Program Directed by
Andrew Manzella
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
Ireland & Scotland
Writers' Workshop & Craft
Explore Ireland and Scotland this summer as you develop your voice and refine your skills as a writer. Begin in Edinburgh, drawing inspiration from the city’s literary landmarks, storytellers, and daily excursions. Continue to the Irish west coast for a writers’ retreat on the bucolic island of Inishbofin, and conclude in Dublin with a public reading. Under the guidance of published and acclaimed writers, write in historic taverns, medieval ruins, and overlooking the low-lying beaches of the mythical Irish Sea. Return home with a polished portfolio of work, confidence in your craft, and a creative community.
- Highlights
• Explore medieval monasteries and seaside fishing villages
• Take in panoramic city views at sunset from the top of Arthur’s Seat
• Travel to a remote island for a three-day writers’ retreat
• Collaborate with your peers to produce a public reading
• Take in panoramic city views at sunset from the top of Arthur’s Seat
• Travel to a remote island for a three-day writers’ retreat
• Collaborate with your peers to produce a public reading
“Talia loved all of it—the writing instruction, exploring the country, the people, the instructors, the independence of it. She gained a lot of confidence and some very close new friends.”
—Debra L., Natick, MA
Featured
Expert
An Expert joins each Career program for a portion of the itinerary, lending their insights and perspectives to the experience. Our Expert for 2026 will be announced soon!
No posts found
No posts found
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Dublin, Ireland. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Edinburgh, Scotland — 5 days
Begin your program in Scotland’s historic capital, staying at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls. After a group orientation, set out to hone your craft through writing exercises and daily excursions, drawing on your surroundings for inspiration. Take part in workshops with local authors, professors, and storytellers, and practice oral storytelling techniques. Venture to the coast and the Scottish Borders to explore the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and head north into the Highlands to encounter Scotland’s iconic Hairy Coos. In the city, hike Arthur’s Seat for sweeping views, descend into the vaults beneath Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town, and draft your own works in the cafe where the first pages of Harry Potter were penned.
Writers’ Retreat, Ireland — 4 days
Fly from Edinburgh to Shannon, Ireland, and travel up the west coast for an intensive Writers’ Retreat, designed to give you the chance to revise and workshop your writing in a relaxed environment. Spend one night in Galway before continuing on to Inishbofin, a small island off the coast of Connemara in the Gaeltacht, Ireland’s traditional Irish-speaking region. Spend three nights on the island hiking, swimming, and exploring its mystical, sparse landscape. In the late afternoons and evenings, gather with your fellow students and instructors for workshops, craft talks, readings, and the occasional sunset hike. A special invited guest writer joins you to lend their expertise and insight and remains with the group until the end of the program.
Dublin & Final Reading — 2 days
Conclude your journey in Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature. Go behind the scenes at the historic Abbey Theatre, put finishing touches on the works you’ve produced, and prepare for a student-organized Final Reading on the last night of the program. Publicize and stage a reading of your original poetry and prose completed throughout the course of the program in one of the city’s many hip cafés, bookstores, or collaborative art spaces.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Dublin to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Itinerary
This itinerary represents our best projection of the group’s schedule. However, we may implement changes designed to improve the quality of the program.
Departure — Travel Day
Meet your fellow high school student travelers and one or more of your leaders in New York, and fly together to Dublin, Ireland. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Edinburgh, Scotland — 5 days
Begin your program in Scotland’s historic capital, staying at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls. After a group orientation, set out to hone your craft through writing exercises and daily excursions, drawing on your surroundings for inspiration. Take part in workshops with local authors, professors, and storytellers, and practice oral storytelling techniques. Venture to the coast and the Scottish Borders to explore the Great Tapestry of Scotland, and head north into the Highlands to encounter Scotland’s iconic Hairy Coos. In the city, hike Arthur’s Seat for sweeping views, descend into the vaults beneath Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town, and draft your own works in the cafe where the first pages of Harry Potter were penned.
Writers’ Retreat, Ireland — 4 days
Fly from Edinburgh to Shannon, Ireland, and travel up the west coast for an intensive Writers’ Retreat, designed to give you the chance to revise and workshop your writing in a relaxed environment. Spend one night in Galway before continuing on to Inishbofin, a small island off the coast of Connemara in the Gaeltacht, Ireland’s traditional Irish-speaking region. Spend three nights on the island hiking, swimming, and exploring its mystical, sparse landscape. In the late afternoons and evenings, gather with your fellow students and instructors for workshops, craft talks, readings, and the occasional sunset hike. A special invited guest writer joins you to lend their expertise and insight and remains with the group until the end of the program.
