Enchanted Forests, School Strikes & Ceilidh Dancing
Ruth Pringle
Only healthy English (not forced, stressful classroom English) keeps you talking. Combine meaningful travel experiences with targeted immersive coaching for powerful English that builds connections that truly matter.
Next week is the final Blue Noun holiday of 2024.
It’s an Autumn Adventure package, which means less English coaching and more exploring outdoor Scotland. It's a face full of autumn (in a good way).
I’m often asked what’s a typical day on our language holiday, but there’s no one answer.?
My holidays differ in theme from each other (we have an Art Month, a Beginners' Month and a few festivals we build particular holidays around). In 2025 we’re even trialing a Family Month (August).?
Within these broad themes, each holiday is built specifically around the client: curated through a mix of understanding their language needs, interests/passions (and optimal learning pace). ?
Something Easy, Something Hard
Next week is quite an easy holiday to design as M. Is a returning guest.
I know she’s particularly keen on walking and hiking, she’s also naturally very social and loves Scottish music and Scottish dancing.?
Her previous visit was in April, so although I could share a couple of concerts and folk music jams with her, it wasn't Ceilidh season.
This time she's dancing!
A Peek Behind the Scenes
I use Trello to plan each holiday.
Inconveniently a 2 week long Perth & Kinross school strike is happening simultaneously. My plan is to fill the house with kids this Monday, then send my daughter on reciprocal visits the rest of the week.
It’s not ideal.
I’m tracking those pick-ups and drop-offs in Trello too.
The First Meal
Our first event is an evening meal: steak and chips. I provide nice wine and food and regular friends turn up to chat and eat.
I often do a welcome steak because it's quick and easy to cook (I want to be with them, not in the kitchen) and popular across most cultures. (I do veggie options too).
Later in the week, we'll cook a meal together while chatting. But no one should have to cook if they've just got off a plane!
It occurs to me that this part of my business model is largely based on my student days.
Time wasted, they said!
The Schedule
We’ve got a biggie on Tuesday evening. A trip to Pitlochry to see The Enchanted Forest.
The Enchanted Forest is a woodland filled with audio-visual displays that light up the darkness. Some are massive projections over the loch. Other displays are lights that highlight a fragile fern. It is one of Perthshire’s best and most unique cultural events and fits perfectly with our theme of outdoor adventure. It’s immersive, sensory and deeply memorable.
I tend to curate each holiday by balancing macro and micro-adventures (the learning rhythm needs both). This is both in one event.?
On Wednesday, we’re booked on an all-day nature walk around Loch Leven (a nature reserve). I tend to partner with outdoor activity facilitators rather than just lead my own walks. It means that there will be a different group of people to talk with, and a different way of seeing the landscape.
Lucy is great, although the last time I booked with her we found an injured golden eagle.
领英推荐
I'm pretty sure that’s not going to happen twice!?
Thursday is still up in the air. I always know lots of local walks/castles we could explore, but M. may want a lazier day. The Loch Katrine steamboat is a good possibility as there’s no better way to drink up the autumn colours.
I only ever half-fill a schedule before people arrive.
It’s so important to be able to read energy, and make spontaneous suggestions –?including downtime if that’s needed.
Thursday PM we do have tickets to see Vàgr: a duo - Claudia Edwards (fiddle) and Joanna Stark (cello) who explore themes of migration, voyage, and storytelling in their music.?
On Friday M. Is going to spend the day with a different English coach.
Fee Smith will share Perth Museum’s fine Fergusson collection with her, while I hop online and share a workshop on Introductions with Abigail Fulbrook for her Learn English Together Summit (book now!)
M. is meeting her former homestay host for coffee and cake that afternoon – although it seems there will be a grandkid kid or two around too, because Ann (a granny) is covering the school strike for her family.?
That's So Unprofessional!
Are you horrified? I’m not. You get brilliant conversation practice when you are welcomed into a family like this.
It may be a bit stickier or noisier than usual, but that kind of English family experience is priceless.?
It's the language experiences classrooms can never give you!
Saturday is the Braco Beer Festival - a local event with games, beer and live music (they're going to be so stoked to have a real German there!).
There’s a small group of us going (because I'm driving!).
Finally, Saturday night we’re going to squeeze in a ceilidh at Crieff's Hydro Hotel.
I’m not sure about Sunday, but I’m betting it’s not an early start!
On Monday I'm taking M. back to Edinburgh Airport, where I'll hopefully collect her before too long!
Links:
Our Autumn Adventure Holiday (unless you can get here by Monday you've missed it).
When we found an injured golden eagle: Unseen | The Crimes & Victims of Scotland’s Blood Sport Industry.
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