David McLean

West Highland Way
Ruins, Highland Way
Mountains!
Sea Shore
Waterfall
McLean Clan's Castle
Grassy Hill
Scottish Loch

David McLean used his $3,000 prize to participate in the following adventure:

Adventure Program
I designed my own adventure in Scotland. I traveled all around the country and went on two small trips set up by the Scotland Youth Hostel program.

Adventure Location
My first trip started in Glasgow and was a 95-mile hike on the West Highland Way to Fort William. My next adventure was a 7-day rock climbing trip out of Fort William.

Adventure Activities
I spent most of my time on these two trips rock climbing and hiking, but I had time before and after the trips to travel all around the country.

Adventure Duration
In all, my trip to Scotland lasted about one month.

Number of Adventure Participants
On the first trip (the 95-mile hike), there were 8 of us and 1 guide. On the rock climbing trip there were 4 of us with 1 guide.

What made you apply for the scholarship?
The main reason that I applied was that Gene was one of my friends in High School. I always looked up to him and wished that some day I could go on an adventure like the many that he went on. This was my chance and I took it.

What was your favorite activity on the trip?
My favorite activity was the rock climbing trip. On the last day of the trip we climbed Ben Neves, the highest point in Scotland. We started at sea level early in the morning and then hiked and climbed our way to the top, over 4,000 feet up. One of the most exciting parts of my whole trip was when we got to the top. It was great to be up there even though the weather was so bad you could not see more than 10 feet.

Describe your best day on the trip.
The best day by far was the day that I went to St. Andrews. I have always wanted to go there. It has always been my dream to go and see the place where golf was invented and because of this trip I got to see it.

Would you do it again? Why or why not?
There is no way that I would pass up a chance to do something like this again. This is one of the things that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Advice for potential Adventure Scholarship applicants:
Don't just pick a trip out of a book. I did that to start with but when it fell though, I had to plan my own. I felt that the trip I planned myself was much more rewarding than any trip that some one else planned for me. I made it so that I had free time between trips to travel and see what I wanted to see.