A DUNBLANE pupil was one of the lucky few who were drafted for a visit to the EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

Sammy McKinney was one of 26 students from Scotland on the Rotary Club's Euroscola programme and shared his experiences with the Bridge of Allan and Dunblane branch of the organisation last week.

On arrival in Strasbourg, Sammy – a Dunblane High School student – had the chance to do some sightseeing and to familiarize himself with what he described as the extraordinary beauty of many parts of the historic city.

The next day saw a visit to the European Council before the group put their language skills to the test by interviewing members of the public in the streets.

A quick trip over the bridge to Germany for lunch was followed an opportunity to visit Petit France, a particularly historic part of the city.

Over the week the group spent there, they were involved in many activities including the creation of a short film on a chosen theme related to Strasbourg.

The highlight was the visit to the European Parliament building itself, which was led by officials.

The youngsters were treated like MEPs and were divided into multinational groups to discuss current issues before voting took place in the chamber.

Reflecting on the experience, the youngster said it was a wonderful opportunity to meet peers from so many different backgrounds and to share their views on the problems faced by Europe.

Meetings of the Rotary are held at the Westlands Hotel, Doune Road, at 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start. The next meeting will be on March 22 when the University of Stirling Debating Society will pit its skills against a team from the club.

Anyone interested in attending should contact the club secretary, Iain Fraser at secretary@dunblanerotary.org.uk or call 01786 822751.