Scotland has some of the most beautiful scenery we’ve ever seen. We were lucky to spend three weeks there in the summer on our family holiday in Scotland with kids. When we travel with our kids, we try to spend as much time outdoors as possible, so Scotland was right up our alley. You’ll find a healthy mix of family-friendly out door activities, along with fun cultural highlights in our list of the best things to do in Scotland with kids.
Still working on your family trip to Scotland? Here is our own Scotland itinerary with kids, which inspired this list of the best things to do in Scotland with kids.
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Top 10 Things To Do In Scotland With Kids
The following list of the best things to do with kids in Scotland was taken from our recent family trip to Scotland. We’ve included a mix of easy family-friendly hikes, castles, museums, scenic train rides, and fun outdoor stops where children can explore. Scotland has some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes, so you’ll see that many of our recommended family activities are outdoor focused.
We have included links to our short YouTube videos for many of family-friendly Scotland activities on our list. If you’d like a quick overview of our favourites, check out our Top 10 Things to do in Scotland with Kids video. Please keep reading afterwards for all the details you’ll need for your family trip to Scotland.
1. Old Man of Storr Hike, Isle of Skye
We did a lot of incredible hiking on our family vacation to Scotland, but the Old Man of Storr hike was the best family hike of them all. We’ve put it at the top of our list of things to do in Scotland with kids because it has all the elements that make families happy.
Parents will love the incredible views, while kids will love all the rocks to climb along the way. Our kids certainly did. From the moment we started hiking, this trail felt like a real adventure, and it only got better as we got closer to the Old Man of Storr.
The Old Man of Storr is one of the most popular hikes on the Isle of Skye, so we recommend starting early. If your kids are anything like ours, they’ll probably have you up early anyway.
If you want to see what this amazing family-friendly Isle of Skye hike is really like, watch our Old Man of Storr with kids YouTube video for a closer look at the trail, the views, and all those rocks our kids loved climbing. You can also read more in our post about hiking the Old Man of Storr with kids.
2. Fairy Glen Walk, Isle of Skye
What kid wouldn’t love being let loose to run through the magical hills of the Fairy Glen? That’s exactly what our kids did. As soon as we reached the top of the first hill, they took off exploring.
Thankfully, we could still see them for quite a while as they ran through the hills. Even on a rainy day, we could tell this was a magical place. It was easily one of the best places to go with kids in Scotland, and one of our favourite stops on the Isle of Skye.
You can see exactly what it looked like in our Fairy Glen with kids YouTube video. It’s a fun way to get a feel for this special place before you go, and while you’re there, we’d love it if you subscribed to our channel too.
As you can see, our top two things to do in Scotland with kids are from the Isle of Skye. We loved our time in this beautiful part of Scotland. For more inspiration, check out our full list of things to do on the Isle of Skye with kids.
3. Conic Hill Walk, Loch Lomond
We’ll be honest: our kids probably would not have chosen Conic Hill as one of their top things to do in Scotland, but we still think it deserves a place high on this list. It’s such a family-friendly hike, and the views are absolutely worth it.
Conic Hill was our first family hike in Scotland, and it turned out to be such a fun way to start the trip. There’s something exciting about making your way up the trail, knowing those incredible Loch Lomond views are waiting at the top. We were blown away when we got there, and it set the tone for just how much we were going to love hiking in Scotland as a family.
You can get a better feel for the hike and those amazing views in our Conic Hill with kids YouTube video. It’s a great way to see what the trail is really like before you go.
In addition to the video, we have a full post about the Conic Hill walk with kids. You may also enjoy reading about the area in our list of the best things to do in Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National park with kids.
4. See the Real-life Hogwarts Express, Fort William
What kid doesn’t love trains? Whether they are old enough to know about Harry Potter or not, there’s something pretty magical about seeing the Jacobite steam train crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct. You may also know the Jacobite as the Hogwarts Express, and the viaduct is the famous from the Chamber of Secrets movie, where Harry and Ron fly their car under it.
Our kids were too young to watch the full Harry Potter movies, so we showed them a clip of the train and bridge scene from the movie first. That made it even more exciting when we went to watch the Hogwarts Express cross the viaduct in real life. Seeing their faces as the train came around the curve and across the bridge was a really fun family travel moment.
If riding the Jacobite is on your list, it’s worth booking early. If you’re like us and find it sold out, we share some great alternatives in our post on Fort William with kids. You can also watch the moment in our Fort William with kids YouTube video. It’s the best way to get a feel for just how exciting it is before you go.
