Last Updated: February 3, 2023
After months of staying pretty still during the Coronavirus Pandemic we were yearning for travel more than ever. We desperately wanted for wide open spaces and beautiful scenery. So where better to head than Scotland!
With a vast countryside, incredible wildlife and easy self contained accommodation available, it really ticked all our boxes. We almost felt guilty that after all the travelling we had done over the years it was only now that we decided to fully explore our next door neighbours back yard, with the short journey up from our home country, England.
And what a treat it is for a family adventure. With stunning scenery, mythical monsters and wonderful wildlife what more could kids ask for! So here’s our guide to travelling around Scotland with Kids.
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Scotland Itinerary for a Family with Kids
There’s a lot to see and do in Scotland and the more north you go the more rural it tends to get. With this in mind, you will want a good few weeks in the country if possible to be able to really unearth all it’s hidden jewels.
Below is our suggested 3 week itinerary. If you have your own wheels you can move quickly to squeeze as much in as possible. But you can adapt this as you please if you’re not in your own transport.
Potentially you can squeeze this into 2 weeks, by shaving a day here and there or cutting the odd stop off. So we have an alternative 2 week itinerary in brackets if you prefer a shorter visit.
1. Galloway Forest – 2. Glasgow – 3. Loch Lomond & Trossachs – 4. Fort William – 5. Isle of Skye – 6. Inverness & Loch Ness – 7. Cairngorms – 8. Aberdeenshire – 9. Stirling – 10. Falkirk – 11. Edinburgh
Galloway Forest – 2 (1) Nights
As we were coming up from England we started at Galloway Forest Park. Which is the largest forest in the UK.
A great place for woodland walks and potential wildlife spotting. It is incredibly beautiful and scenic.
It’s also an official Dark Skies Reserve, so a great place to do some star gazing.
Glasgow – 2 (1) Nights
As you head north you will probably pass through Glasgow. So it would be rude not to take a night or two in this great city. Often over shadowed by it’s neighbour and Scotland’s capital to the east, Glasgow sometimes gets overlooked.
But we would strongly recommend spending some time in this city. We really like Glasgow and it has a great Science Museum you can visit with the kids for an educational stop off.
This might actually be a good starting point if flying into Scotland, as Glasgow airport is well supported nationally and internationally with many flights in and out.
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs – 2 Nights
Not too far north of Glasgow is Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. One of the main national parks in Scotland. It is dominated by Loch Lomond, the largest loch in Scotland in terms of surface area. But it also has many other lochs and areas to discover.
We particularly liked Loch Lubnaig, which is a great stop off to go for some wild swimming, paddle boarding or kayaking on a sunny day!
There’s also lot’s of walks and mountains to conquer. With a walk up the Beinn Ime one of our recommendations with kids.
Fort William – 3 (2) Nights
After leaving the Trossachs you will get to the start of the Scottish Highlands and will really start to feel like you’re in ‘proper’ Scotland. With the A82 one of the most scenic roads we’ve ever come across.
And if you want to conquer the highest of all the mountains in the highlands and indeed the UK, then Ben Nevis is ready and waiting for you to take it on!
The is a great mountain to do for intermediate or even beginner hikers. And a good one to do with kids if they are good walkers, with the trail not having any major obstacles. You can read some more details on our Climbing Ben Nevis with Kids post.
Fort William is the base for attempting the mountain, but is not the only reason to visit the picturesque Scottish town. Harry Potter fans can take a trip on ‘The Jacobite’ steam train and take the 84 mile round trip starting from Fort William. Often considered one of the greatest train trips in the world you will chug past incredible scenery.
It’s now been made even more famous by Harry Potter as the Hogwarts Express and on the trip you will pass over Glenfinnan Viaduct, recognisable from one of the scenes from the film franchise.
Isle of Skye – 3 (2) Nights
The Isle of Skye should be on everyone’s list to see in Scotland. With it’s beautiful waterfalls, rolling mountains and quant towns and villages it really does illustrate what Scotland it all about!
There are lot’s of areas to explore on Skye, some of the highlights include the Fairy Pools where you can wonder up the stream and pick your favourite rock pool to go for a dip.
Or head to the town of Portree and to try some great fish and chips. Then take a wonder around the cliff Edges on the Scorrybreac Trail, where you might be able to spot some wild seals, eagles and maybe otters.
One of our favourite discoveries on the Isle of Skye was Lealt Falls. Which is a great spot to do a bit of Wild Swimming. You can read further details on our Wild Swimming in Lealt Falls post.
When you leave Isle of Skye you can take the scenic route to our next stop by heading round the North Coast 500. It will add a bit more to your journey but it’s often viewed as one of the most scenic routes in the world.
Inverness & Loch Ness – 2 (1) Nights
When in Scotland with kids Loch Ness has to be on your list. Kids will likely already know about the legendary monster ‘Nessy’ that dwells in the deep, dark waters of this loch.
Being the biggest loch in Scotland in terms of water volume, this loch contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined!
Due to a high peat content, the loch is particularly murky. So where better for a monster to hide and where better for kids to open their wonderous imagination.
So why not take a boat trip on the loch and see if you can spot Nessy. With some of the boat trips even having sonar to help with the search…
Just up the road from Loch Ness is the city of Inverness. Where you can explore the pictures city and it’s central castle.
Cairngorms National Park – 1 Night
Another great National Park is the Cairngorms. With woodlands, wildife, mountains and streams it is one of the favourite spots for mountain bikers.
