When deciding to apply for study abroad in Scotland, I did not really know what to expect, when it came to the people. It is always hard to know how a community of people will react to outsiders, particularly American tourists (we do not exactly have the best reputation lol). I know many European countries are known for their dislike of us Americans. I was definitely nervous about this going in, even researching how to dress to not look like a tourist. As it turns out, I was worried for nothing. The people of Scotland are some of the nicest and most friendly people I’ve ever met. Their ability to strike up conversations with complete strangers astounds me. Staying in Scotland has made me realize just how reserved and sometimes downright distrustful of strangers we Americans are. There was one time when we were on a walking tour and a man joined our group who wasn’t supposed to be there. He started making some rude comments (nothing crazy) and most of us Americans immediately went on guard. But when I looked around at the local Glaswegians, they seemed entirely relaxed and found the situation actually somewhat funny. My friends and I have had many conversations now where we have shared stories of random encounters we have had with Scottish people that were so lovely and kind. And despite my worries about being American, it turns out they love us lol. Every time we would talk to someone they would ask us all sorts of questions about America. My favorite conversation happened when a guy stopped me mid-sentence and said, “I feel like I am in a movie right now.” I had never stopped to think about how given that many movies are created here in America, most countries associate us with the industry. I also thought that they would hate movies such as Braveheart, Brave, etc. but turns out they actually like them for the most part! All of this is to say that you should not be nervous traveling to Scotland. The people are amazing and you will have a fantastic time