Scotland

A 10 day trip to Scotland with toddlers. We loved our trip to Scotland with our 4 year old and 2 year old. Our kids loved exploring castles, being in the fresh outdoors and seeing all the water and sheep. We decided to spend the majority of our time in the Scottish Highlands in late June/early July. It was such a magical place full of natural beauty!

10 Day Itinerary to Scotland

DAY 1 : Arrive in Edinburgh

  • Uber 1hr to Glasgow 
  • Explore Ashton Lane a charming, cobbled street with fairy lights, pubs, and cafés for a relaxing evening.

DAY 2 : Glasgow

  • Private bike tour with Gallus Pedals Ltd. They were the BEST for biking with kids, providing kids seats for bikes and made sure our kids had age appropriate helmets. With them you’ll explore on bike
    • The University of Glasgow
    • Stroll along Buchanan Street, known for its shopping and street performers
    • Set back in time at the Riverside Museum interactive exhibits showcasing transport history
    • Explore the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
    • Marvel a the Govan Old Parish Church

Stay at: Air Bnb in Glasgow1

DAY 3 : Fort William

  • 3.5hr train ride on ScotRails to Fort William 
    • Pick up rental car from Easy Drive Scotland. They deliver the car with carseats to the train station 
  • Grab lunch at the Ben Nevis Inn and walk along the trail of Ben Nevis the he highest mountain in the UK.
  • Explore Fort William
    • We walked around town, down by the water and even stumbled across a cute little playground for the kids to play on before dinner.

Stay at: Cruachan Hotel. A must for traveling with children we stayed in one of their family hotel rooms with a queen bed and two twins.

DAY 4 : Isle of Skye

  • Drive 3hrs to Isle of Skye
  • Along the way visit Eilean Donan Castle, one of Scotland’s most iconic castles.
  • See the rainbow houses in Portree. Walk along the Scorrybreac trail along the water for the best view of the house.

DAY 5 : Isle of Skye

  • Explore the Fairy Pools
  • Visit Talisker Distillery. Our kids were too young to take the tour but we enjoyed lunch at The Three Chimney’s onsite
  • Boat Tour in Portree with Stardust to see dolphins & seals 

DAY 6 : Isle of Skye

  • Hike The Fairy Glenn and enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the glenn
  • Hike Old Man of Storr (ended up not doing- too difficult with young kids)
  • Explore historic Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
  • Head over to Coral Beach a secluded white sand beach with turquoise waters

Stay at: Air BnB in Isle of Skye one of my favorite Air BnB to date! It’s a classic Scottish cottage tucked in the hillside of the Highlands. One night we walked down the hill to a local pub for dinner.

DAY 7 : Inverness 

  • 3hr drive to Inverness
  • See Inverness Castle (it was under construction when we were there but able to see some of it from the street)
  • Walk along River Ness on a paved path to Ness Islands
  • Grab groceries in town before heading to Air BnB

DAY 8 : Inverness

  • Grab a cup of coffee and watch the boats go in and out of the lochs in Fort Augustus
  • Explore Urquhart Castle overlooking Loch Ness

Stay at: Air BnB at Inverness  a real life castle! The kids LOVED sleeping in a castle. Make sure to pack your bathing suit because it has an indoor pool which is great for quick swim.

DAY 9 : St. Andrews 

  • Drive through the Cairngorms National Park.
  • See the Old Course at St. Andrews.
  • Lunch at Rusacks Hotel over looking the course. 
  • Drive 1.5hrs to Edinburgh 
  • Dinner at Sheep Heid Inn one of the oldest pubs in Scotland. After dinner we stubbled upon the Holyrood park trail, a little lower than Arthur’s seat making it an easier hike with kids, still with a great view of the city.

Stay at:  Apex Waterloo Hotel in Edinburgh

DAY 10 : Edinburgh

  • Walking tour of the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and Edinburgh Castle via Get Your Guide
  • Stroll through Princes Street Gardens
  • The Scotch Whisky Experience Tour make sure to book ahead of time
  • Dinner at The Scran & Scallie 

Stay at: Apex Waterloo Hotel in Edinburgh

tips for Scotland with kids

most restaurants in the bigger cities are considered pubs or bars and do not allow children at certain times. I recommend checking with the restaurant prior. We made sure in Edinburgh to have reservations for dinners at restaurants that were kid friendly. Layers and a raincoat are your best friend. It can go from raining and cold one minute to sunny the next. In the summer months it stays lighter much later than we were used to, the sun would not set until 11PM. If you want to gain wife of the century points… the kids and I flew home while dad stayed for another week to play golf. His buddies flew over to meet him and they got to play some epic course. Their trip was planned through Grasshoppers.