#old course

Green and fun- between Strathclyde and St Andrews Universities by train and bike...   

It was a beautiful clear few days in early February, and I had signed up for an event at St Andrews University to learn about some of the techniques and uses of ethnographic writing in academic research (a method of studying people and cultures from the point of view and context of a specific group or individual).

An approach mostly used by anthropologists and sociologists, it’s perhaps not one generally associated with accounting research. However, I suppose it indicates the interdisciplinary nature of my work, and where I hope to potentially consider the use of such techniques in my sustainability accounting research on water access in rural communities in Malawi.

I thought it would be nice to use some alternative and more sustainable means of transport to travel from my institution, Strathclyde University in Glasgow, to the event at St Andrews on the Scottish east coast- and, of course, in which I could incorporate my trusty bike. Understanding there were a couple of routes I could take, I had booked my bike on a train to Dundee (the need to book a bike on Scottish trains is variable depending on the route- it’s always best to check ahead) on the day before the course. A light flurry of sleet overnight in Glasgow had clearly been heavier out with the city, and a fresh blanket of snow covering the countryside and mountains, coloured by some late afternoon sunlight, is a bonus to a train trip in Scotland at this time of year. Alighting at Dundee I had the choice to then cycle the 25 km to St Andrews, or take a connecting train to Leuchars and pedal the shorter 10 km to the town.

With the sun fading, and keen for the chance to spend a little time in Dundee, I opted for the latter. Leaving my bike at the station, I walked along to the newly built V&A museum on the waterfront- which was looking especially handsome in the late sunshine as it awaits its opening later this year. One stop on the train across the Tay bridge (the road bridge can be cycled over) to Leuchars is a signposted and traffic-free cycle route (a combination of separate cycle paths and shared pedestrian and cycle pavements). Away from the road traffic this is a safe route to the town (but bike lights are nonetheless necessary if cycling at this time of year!).

After staying in the town overnight, a crisp cold morning was an ideal opportunity to make use of having my bike with me, and I pedalled down to the old harbour before heading for breakfast and then to the university via the ‘Home of Golf’s’ famous ‘Old Course’.

Following a full day of insightful sessions at the workshop, I could reflect on how I could potentially incorporate some ethnographically inspired research into my own work as I cycled back to Leuchars to catch an alternative train route via Edinburgh back to Glasgow. In doing so I met a fellow attendee from the day’s event at the station (I had managed to travel the 10 km to the train station quicker than her connection via bus from the town), and highlighting another benefit of travelling by public transport, we got the chance to talk about the course in relation to our individual research and work (Furthermore, we experience a lovely moment where 3 swans flew alongside our train as we travelled along a valley...)

However, connecting at Edinburgh did highlight one the issues with travelling by bike and train in Scotland. With our train having only 3 rather than 6 carriages as expected, capacity was tight for passengers and what is normally pretty restricted availability for bikes was further limited. While I got my bike on, other cyclists really struggled to board, and at least one individual had to be turned away. Arriving in Glasgow I then had the short cycle home- and had made it from the university in St Andrews to my house in under 3 hours. Not only had I undertaken a more sustainable means of travel that aligned with my institution and department’s recent increased commitment to sustainability practice by staff and students, but I had enjoyed what also had been a fun and memorable experience.

Images:

Top left: The impressive V&A museum in Dundee, to open later this year...

Top right: Pretty standard bike accommodation on trains in Scotland  

Bottom left: A beautiful sunset to cycle from Leuchars to St Andrews