Dublin & Final Reading — 2 days
Conclude your journey in Dublin, a UNESCO City of Literature. Go behind the scenes at the historic Abbey Theatre, put finishing touches on the works you’ve produced, and prepare for a student-organized Final Reading on the last night of the program. Publicize and stage a reading of your original poetry and prose completed throughout the course of the program in one of the city’s many hip cafés, bookstores, or collaborative art spaces.
Return — Travel Day
Fly from Dublin to New York with your group and a leader, then continue on to your final destination. To learn more about how we organize travel, click here.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
Featured
Leaders
Meet some of our featured leaders. Please note that these may not be your leaders for the program.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Workshop Theme
Writing Workshop: Whether your goal is to pursue a career in a writing-related field or simply to experiment with writing as a passion, this program provides dynamic, individualized exercises that allow students to engage with place through the lens of writing, gaining valuable skills and experience as they immerse themselves in a rich and vital culture. Time spent writing and workshopping is complemented by public readings and an array of enrichment seminars on such topics as Irish history, literature, music, food, theatre, and special mini-workshops in poetry, travel writing, photography, blogging, and more. In the final days of the program, students participate in an intensive, three-day Writers’ Retreat during which they can further workshop, revise, and polish their work. The program culminates with a student-organized reading of the group’s best work on the final night in Dublin. You are not expected to join the program as an expert writer. However, you should bring a passion for writing, a willingness to try new things, and a desire to be an active part of a supportive group of open-minded and creative young artists.
Ireland & Scotland's Literary Legacy
Whatever your chosen genre, you are likely to find an Irish author who has distinguished themselves as its practitioner: Jonathan Swift, Maria Edgeworth, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, Seamus Heaney, Edna O’Brien, Maeve Binchy, Eavan Boland, Elizabeth Bowen, Seamus Deane, Paul Muldoon—the list goes on. Related to its world-class literary reputation, Ireland is full of native-born storytellers, as you are likely to discover when you strike up conversations on park benches, in cafés, or just walking down the street. Explore and draw inspiration from the people, literary legacy, history of struggle, and rich and diverse cultural and physical landscape of this evocative country. Across the Irish Sea, Scotland boasts an equally vibrant storytelling tradition, rooted in oral ballads, folklore, and a legacy of writers who have shaped world literature. Edinburgh, the first UNESCO City of Literature, has been home to some of the most influential voices in English letters, from Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson to Muriel Spark and Irvine Welsh. Scotland’s literary heritage is deeply tied to its history, landscapes, and people, offering rich inspiration for any writer who wanders its streets or countryside. Today, that tradition lives on at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, a cultural hub dedicated to keeping the art of live storytelling alive.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer travel program. Exploring the streets of Dublin and Edinburgh on foot, hiking coastal and highland trails, playing a pick-up game of frisbee, or taking an Irish step-dancing lesson are all activities in which you might participate during this program. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Accommodations
In Edinburgh, we stay in double occupancy, dormitory-style accommodations at the University of Edinburgh, In Dublin we stay in a boutique hotel close to the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce house, and the lively arts quarter of Temple Bar. While on Inishbofin, we stay at a small, family-run hostel in multi-bedded rooms. Students have access to common space at our accommodations as well as ample outside space for community meetings, writing, pick-up games of frisbee, and socializing. Leaders reside in the same residences with students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a simple breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we find small restaurants and pubs, or hit the markets to purchase food for a picnic in the field.
What to Expect
Review specific program expectations here. For more general information:
Workshop Theme
Writing Workshop: Whether your goal is to pursue a career in a writing-related field or simply to experiment with writing as a passion, this program provides dynamic, individualized exercises that allow students to engage with place through the lens of writing, gaining valuable skills and experience as they immerse themselves in a rich and vital culture. Time spent writing and workshopping is complemented by public readings and an array of enrichment seminars on such topics as Irish history, literature, music, food, theatre, and special mini-workshops in poetry, travel writing, photography, blogging, and more. In the final days of the program, students participate in an intensive, three-day Writers’ Retreat during which they can further workshop, revise, and polish their work. The program culminates with a student-organized reading of the group’s best work on the final night in Dublin. You are not expected to join the program as an expert writer. However, you should bring a passion for writing, a willingness to try new things, and a desire to be an active part of a supportive group of open-minded and creative young artists.
