. It was interesting to hear about such a recently established government and much to my pleasure, I was able to tour the Parliament building for free! The modern concrete and oak building stands out in the landscape of Edinburgh's historic brick and that is precisely why they built it that way. With these new powers, the people elected members of Parliament who would best represent their interests. Scotland gained the right to govern matters such as education, criminal justice, and agriculture among others. In 1999, Scotland re-established the Scottish Parliament as a measure of devolving powers from the government based in London. On Thursday I decided to explore another aspect of Edinburgh that excited me, the Scottish government. The exhibit on Scotland's most famous queen was extremely well done and it housed artifacts like letters she actually wrote! Once again, Scotland put me in history major heaven. Some of the most interesting exhibits included Technology and Communication, Ancient Scotland, and my personal favorite, Mary Queen of Scots. The museum building itself was huge and there were so many different sections. As with most Scottish museums, it was free admission and let me say, I would have gladly paid good money to experience this museum. We then visited the National Museum of Scotland which was phenomenal. It was such a wonderful meal to have my last week of Scotland. It even had secret passageways! Not only that, it had the best fish and chips I had ever tasted. The pub was decorated in a creepy gothic style and was divided into various rooms. We at lunch a fabulous pub called Jekyll and Hyde. On Wednesday, a friend and I took the train to Edinburgh and proceeded to wander around the Royal Mile making stops in to quaint shops. I fell in love with Scotland's historic capital and there was so much for me to experience there. My decision was to enjoy it all as much as possible! After finishing my classwork early in the week, I spent Wednesday and Thursday in Edinburgh. I didn't seem real that I would only be looking out on the rolling green hills for a few more days. I was in denial when my final week in Scotland came around.
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