If your kids are Potterheads, be sure to check out all the amazing Harry Potter attractions in London.
5. Hermitage Woodland Walk, Tay Forest Park
We broke up the long drive from the Isle of Skye to Edinburgh with a couple of nights in Pitlochry. After all the hiking we did on the Isle of Skye, we took the opportunity to relax but snuck in this one short hike. What a fun surprise the Hermitage Woodland Walk in Tay Forest Park turned out to be!
The kids had so much fun running in the forest looking for new discoveries at every turn, they hardly knew they were on a hike. They especially loved the wishing trees and the Hermitage. You can see the highlights in our Hermitage Woodland Walk YouTube video.
Before you head out, read our best tips for hiking with kids and see what we actually pack in our guide to hiking gear for kids.
6. Riverside Museum, Glasgow
I couldn’t imagine a more fun way to start our Scotland itinerary than with a stop at the Riverside Museum in Glasgow. There was so much for the kids to see that just keeping up with them through the museum was hard enough.
They loved running from one display to the next, checking out all the old cars, trams, and trains. The whole museum felt made for kids who love to explore things up close.
Our kids’ favourite parts were the Tall Ship Glenlee and the little beach outside, but the museum itself was just as much fun and made this one of our favourite activity during our 3 days in Glasgow with kids.
Don’t Miss: 20 reasons to travel to Europe with kids.
7. National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
This was one of the best museums we’ve ever visited with kids. We do not always make museums a priority since we would usually rather be outside, but the National Museum of Scotland was so good that we actually went back a second time. That speaks volumes about how much our kids enjoyed it.
There was so much at the National Museum of Scotland to keep them interested, from the hands-on areas to the huge variety of exhibits spread across the museum. It’s fun and interactive and never felt like a museum where you were just walking around looking at displays.
It quickly became one of our favourite things to do in Edinburgh with kids, and one of the best indoor activities we found in Scotland.
8. Edinburgh Castle
Though it was crowded, which is to be expected in Scotland in summer, our kids’ were super excited to explore the Edinburgh Castle. They loved running around and checking out every building and room they could get into, and of course they were especially excited about the cannons.
Edinburgh Castle was so much fun for as it was easy for them to imagine what life in a castle might have been like. From wide open courtyards to the old stone buildings and historic rooms, there was always something new to look at.
The Edinburgh Castle was easily one of our favourite things to do in Edinburgh with kids. You can get a better feel for the castle and the museum in our Edinburgh with kids YouTube video.
9. Waterfall Hike, Queen Elizabeth Forest Park
If there were ever a hike made just for kids, this would be it. Despite the name, we’re pretty sure they didn’t even notice the waterfall on this trail. The entire walking trail is full of fun activities for the kids at each turn. The Waterfall Hike interpretive trail in the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is definitely worth a stop with kids.
You can details on this and four other family-friendly walks in our post on 5 easy walks in Loch Lomond with kids. You can also watch our short YouTube video as well.
10. The Whangie Walk, Loch Lomond
We loved the Whangie walk near Loch Lomond so much, we had to include it in our list of the best things to do with kids in Scotland. The Whangie hike starts out simply enough, working its way up the side of Auchineden Hill. Then you turn the corner, and there it is: the Whangie. Our kids literally took off sprinting when they saw this natural playground full of rocks they could climb and explore.
The hike continues up the summit of Auchineden Hill, where the kids could run wild. The Whangie is truly a great family hike in Scotland.
Get all the details about this family-friendly hike in our post about the the Whangie Walk with kids. We also have a short YouTube video on the Whangie walk featuring all the highlights.
What to Pack for Scotland With Kids
It’s hard to pack for a family vacation to Scotland, even in the summer. Take a moment and scroll through the pictures within this post one more time and you’ll see that we encountered every kind of weather during our trip. From rain jackets and pants to t-shirts and shorts, we had to be smart about what we packed.
We took notes while we prepared for our Scotland vacation and have shared it with you in our Packing List for Scotland with Kids. It has everything active families need for traveling to Scotland with kids!
We hope that our Top 10 Things to do in Scotland with kids was useful and that it helps you have the best family vacation possible!
Our Travel Journal for Kids
Based on our family travels, our kids helped us design this Travel Journal for Active Kids! This engaging travel journal encourages kids to document their adventures, spark creativity, and stay entertained on the go – grab yours now on Amazon!
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