An aroma of haggis, dancing the “skip change of step” resounding to the rhythm of the bagpipes, dancing the reels, men wearing kilts… ahah, the Scots have come back to Ciarus!

Every year, some thirty prize-winners from different classes in Glasgow benefit from a trip to Strasbourg to learn about the European institutions: this is the Scottish “EP Project” which has been led for 5 years by Gerry Torner, director of educational programmes, and Tommy Gilligan, a recently-retired teacher of French. 3 days of fact-finding at the European Parliament, sight-seeing tours of the city and evening classes on the subject of Europe run by their own teachers: they make a 200% profit on their stays! And in the bar, they “improve their French”.

The final evening at Ciarus is a tradition: the Scottish evening! With no little pride in their traditions, they share their legendary haggis with the other guests and the staff: this is a dish based on the entrails of a sheep, eaten in memory of the celebrated Scottish poet Robert Burns, who so loved Scotland and Scottish women…

The dances known as reels, that is, in couples, practised at the court of Scotland, entice even the most sceptical out of the corner.

“A proud nation, and rightly so”, says the Scottish Tourist Board.