Posted by Maris on 21st Oct 2024
The best things to do in Scotland with kids
You're here for amazing, soul-stirring experiences that surprise parents just as much as impatient children, and Scotland is a haven of kid-friendly faves.
Between the fairy glens and the newfangled Harry Potter tradition, you'll be transported into a moody landscape perfect for a family vacation. Head north from Edinburgh, leaving behind three fantastical brick-block castles and traveling through a legendary countryside that is home to stories of giant water spirits and an ancient humped loch monster.
This country has many family-friendly cultural and wildlife experiences and plenty of hill, loch, and river activities for older children. Additionally, everything tastes as wonderful as it looks. Even the most obstinate, tantrum-throwing youngster will be fueled by sugar-sweet fudge, tablets, shortbread, Tunnock's teacakes, and effervescent Irn Bru.
A trip to Scotland is, in fact, the connoisseur's substitute for an all-inclusive resort or theme park vacation; it's more like a Caledonian magic kingdom than Disneyworld. Ultimately, the reward isn't so much the location as the welcoming friendliness and ridiculously amiable locals.
Is Scotland a kid-friendly place?
Yes, in a nutshell. As locals say, traveling with kids is easy, breezy, and lemon squeezy. The combination of affordable family tickets at attractions, a wealth of public services, and short travel distances (compared to many other kid-friendly places) make it an alluring offer. The great outdoors is Scotland's greatest asset. It's a bold outdoor playground and escapist delight with trees for climbing, beaches for constructing castles, and rivers, waterfalls, and lochs for splashing and dipping toes in.
Additionally, comfort is paramount. Government initiatives generally tolerate and promote public breastfeeding, and restaurants frequently offer high chairs, kid-friendly menus, and promotions where children eat free. According to licensing regulations, pubs must have a specific children's license for kids to eat there. To be sure, ask the bartenders.
Even though Edinburgh's medieval cobblestone parades are brutal, a stroller or buggy is ideal for families with little children to explore all towns and cities. Sometimes, you could think you're just a few minutes away from getting punctured. A baby carrier or backpack is also a must for families that love the outdoors.
The weather is arguably the most important consideration before traveling. Even the most beautiful summer day can be marred by notoriously erratic, torrential rain and midge clouds, and a whirlwind of weather can derail a simple bike ride, picnic, or woodland walk. The pelting rain and high-velocity winds frequently playing peekaboo from Perth to Paisley to Portree are too strong for a waterproof jacket or stout shoes.
Where is the best place for kids in Scotland?
From Glasgow's galleries to the Borders' bike routes to Fife's stunning beaches, it's clear why so many families have smiles as big as the Clyde.
Edinburgh's rock-topped castle and wizard-worthy Royal Mile are a great place to start if you're in Scotland for the history, but Stirling is a more reasonable option for anyone with less stamina. Head to the Cairngorms' Aviemore, a highland amusement park with lots of experiences, and then head to Loch Ness, where a little boat ride away might bring your childhood dream of monster hunting to life. Glencoe and Glenfinnan, to the west, perform the magic of the Harry Potter film. What about the beaches? You have many options in Argyll and the Northwest Highlands, especially on Barra, Harris, and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.
Best things to do in Scotland with babies and toddlers
Travel through the Kelpies in a canal boat.
For young children, the Kelpies, two enormous horse sculptures that stand 30 meters (98 feet) tall at the eastern entrance of the Forth and Clyde Canal, are more than a sight to behold. Instead, they have come to represent a renewed sense of community in the Central Belt of Scotland, specifically around Falkirk.
Examine the nearly dragon-sized scale plates up close first, then proceed to Helix Park's monster-sized playground. Even better is eyeballing them from the sea in a pirate fashion while cruising from the Falkirk Wheel, the only spinning boat lift in the world. Scottish folklore says kelpies are water spirit devils with enormous horse heads. Perhaps it would be best not to mention this to any younger children.
Visit the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe to see a show.
Over the last few years, the biggest arts festival in the world has had to change, with more accessible venues and a more inclusive young audience. Every August, this month-long cultural spectacle has a soap bubble circus, balloon-bending acrobats, puppet dragons, and master magicians to suit every age group, taste, mood, and want.
It's acceptable for new parents to feel intimidated. With almost 3500 performances spread across 300 locations throughout the city, it might be difficult to know where to begin. Ask around: residents rely on word-of-mouth recommendations and reviews in newspapers and online to determine what not to miss. Finally, make reservations in advance. Traveling with younger children is especially advisable because the most popular events tend to sell out well in advance, but it also means you'll miss the freedom of spontaneity.
Best things to do in Scotland with kids
Discover the Hebrides' whale route.
Many of the west coast islands' magical qualities are present in the Isle of Mull, which features cliffs that plunge into choppy seas. However, it also serves as a starting point for the Hebridean Whale Trail, a self-guided path that promotes easy, low-impact wildlife observation from the ground. Out of the depths, silhouettes appear. Swirling beneath the surface are shadows. Dark-skinned rolls rise out of the water.
33 locations, ranging from Mull all the way along the west coast, around Ardnamurchan, and all the way to the tip of Lewis, have been designated for their exceptional marine variety. This idea is an unadulterated pleasure for children and adults who have never seen a bottlenose or common dolphin, harbor porpoise, basking shark, humpback, minke, fin, beaked, pilot, or killer whale.
Experience the enchantment of Harry Potter.
Edinburgh's Victoria Street is the location of Diagon Alley. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was modeled after George Heriot's School. The people buried at Greyfriars Kirkyard are the names of a number of wizards, witches, and crazy, crazy people.
Scotland is a Potter fan's paradise, much like Edinburgh is the setting for Harry Potter, and J.K. Rowling was influenced by the city's squiggly lanes, Gothic steepled schools, and magician's hat spires. Follow The Road to the Isles towards Mallaig, stopping at Glencoe, Glen Nevis, and Glenfinnan for the perfect family-friendly journey. Few people can avoid pausing to witness where Harry Potter and his friends rode the Hogwarts Express over the Glenfinnan Viaduct railway bridge, as all of these served as production sites for the big-screen wizarding tale.
Check out Dumfries for more literary inspiration. The National Centre for Children's Literature and Storytelling is located there, and J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, drew inspiration for Neverland there.
Best things to do in Scotland with tweens and teenagers
In the Cairngorms, go crazy!
The planned activities include canoeing on Loch Morlich in the morning, off-trail biking through the stag-infested Rothiemurchus Forest shortly after lunch, and a ride up Cairngorm Mountain on Britain's only summit funicular. Aviemore, the adventurous basecamp in Scotland's largest national park, does not lack activities. Having time to catch your breath is what it is.
In the Cairngorms, timing is crucial, of course. Winter is all about skiing and snowboarding, summer is all about water sports, and fall is when the rutting stags appear. For older children, an off-road Highland safari to view osprey, black grouse, and red deer has a little more grit.
Be advised that Aviemore can get crowded during the summer, so plan your activities accordingly. Braemar, on the eastern edge of the national park in Aberdeenshire, is a more expensive but calmer option.
Ride the 7Stanes
Taking kids downhill biking in southern Scotland is the best way to get them away from their phones and, perhaps, out of their comfort zones. The 7Stanes, a network of specialized facilities that includes competitive hotspots Glentress, Innerleithen, Glentrool, Newcastleton, and Kirroughtree, are found in Borders, Dumfries, and Galloway.
There are many milder courses for beginners and children eager to test their abilities outside of the pump track, even though many of them are all about the face-slapping descents, woodland chicanes, and downhill roller coasters suitable for teens and adults.