Art League instructor Robert Liberace has taken students to destinations including London, Rome, and Venice, but he says the upcoming travel workshop to Edinburgh, Scotland may outshine even those classic metropolises.

“We’re going to have a great time,” Rob says. “We’ve been to a lot of great places but I think this one will have a distinctive quality.” Among the reasons to go: a “wild, rough” countryside that stands in contrast to the curated, cosmopolitan city itself, and the ruined, “ghostly” — but still standing — abbeys, including Melrose Abbey, which he said will be the main attraction for him.

The centuries-old landmarks and millenia-old landscapes will be fodder for students’ sketchbooks, which will be their main tool for interpreting the sights. For less experienced artists, Rob says, “the desire and the interest is all you need” — along with paper and pencil.

On the nine-day trip, a typical day will start with breakfast with the group, followed by a morning excursion — either for drawing or for a museum visit — and another excursion after lunch. Students have lunch and evenings free, and can choose to skip an excursion if they want to.

The drawing excursions, generally in the afternoons, will satisfy any artist, Rob says.

“It’s one of the most beautiful areas in Great Britain,” he says. “You have this great range of visual experiences to take in.” Sketching sessions will take place in and around the city of Edinburgh, as well as farther afield, at the castles and abbeys. On the agenda: Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the National Gallery, and the castle Eilean Donan — to name only a few.

The trip will take place April 1–9, 2012. There are only a few spots remaining! To learn more about the trip and how to register, visit our website.