Scotland is still in more or less in lockdown, as the devolved government here continues to take a cautious approach to easing restrictions on people and businesses. However, the sun continues to shine and more and more people are out and about.
The Colinton Tunnel
The ‘strong advice’ not to travel more than 5 miles for outdoor leisure has meant that we’ve had to be creative and discover new and interesting places close to home.
One of our exciting new discoveries has been the Colinton Tunnel mural - a 140-metre mural based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s wonderful poem From a Railway Carriage. The tunnel and surrounding residential neighbourhood of Colinton is easily accessible by bus from the city centre or a peaceful walk along the Water of Leith walkway. Now we can’t wait to add this to the local excursions that are an important part of our English language courses.
The poet Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the first images you see on entering the tunnel
From a Railway Carriage
Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain;
And ever again, in the wink of an eye,
Painted stations whistle by.
Here is a child who clambers and scrambles,
All by himself and gathering brambles;
Here is a tramp who stands and gazes;
And there is the green for stringing the daisies!
Here is a cart run away in the road
Lumping along with man and load;
And here is a mill and there is a river:
Each a glimpse and gone for ever!
by Robert Louis Stevenson
A Child's Garden of Verses (1885)
Here is a child who clambers and scrambles, All by himself and gathering brambles;
Short video of The Colinton Tunnel on the Scottish News
Longer video of The Colinton Tunnel by a visitor to Edinburgh
As ECS Scotland is considered a non-essential business under Scotland’s lockdown rules, we still do not have a date for when the school building can re-open. We continue to offer online courses and are already working behind the scenes to ensure that the school is safe for clients and teachers to return to. Inevitably, there will be some changes to our timetables and courses, but we remain positive that ECS Scotland will soon welcome clients from around the world once again.