Ireland & Scotland's Literary Legacy
Whatever your chosen genre, you are likely to find an Irish author who has distinguished themselves as its practitioner: Jonathan Swift, Maria Edgeworth, William Butler Yeats, James Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Bram Stoker, Seamus Heaney, Edna O’Brien, Maeve Binchy, Eavan Boland, Elizabeth Bowen, Seamus Deane, Paul Muldoon—the list goes on. Related to its world-class literary reputation, Ireland is full of native-born storytellers, as you are likely to discover when you strike up conversations on park benches, in cafés, or just walking down the street. Explore and draw inspiration from the people, literary legacy, history of struggle, and rich and diverse cultural and physical landscape of this evocative country. Across the Irish Sea, Scotland boasts an equally vibrant storytelling tradition, rooted in oral ballads, folklore, and a legacy of writers who have shaped world literature. Edinburgh, the first UNESCO City of Literature, has been home to some of the most influential voices in English letters, from Sir Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson to Muriel Spark and Irvine Welsh. Scotland’s literary heritage is deeply tied to its history, landscapes, and people, offering rich inspiration for any writer who wanders its streets or countryside. Today, that tradition lives on at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, a cultural hub dedicated to keeping the art of live storytelling alive.
Technology
To encourage full engagement and immersion in the Putney travel experience, we limit the use of cell phones and other devices on our High School programs. Students are allowed to use their phones in transit to the program, and keep their devices throughout. During in-country orientation, leaders will lock phones with a code, unlocking them for the second half of the program. During the tech-free portion of the program, students have the opportunity for a weekly call home according to a pre-arranged schedule. For more details, please see our FAQ.
Physical Activity
This is a physically active summer travel program. Exploring the streets of Dublin and Edinburgh on foot, hiking coastal and highland trails, playing a pick-up game of frisbee, or taking an Irish step-dancing lesson are all activities in which you might participate during this program. You do not need to be at peak fitness to participate, but it is important that you have a desire to be physically active, and that you are excited about trying all activities.
Accommodations
In Edinburgh, we stay in double occupancy, dormitory-style accommodations at the University of Edinburgh, In Dublin we stay in a boutique hotel close to the Dublin Writers’ Museum, the James Joyce house, and the lively arts quarter of Temple Bar. While on Inishbofin, we stay at a small, family-run hostel in multi-bedded rooms. Students have access to common space at our accommodations as well as ample outside space for community meetings, writing, pick-up games of frisbee, and socializing. Leaders reside in the same residences with students throughout the program.
Meals
We begin each day with a simple breakfast at our residence. For lunches and dinners, we find small restaurants and pubs, or hit the markets to purchase food for a picnic in the field.
A Day in the Life: Scottish Borders
Due to the traveling nature of this student program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Scottish Borders.
- Morning
8:00am
Enjoy breakfast as a group
9:00am
Create an original story based on a piece of the Great Scottish Tapestry
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Make a picnic lunch in a church garden at Dunbar’s Close
2:00pm
Take a writing workshop at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
4:00pm
Sit down at a cafe to write, reflect, or relax
- Evening
6:00pm
Enjoy dinner, ice cream, and a group walk up Arthur’s Seat for panoramic city views at sunset
9:00pm
Meet with your group to discuss the day and upcoming schedule
A Day in the Life:
Scottish Borders
Due to the traveling nature of this student program abroad, each day is different. Here is a snapshot of a day in Scottish Borders.
- Morning
8:00am
Enjoy breakfast as a group
9:00am
Create an original story based on a piece of the Great Scottish Tapestry
- Afternoon
12:00pm
Make a picnic lunch in a church garden at Dunbar’s Close
2:00pm
Take a writing workshop at the Scottish Storytelling Centre
4:00pm
Sit down at a cafe to write, reflect, or relax
- Evening
6:00pm
Enjoy dinner, ice cream, and a group walk up Arthur’s Seat for panoramic city views at sunset
9:00pm
Meet with your group to discuss the day and upcoming schedule
“I learned how to make the most out of a relatively short time with new people, and how to be respectful as a visitor in another country while making the experience what you want it to be.”
—Cate C., Chicago, IL
Program Directed by
Andrew Manzella
If you have questions or would like to talk further about this program, please get in touch!
