Scotland with Kids: Ultimate Travel Guide

Thinking of visiting Scotland with kids?

I spent 2 weeks driving around Scotland with my pre-teen and 4-year-old.

I spent a whole year carefully researching the trip, delving into all the amazing things there are to do – and we were not left disappointed.

Scotland was an incredible place for a family trip, and I’m going to share with you below:

• all of the amazing things there are to do on a trip to Scotland with all ages
• and some highly useful things to know (that we wish we’d known before)

Prepare to be inspired – here are some amazing things to do in Scotland with kids which make it an amazing place for a family trip.

Is Scotland worth visiting with kids?

Scotland is definitely worth visiting with kids. We had an amazing trip there with our 12-year-old and 4-year-old, and found it to be an amazing place for all ages.

Here are the highlight reasons why I think Scotland makes an AMAZING family vacation:

• It’s safe, with welcoming people and a low crime rate
• It has a lot of outdoor and nature-based activities.
• It’s full of stunning beauty that can be explored through boat cruises, hikes, and scenic drives – the Scottish Highlands, waterfalls, and great playgrounds
• There are a lot of animals – Highland Cows, potentially dolphins, whales, seals and puffins (during certain seasons if you go to the right parts.) We saw wild dolphins, seals and many sheep with baby lambs on our trip in May
• The opportunity to learn some fascinating history, for older kids
• It’s Harry Potter influence (perfect if there’s a Harry Potter fan in your family)

Things to Not Miss in Scotland with Kids

Here are things to do in Scotland during a family trip

1. See dinosaur bones, fossils and footprints!

Best for: Pre-school and up!

Some parts of Scotland, such as the Highlands and modern-day Isle of Skye were inhabited by dinosaurs millions of years ago.

Seeing dinosaur fossils isn’t usually the first thing one pictures when they think of bringing kids to Scotland, but I found there are a few places to do it.

• The Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh (which is free to enter)
• Staffin Dinosaur Museum in the Isle of Skye, open seasonally only
• Beaches in the Isle of Skye where you can see Dinosaur bones on the beach!

Interesting fact to share with your kids: At the time of the dinosaurs, Scotland was closer to the equator (where Greece is today)

2. Do a Harry Potter Tour

Best for: Varies based on the tour, sometimes 7+, some all ages

If your kids are Harry Potter fans, then they will be amazed at all the Harry Potter influences and filming scenes for the movies were filmed in Scotland.

In Edinburgh, there are Harry Potter tours offered that show you all of the influences for the novels around the city centre, where J.K. Rowling wrote her books.

My 4-year-old was too young for the tour that we took, so just my 12-year-old and I did the Harry Potter tour together.

What you need to know about the Harry Potter tours.

• There are other Harry Potter tours that allow all ages, such as this one.
• There are two different tour companies offered, both of them are ‘free’ but they do hope for a donation of around £20.

3. Meet Highland Cows

Best for: All ages

Highland cows are native to Scotland; they’re red and known for their long shaggy hair.

Scotland isn’t the only place where you can find them, but you can find more highland cows in Scotland than in any other place in the world. They are considered to be a threatened species.

Still, I feel like a trip to Scotland (especially with kids) isn’t complete without seeing at least one Highland Cow.

There are a number of places where you can see them:

• On the side of the road of farms who have them – that’s how I saw the ones pictured above (keep your eyes out!)
• Trossach’s Woollen Mill, which is near Doune Castle and Stirling Castle. It can be seen as apart of a day trip from Edinburgh, or a roadtrip

4. Mingle with the only Reindeer Herd in the UK

Best for: 7+ (winter) and all ages (summer)

The Cairngorm Reindeer Hill trip is one of the most epic experiences in Scotland.

The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd is located in the Cairngorm National Park in the Scottish Highlands.

As soon as I saw this, I knew we had to sign up.

There are a few things to keep in mind about doing the Hill Trip with kids:

• They are very strict about what you wear – especially for kids. Ensure that you check their website for what you need to wear for the season (waterproof footwear is always required.)
• It is a bit of a lengthy (non-stroller friendly) walk to the hill where the reindeer are
• You cannot pet the reindeer, but everyone got 1 chance to feed them.

Here is our YouTube video of the experience if you want to check it out!

And if you’re interested in doing a Hill Trip, here’s their website to book. In addition, you could drive by the centre and meet the reindeer that they usually have on-site (without doing a hill trip.)

5. Have a fun day out at the Landmark Forest Adventure Park

Best for: All ages

Landmark Forest Adventure Park is located in the Highland area, just north of the Cairngorms National Park.

It’s popular with Scottish parents and tourists who know about it. Its basically what it sounds like – a large park in the middle of the forest, with canopies, climbing structures, a dinosaur world, trails through the old-growth pine forest, and more.

Check it out and book tickets on their website.

6. Visit Castles

Best for: All ages

It goes without saying that there are lots of castles to visit in Scotland – some abandoned, and some set up as tourist attractions.

My 4-year-old was initially more interested in castles than my 12-year-old, because she has the ideal of Queens, Kings and Princesses.

But my 12-year-old ended up being really impressed with the castles as well – asking about who lived in them, what happened to them, and questions like that.

So, we’re so glad that we visited a lot of castles as a family. They really enhanced our time in Scotland.

7. Stop by the Kelpies

Best for: Any age!

