Based on our experience of traveling to Scotland every year for the last 26years and our experience of group traveling last year, I have the following comments, observations and notice of our intentions for a 2007 trip to Scotland. The problem with a conventional tour with tour bus, cheap accommodation and mass catering is that when you order cheap accommodation and mass catering, you get, surprise surprise, what you pay for! In addition, the dancers, due to the tour bus mode of transport, will be attending the same competitions and competing against each other, just as they would in the USA. In Scotland there are often several competitions taking place on any given week and sometimes even on any given day. These competitions vary considerably in their size and the quality of the dancers attending so that if there is flexibility in choosing competitions for different dancers, a more rewarding and enjoyable trip may be had for the individual dancers. We had a lot of fun with our trip last year and intend to try and repeat the experience in 07. We would like to invite any members of the studio who would like to go to Scotland to join us. We intend to go for one month and any one who would like to join us may do so in blocks of one week. We will spend the first three weeks on the east coast in a chalet on a golf course with an attached health club with swimming pool, steam room and sauna (Also bar and restaurant). There is also a fine trout loch for those interested in fishing. There is a web site where the facility may be viewed at www.piperdam.com. There are two, three, four, and five bedroom chalets available. Piperdam is located on the outskirts of Dundee and is very handy for commuting to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Perth, points North or South. The final week will be spent in Cowal, on the West Coast in preparation for the world Championships, held in Dunoon. Pricing will be based on double occupancy?but approximate costs are $250 per person per week for Piperdam, and $300 per person per week at Dunoon. Each family group must have their own car, or make their own prior arrangements with another family group to share car and related expenses.....approximately $400 per week, not including gas which would be approximately $200 per week( with 4 in a car this works out at $150 per person per week). One week trip per person.. Air fair..... $1000 Accommodation $250 ($300 in Cowal) Car $150 Misc.expenses $450 Total approx exp for one week..... $1850 For multiple weeks, just add on $850 per week. This is a generous budget and it should be possible to save money on all facets, but this should give a rough idea of what is involved. If one were to go with a large group and stay at one of the universities (Glasgow, Dundee, Stirling) and utilize a coach for travel, considerable savings might be had. Kate Degood and her mother, Claudia have stayed at Stirling University before and have told me it is nice. Jill Goodell has contacted Stirling, and the price of a flat that will sleep 4 is about $600 per week. More info might be got from Jill herself at jillgoodell@yahoo.com or check out the Stirling Uni. web site at www.holidays.stir.ac.uk Hope this is helpful. Feel free to call and ask me if you have any questions.