As a Scottish family we do love to travel around our country, exploring all the amazing sights. From Edinburgh castle in the central belt to driving the North Coast 500 up in the Scottish highlands, there is so much to see and do here in bonny Scotland! Family travel is now a big business and Scotland has a great number of attractions suited to families. Central Scotland has the most attractions due to its location, but you will find fun things to do all over the country. You don’t even have to take the car, try this 10 day itinerary for Scotland by train!
Click on the links in the post to take you to even more informative posts throughout the blog!
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Family Friendly Accommodation in Scotland
Scotland has an amazing number of places to stay and it can be difficult to choose a single location for your trip. It really depends on what you are looking for. For cities, restaurants and plenty of museums you are going to want to head to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Whereas if you are looking for wild rugged landscapes then the highlands are going to be the best for you. The islands are brilliant for beautiful white sand beaches and boat trips, although even every island is completely different! This post has a range of great options for places to stay in Scotland.
Finding family friendly accommodation can be tricky. Fortunately many hotels in the cities have family rooms, self catering can be a good option for bigger families or of course camping for keeping costs down.
I asked the kids their favourite places we’ve stayed and inevitably they chose camping at Invercaimbe near Arisaig and Eastside Cottages in the Pentland Hills. Of course there were plenty of other places they love too! Including the beautiful Isle of Gigha and glamping on Iona. If you are looking for budget accommodation I can also recommend hostelling Scotland, both Port Charlotte at Islay and Cairngorms near Aviemore are great for families and self catering too.
Family Attractions In Scotland
You will not be short of family attractions when visiting Scotland. There is something for everyone, from free days out, to those that will cost most of your days budget! We have theme parks, aquariums, zoos, safari parks and tons of fantastic museums, castles and other historical sites! We’ve also loved exploring seasonal activities such as Scottish sunflower fields in the summer, Scottish pumpkin patches in the autumn and Christmas events in Scotland in the Winter.
It’s also fun to just explore, especially on the islands, try a small island such as Iona for a starting point. Then walk, cycle and just enjoy the slow life for a while! Or head to a smaller city or town and explore the sights. Dunfermline isn’t normally on top of everyone’s list to visit, but it has such a great number of interesting historical sites that it should be! Did you know that Dunfermline was Scotland’s ancient capital?!
If you are entering Scotland via the road from the lowlands then you will probably be looking for lots of stop-offs on your Scottish road trip. Some of our favourites include Coldingham Bay and the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune or the various attractions in Falkirk such as a magical Harry Potter themed shop or the Kelpies!. Or if you are travelling up the West then the Dino Park at Dumfries or Chatelherault Country Park near Hamilton. I also have a whole post of Scottish country parks if you desperately need somewhere for the kids to run about in a large open green space!
Scotland also boasts a large amount of wildlife spotting destinations. From Basking Sharks to Golden Eagles, we have lots of wildlife to watch in Scotland! We’ve been lucky enough to see Minke whales and dolphins whilst crossing to the Isle of Eigg from Arisaig. Plus we have seen a huge number of puffins only a metre or so away whilst visiting the Isle of Lunga from Mull. It’s amazing just how close you can get to Scottish wildlife with the kids!
Scottish Islands
Don’t forget to visit at least a few of the Scottish islands. We have so many to choose from and they are stunning! Check out the Complete Guide to Isle of Iona here or an Isle of Mull Itinerary. If you are heading to the islands from the seaside port of Oban, then you may also want to check out my ‘Things To Do With Kids In Oban’ post.
The Isle of Skye is another favourite of ours or perhaps the lesser known island of Gigha. Whatever you are looking for, from the distilleries of Islay to the history of Orkney and Shetland (home to the most Northerly island in the UK, Unst), you will find plenty spread throughout the Scottish islands. You will also find plenty more ideas in our post with the 10 Best Scottish Islands to visit here.
There are even some hidden gems closer to the cities, like Inchcolm Island. Or islands you can visit on a day trip such as the Isle of Bute or Kerrera!
Scottish Road Trip Ideas
The North Coast 500 isn’t the only road trip you can take. There are plenty more Scottish road trips to try. From island hopping in the Hebrides to trips around the mountainous East highlands and Aberdeenshire. Scotland can easily take you from mountain to white sand beach in one day!
For a road trip you definitely need to decide how long you have. Then decide which main attractions you want to fit in. It’s best not to do over do it otherwise the kids will get annoyed pretty quickly! Especially when they just want to play at somewhere rather than rushing on to the next sight. If there’s a lot to do at your destination then it could be sensible to stay longer in one place. Such as 2-3 nights and then drive out each day from there. This would work well on places like Orkney or even the Highlands of Scotland.
Scottish Family Adventures
If you are looking for adventure with the kids then have a look at these Scottish adventures. We are lucky to be able to kayak in stunning crystal clear waters. Or speed over the Scottish sands on land yachts! It may also interest you to know that we have some awesome destinations for wild swimming in Scotland. Brilliant landscapes for those social media selfies too!
if you would like some help with planning your Scotland itinerary then I recommend checking out this post with 10 awesome family itineraries. You can also check out our Scottish packing lists for every season here! It’s not always the easiest country for packing as our weather is very changeable.
If you’re not able to get to Scotland at this moment it’s also possible to visit virtually. There are hundreds of Scottish webcams dotted all around the country. You can check on the scenery, the wildlife and even the passers by. Family travel and days out in Scotland can be just a click away!
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