The Kelpies are about a 30 minute drive from Edinburgh, they are two large metal horses. ‘Kelpies’ are from English folklore, and they are horse-like figures.

Near the Kelpies, there’s an Adventure Zone with a wooden playground. There’s a cafe and a giftshop on site.

Visiting the Kelpies is possible for a Scotland road trip itinerary, driving from Edinburgh towards the Highlands.

It’s a worthwhile place to stop, but we were a little surprised how far the playground is from the actual ‘kelpies’ structure pictured above. There are a few different parking lots, but they get very busy and fill up.

Definitely worth a stop if you have time, but bring patience.

9. Do a Loch Ness Boat Cruise

Best for: All ages!

Loch Ness is one of the most famous lakes in the world, and as you know, its notorious for its Loch Ness monster (nicknamed “Nessie.”)

The Loch Ness is just south of Inverness, and you probably need at least 10 days in Scotland in order to have time to fit it into your itinerary (if you also want to see Edinburgh,the Isle of Skye, the highlands – Scotland is bigger than it seems.)

We were glad we visited Inverness, there were a lot of things to do there aside from the Loch Ness cruise.

Loch Ness Cruises are VERY popular, and tend to fill up. There are a few different companies that offer one.

We booked one that took us to the ruined Urquhart Castle (picrtured above.)

Urquhart Castle sits on the shores of Loch Ness, and we were given about an hour to explore the castle ruins. We booked through Jacobite Cruises (about a 20-minute drive south of Inverness) and it was worth it – recommended.

There are lots of cute ‘Nessie’ souvenirs you can get for your kids as well. We got our 4 year old a book all about Nessie, which is cute rather than scary.

10. Spend time in the Highlands

Best for: All ages

A big part of why we wanted to visit Scotland as a family was the nature-based things to do, and all the spending time outdoors.

The Highlands and the western rugged Scottish landscape are unlike anywhere else in the world.

Go hiking, enjoy some time by the sea, do fairy trails and take in the beauty.

We spent more time outdoors in Scotland than we typically do at home in Canada, and our whole family was better off for it!

Pro Tip: Come dresses for the weather regardless of the time of year you’re in Scotland. Waterproof jackets, and boots are a must, especially for young kids who get cold more easily.

11. Spot wild marine life

Best for: All ages

Scotland is home to many types of exotic marine life that you often don’t seen, such as puffins, whales and dolphins.

Here are some ways to see some marine life in their natural habitat:

• Visit the town of Stonehaven. Just south of there is the largest seabird colony in eastern Scotland, called Fowlsheugh – there is said to be over 100,000 seabirds nesting there in the spring and summer months
• There are cruises in Inverness that can take you out to the sea to spot dolphins and whales. One is called Dolphin Spirit Cruises
• On the Isle of Skye, we saw wild seals basking on the rocks off the shore. They were very far (too far to see them up close) but it was amazing to show our kids how these wild animals live in their natural habitat

12. Ride the Jacobite train

The Jacobite Steam train is at the top of many tourists’ lists when visiting Scotland – not just those travelling with kids!

The train leaves from Fort William (a beautiful tourist town in west Scotland) and you can either do a round trip or one-way to its destination, .

We decided not to do the Jacobite train this time, for a couple reasons:

• It’s pricey, and the only seats left for the dates we were available were first class seats. It would have been $800 for us to do it (quite a big expense for a family travelling through Northern Europe for 2 months)
• We felt that our youngest was too young – it’s quite a long journey, and we felt that for the amount it cost, we wouldn’t have fully enjoyed it because of our youngest still being too young to really appreciate it.
• Our tight itinerary – we were in Scotland for 2 weeks, but there it didn’t feel like enough time to cover everything we wanted. But your itinerary, even if its just one week, may differ from ours, especially if you or your kids are into Harry Potter

However, if you opt not to ride the train like we did, then you can get a glimpse of it from the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre. It sells food, has bathrooms, and viewing areas to get a glimpse of the famous and iconic train.

13. Visit cozy cafés

Best for: All ages

What kids don’t love scones, croissants, baked goods and hot chocolate?

We loved sitting in cozy family-owned cafés that we could find in Scotland, and ordering coffee for the adults and hot chocolates for the kids.

It was a good way to wind down, take it easy and savour special family moments.

14. Play at great playgrounds

Best for: All ages

Scotland is great for playgrounds. Even major cities were full of them, and we found the playgrounds in Scotland to be better for a wide age range than playgrounds that we’re used to back home.

Most of the playgrounds in Scotland that we saw were made of wood, and they had riskier type of equipment that encouraged kids to get out of their comfort zone and actually have fun.

I hadn’t seen my 12 year old play in a long time, but she actually enjoyed many of the playgrounds we visited in Scotland.

Scotland with Kids FAQ

Here are the most commonly asked questions about family trips to Scotland

What to do with kids in the Scottish Highlands?

There are a number of things to do with kids in the Scottish Highlands. With school-age kids, consider doing the Cairngorm Reindeer Trek. Go for family-friendly hikes, and get photos with a backdrop of deep meadows and hills.

Final Thoughts on Scotland Family Vacations

Scotland makes an amazing family trip, and there’s so much to do in Scotland with kids.

I’d previously fallen in love with Ireland, for many of the same reasons that we ended up loving Scotland. Both places are so wonderful for a family vacation.

I hope that you are able to spend more than a week discovering this amazing country.