Visit a Castle on Your Language Holiday in Scotland
This blog explores why castles make great language holiday excursions, by touching on the difference between real-world English and immersion English: 2 things you may think are the same thing – but you will see, they are not.
Blue Noun is a specialist in real-world English. Our language school in Crieff, Perthshire, is positioned equidistant to three amazing castles: Doune Castle, Huntingtower Castle, and Stirling Castle.
Each of these 3 historic places offers a superb visit, with different styles of visitor experiences, and we’ll take our English-learning guests to at least one of these castles during every immersion English holiday.
And for travellers to Scotland, it gives you my personal overview of 3 local castles – to help you choose which to visit on holiday in central Scotland.
(Make sure you see our Top Tips for Visiting Scotland at the end of this post).
A Quick Overview of 3 Local Castles
Doune Castle
Known for its use in films and TV shows, this castle provides a fun and engaging tour with plenty of historical anecdotes.
Huntingtower Castle
Features unique architecture and a famous painted ceiling, offering a blend of art and history perfect for language learning.
Stirling Castle
One of Scotland’s grandest castles, it offers extensive tours and exhibitions, making it a comprehensive educational experience.
An Overview of Scottish Castles
Castles – I’m sure you know that Scotland is littered with the things: around 40 in Perthshire alone.
Some castles are private properties owned by jet-setting millionaires, but 110-130 are publicly available to visit, with most owned and managed by Historic Scotland or the National Trust.
A general rule is that if it has curtains, it’s a National Trust property, whereas draughty open walls equal Historic Scotland.
The work of these organisations means that over the last decades, this important part of the culture of our lands has been preserved and made accessible to visitors.
Scottish castles are among many types of buildings that attract heritage tourists and support tourism all across Scotland – and for good reason, they are fabulous places to visit.
But, in terms of language acquisition, why do we place castles so highly on our English language school activity list?
About Castles for Language Holiday Excursions
An Introduction to the Theory of Language Immersion
An immersive English experience is when you are dipped into a situation where the language spoken around you is English: you have no alternative but to communicate in English.
Without moderation (a guide or coach) this can be stressful. And not always useful – if the level of target language flowing around you is too fast or advanced.
Find out more: What is Language Immersion – and Does it Work?
Choose Castles for Real-world English Learning
Immersive English experiences are real-life contexts you must use your language skills to navigate.
They can be very useful for English learners if:
- You are an advanced speaker
- You are extremely confident
OR,
- there is some kind of accompanying guide or visuals.
This is why castles are great for language acquisition. They are visual, with audio and text guides that complement what you are seeing.
You don’t get lost or overwhelmed by the language – on a tour, every room is a new starting point, and there are lots of language aids to help.
With castles, you get real-world English learning – not sink-or-swim immersion English learning.
1000 Moments Build Language Connection
Our language acquisition theory is that changing your sensory world enhances the profoundness of any language experience.
As much as discovering the historic environment, you discover yourself, your beliefs and values.
This knowledge gets knotted into the language associations you are building: 1000s of individual moments and sensations that create the feeling of belonging in English.
This is why castles make great language holiday excursions.
It’s not that you take medieval vocabulary straight into the boardroom.
It’s because you stand taller, firmer and speak English with ease.
English learning, differently!
The Advantages of a Real-World English Holiday
1-Day Family English Coaching
When your experience is memorable,
Your English is memorable.
Visit Castles to Unlock Your Imagination
Language Learning Takes Letting Go
Learning a language is about taking on a new identity. You are not the same person speaking a new language, you develop a new personality, cultural awareness and identity WITH the new skills you are learning.
That is freedom!
Freedom to be a new person with new powers – a superhero version of yourself!
Where better to explore this than walking the footsteps of kings, queens, knights and murderers through walls shaped by plots and intrigue?
Open your heart to a Scottish castle and grow a little bit of new you.
Scottish Castles Help Curiosity
Whether you are the kind of person to imagine yourself in history – or (like me) you simply enjoy racing around seeing which corridors lead, castles are liberating.
Our local castle, Huntingtower Castle is particularly good as it’s rarely busy.
Often we get the whole place to ourselves.
I’m not a great fan of trailing around in a group, in an ordered sequence of rooms – and at a set pace.
Instead, I like climbing staircases to see where they lead.
While I like to hang out in a particular room – and perhaps race through others to get there (I do this in art galleries too).
I think the metaphor is obvious: explore English with us and follow the language points which interest you. Pick your pace and explore!
Many language schools show you a certain path and certain content. We will support you through the path you choose for yourself.
“In my book, Huntingtower Castle gets points for not having actors in medieval costumes offering you facts. You are just left to get on with exploring the rooms and winding staircases yourself. “
Ruth, 2019
Tips for Visiting Scottish Castles
Step 1 | Start by Deciding What You Want from Your Castle Experience
We’ve been guiding visitors around Scotland for 5 years now. Here are our tips for making the most of your Scottish castle visit.
Do you want a castle with a café and actors – or a more stark castle visit?
Scottish castles all offer different visitor experiences.
For example, Stirling Castle is by far the most educational in terms of the displays and actors enhancing the visit. It tends to be quite busy, however, so if you like to let your imagination lead your castle visit, choose Huntingtower.
Doune Castle’s audio guide is by Monty Python‘s Eric Idle (much of the Holy Grail was filmed at Doune Castle), which is funny and educational.
Some castles offer special events – for example, we love the Ghost Tour run by History and Horror Tours at Menzies Castle near Aberfeldy.
“On Any Visit to Scotland, feeling alone in a Castle is a Must!”
Ruth, 2019
Step 2 | Choose Your Timing!
Stirling Castle and Doune castle merit a visit any day, but they get busy. Doune is much smaller and has restricted parking.
The fact that it is featured in Outlander makes it an increasingly popular tourist destination.
Book your visit in advance to avoid disappointment.
Our Top Tips
- If you go when there’s a nip in the air, you’ll be sharing it with fewer visitors – and feeling alone within the shadowy chambers, watchtowers and imposing walls is an essential part of the experience, as your imagination can more easily transport you back to the castle’s medieval past.
- Wrap up warmly and you’ll want to spend dusk on the ramparts.
- Watch the sunset by gazing across the remarkable landscape.
- Bring a flask or get a takeaway hot chocolate from the cafe and enjoy the spectacle of the changing landscape.
Castles look, sound, smell, and feel different from any other architectural experience.
This difference sharpens your attention to every detail and makes the language learned across your whole time in Scotland memorable.
Have You Chosen Your Castle?
You can ask for my personal recommendation on your discovery call.
Visiting any of these castles provides an enriching experience for any L2 English users, by blending history, culture, and language practice.
You can maximise of power of this by choosing a 1- Day Excursion with a language coach – or taking an English holiday that takes you out the classroom for language holiday excursions.
Join us on an English immersion holiday and explore Scotland’s castles!
Let’s Talk!
Interested in a chat about our English coaching holidays in Scotland?
You’ll get to see our hub – and tell me (Ruth) 3 things you’d like to see/do when you are here!
Join the Conversation…
Further Information
The National Trust of Scotland
Related Posts:
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British Council
The British Council listed our speciality Real-World English in its Top 2024 Language Teaching Innovations.
Friendly community
Perthshire was voted the Friendliest Region on Earth by Booking*com.
What more perfect combination could you need for an English conversation holiday?
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