Edinburgh’s Top 5 with Kids

We spent a week in Edinburgh with our four year old and our two year old and would go back in a heartbeat. Here is my list of top attractions to see with your kids.  If you’re looking for more information you can read our full trip report here.

Royal Yacht, Brittania

• Completely Stroller Friendly.  The yacht is fully outfitted with ramps and space for your stroller. There was ample space to navigate the stroller on the ship and easy to find elevators between each level.
• Children’s Audio Guide. Audio guides are included with your tickets, and they were happy to give our free-admission kids their own audio guides. The two year old just loved playing with the audioguide but the four year old loved the children’s tour. It kept him entertained for most of the boat walk-through.
• Children’s Activity. Children are asked to count how many “Yachty Bears” they can find during the tour. The four year old loved searching for these little bears. At the end you enter the number in a raffle and get a pin just for participating.
• Easily Accessible Restrooms. Restrooms were easy to find, well marked and large.
• Great Location. Ocean Terminal is easy to reach on public transportation, has clean restrooms, a soft play area and lots of “fast causal” dining options.

Holyrood House

• Children’s Garden Tour. There is a rotating list of children’s programing but the summer garden tour was a huge hit with our little ones. There were tons of hands-on activities included in the tour, including a hunt for missing Corgis.
• Children’s Audio Tour. A family audio tour is offered for the palace, although no strollers are allowed inside. The tour was entertaining for our four year old.
• Children’s Garden Pavilion. The outdoor garden pavilion for kids has dress up and activities for kids.
• Kids Activity Room. The kids activity room is full of coloring and dress up. You can stop by any time during your visit.
• Cafe. The cafe has good children’s lunch options, but is also a great place to have a casual “tea” with your kids. You can pick up a few treats or order a full tray and enjoy it at outdoor cafe seats.

Dynamic Earth

• Stroller Friendly. You can bring your stroller anywhere in the museum. Elevators are easy to find and use.
• Video/Touch Exhibits. Each room is self contained so the kids could run around without much concern on my part. Each room has things to touch and watch, perfect for almost any age.
• Kids Play Area. In the back of the gift shop there is a soft play area with a submarine, ball pit and lots of soft climbing options.

Edinburgh Central Children’s Library

• Kids Books Galore.  So many English books to enjoy.
• Fun Seating Options. Sit in a circle carved into the bookshelves, or maybe beneath a tree. There are lots of fun places for kids to make their own while they enjoy some books.
• Kids Classes. We didn’t time our visit just right but the library offers story time, art workshops and lots of fun programming. This would be a great way to get a small break while traveling. (Like their Facebook page for details and schedules.)
• Stroller Parking. Easy stroller parking inside the gate right when you come in. You can take your stroller with you into the rooms but it really wouldn’t be practical.

Edinburgh National Museum

• Stroller Friendly. The elevators are small and slow but you can take the stroller anywhere you would like, making this a great option even if you have one sleeping.
• Lots of Things to Touch. The museum has done a great job of spreading out the kids activities. You will find things to touch and do in almost every exhibit.
• Variety of Exhibits. No matter what your kid is into the museum has something. The kids loved the animal exhibits but were equally as enthralled by all the machines and vehicles.
• Kids Scavenger Hunts. Ask at the front desk and there are scavenger hunt sheets for different areas of the museum. We picked up one for the animal area and that kept H busy and interested.
• The Ants! Do not miss the ant exhibit on the third floor. They have the best ant farm ever. The food has been placed down a long log so you get to watch the ants break apart and carry the food back to the nest. Fascinating!

There is so much more in the city to do with little ones, these are just my favorite things we did on our trip. You can read our full trip report here, which includes tips and tricks for getting your kids around the city.

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We just wanted to make sure you knew that VisitScotland provided us with an ASVA attractions pass during our visit. All opinions are our own. 

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