If you’re hoping to see some some Scottish Wild Cats then this is your best bet, as it’s where they’re thought to be most concentrated. Although they are notoriously difficult to spot, but you never know…
Aberdeenshire – 2 (1) Nights
Aberdeenshire has some great sites with lovely surrounding green spaces. Peterhead is a particularly great place to visit.
Peterhead Prison Museum is a good educational stop off and one that our kids really enjoyed. And a little out of Peterhead, Aden Country Park is a great park for kids to run wild with playgrounds, ruins and streams to explore.
Stirling – 1 Night
As we come back down south we head to some more urban areas again. Sterling has another castle to explore in it’s centre.
And if you head a bit out of the city you can visit the The Battle of Bannockburn. Here you can walk around the battlefield and read the various information boards, which will bring to life your surroundings as you envisage how Robert the Bruce devised one of the greatest battle victories in Scottish history.
In the visitors centre you can try the Battle of Bannockburn Experience and even try on some of the armour and weapons.
Falkirk – 1 (0) Night
Just down the road from Stirling is Falkirk. Another great town with some unique attractions such as The Kelpies.
Another Scottish monster legend with a somewhat dark story. Kelpies are shape-shifting spirits that dwell in rivers and lure people down posing as beautiful maidens to lure adults or sometimes in the form of a horse to lure children to ride them before drowning them!
Luckily the kelpie sculptures have a lighter feel about them than the dark legend and are magnificent to look at as as you wonder round the large Helix Park with some nice boardwalks to explore as well.
Not far from the kelpies you can also head to the Falkirk Bridge. A unique rotating boat lift connecting the Forth and Clyde Canal with the Union Canal. You can ride the bridge and there are also other activities here with Zorb Balls and Mini-Golf to name a couple.
Edinburgh – 2 Nights
Our final stop on our itinerary is the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh. This city has so much to offer with incredible buildings everywhere you look. And Edinburgh Castle being one of the best in Scotland to explore.
Numerous museums can also keep the kids entertained. And head to Edinburgh Dungeons if you ant to scare them half to death!
If you still haven’t had your fill of the Scottish countryside you can head out to Arthur’s Seat seat. Take the walk up and then over look Edinburgh from up high.
Getting Around Scotland as a Family with Kids
Local Transport
It really depends on where you are as to the type of transport you will find. In the more urban areas and especially the big cities there are usually great and extensive public transport networks with buses and sometimes trams that can reach all areas of the town or city you are in.
Most offer family day tickets so you can get on and off various buses throughout the day. Taxis and Ubers are in vast supply in the cities.
It naturally get’s a little trickier in the more rural areas. There will still be buses knocking about if you are near a village or main road, but your most likely mode of transport will be walking, cycling or driving (if you have access to a bike or car).
National Transport
As Scotland has some pretty rural areas, which is one of the main draws, the best way to get about is driving in your own transport. This means you can get into the nooks and crannies of rural Scotland with no limits.
Heading round in a car is a great way to see Scotland, or you can even go one better and get round in a Campervan or Motorhome. Scotland is very campervan friendly and so this is a great way to get about and a very popular choice for travellers to Scotland.
If you don’t drive, Scotland is still doable via public transport. Whilst it will be a little more restrictive and time consuming it is still well worth the effort and you will still get to see some great areas of Scotland with a little forward planning.
There is a good train network that can get to lots of cities towns and even villages. The train lines also go through some of the countryside that roads don’t so you get a bit of a bonus in seeing some of the scenery you wouldn’t on the road. But the trains aren’t the cheapest, best to book in far advance as possible to get the best deals.
Coaches are also a good way to get about with more good reach and often cheaper than the train. Again book in advance for the best deals. City Link are one of the biggest coach service providers in Scotland where you can book popular routes and destinations.
Currently, there are on going disputes that are leading to regular industrial action in the UK that may affect Public Transport. Most strike action is declared a couple of weeks in advance. So always check regularly for any updates or disruptions for days you are planning to use any public transport including trains, coaches and buses.
Cycling round Scotland is also a good way to get about nationally if you have the energy. And even walking across the landscape for days and wild camping as you go is common practise in Scotland for those who want a more adventurous journey.
Scotland Accomodation for a Family with Kids
If you are driving and want to hit the rural areas it would be a good idea to take a tent and camping equipment. ‘Wild Camping’ is a common past time in Scotland where you can essentially camp within public spaces (within reason).
Similarly if in a Campervan or Motorhome you can often find spots to pull up and rest for the night, providing they are not breaking any of the usual rules.
But if you prefer to camp/campervan in official campsites and holiday parks there are lots and lots in Scotland. Peak season, weekends and holidays can get very busy, so best to book ahead if you want to guarantee a spot at a specific campsite.
Aside from camping you can also find, glamping and lodges at some of the campsites and small B&Bs and hostels are usually in decent supply in the towns near the rural areas. In the towns and bigger cities hotels are also vastly available.
Scottish food for a Family with Kids
Scotland has some great traditional dishes. Haggis is probably the most famous Scottish dish. A mince meat type dish, traditionally with sheep’s heart, liver and lungs mixed in with onion oatmeal spices and salt.
Mince and Tatties is another Scottish dish with mince meat, usually mixed with carrots and gravy with a side of potatoes, simple yet delicious!
Seafood is also great to try, especially on the coast. But be prepared to take out a small mortgage for some fish and chips in a lot of places!
Self catering is also pretty easy in Scotland with supermarkets in easy reach of most places, as you get further north though they can become more short supplied and therefor more expensive, so stock up if you plan to go north for a while.