The week began under umbrellas — the kind of November rain that paints the pavements silver and makes every orange leaf glow brighter. Edinburgh’s skies may have been grey, but there was plenty of colour at ECS Scotland: orange trees in nearby gardens, orange umbrellas outside the school and cinnamon buns in the coffee room.

🏉 Autumn rugby season begins

Saturday marked the start of the Autumn Internationals — the international rugby season in Scotland. Murrayfield Stadium came alive with kilts, bagpipes and fans from around the world, bringing an extra buzz to the city.

Did you know?

The Autumn Internationals brings together some of the best teams in the world — from the Southern Hemisphere giants to European powerhouses — and for several weekends in November, Edinburgh fills with excitement, colour and friendly energy.

Our ECS Scotland travel bag joined the crowd too, soaking up the atmosphere at the first match of the season.

🌱 Allotment harvest and slow living

While the city was busy with rugby, one of our team members was busy in the garden — digging up the last potatoes and winter vegetables from the ECS Scotland allotment and putting the beds to rest for the colder months.

It’s part of our ongoing green values here at ECS Scotland: staying connected to nature, living seasonally and finding small ways to be sustainable.

There’s something satisfying about harvesting what you’ve grown and closing the gate for winter — a simple reminder that language learning, like gardening, is about patience, care and growth.

✏️ Monochrome art and Inktober inspiration

In the classroom and beyond, this week’s creative focus was monochrome art — exploring light and shadow through black and white charcoal drawings. From large scale landscapes to small sketches, it was all about seeing detail and contrast — the same balance we look for in communication.

October also marked the end of Inktober, a worldwide art challenge encouraging people to draw every day throughout the month.

Some of our teachers and past students took part, sharing sketches online and encouraging each other to keep going.

“It was a safe place to practise drawing and a great motivation. Even if all of us didn’t manage to draw every day, it was still wonderful to see all the creativity and get inspiration.” Lindsay ECS Team member.

🥃 Whisky warmth and real conversations

Midweek, our Social Programme took us to the Holyrood Distillery, near Arthur's Seat.

The evening tour combined history, storytelling and sensory discovery — a perfect setting for real listening and speaking practice in English.

Students learned about how whisky is made, from grain to glass and tried a range of whisky flavours, while chatting with the guide and each other.

It was a true taste of Scotland, both in flavour and conversation.

Later, we continued the evening with food, laughter and more English in action — the perfect mix of learning and living.

🍸 Food, friends and Edinburgh evenings

From fireside drinks at our local pub to colourful cocktails and meals out, this week reminded us how much Edinburgh has to offer once classes end.

For new students, it’s a chance to experience local flavours, explore cosy corners of the city and discover that practising English doesn’t stop when the lesson ends.

🎄 Lights, sparkle and early festive spirit

By the end of the week, the city began to glow.

The first Christmas lights appeared along George Street, twinkling across shop windows and the grand façade of The Dome.

Even on dark evenings, Edinburgh feels alive with warmth and beauty — a wonderful reminder that November is a perfect time to visit before the festive rush.

For many of our students, these last few weeks of the year are the ideal study holiday — time to focus on themselves, enjoy the city’s seasonal charm and return home refreshed and inspired, ready to share stories (and maybe a little Scottish shortbread) with family and friends.