With kids · Edinburgh · United Kingdom
Edinburgh with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
.jpg){kind=link}
Quick answer
Edinburgh suits families who like history with drama: castle cannons, underground streets, optical illusions and a real volcano to climb. Many of the best museums are free, and Princes Street Gardens, the Botanic Garden and Portobello Beach give children space to run around. Top picks: Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland and Camera Obscura and World of Illusions. Families usually base themselves in New Town.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 7
- Best area for families
- New Town
- Rainy-day options
- 4
- Busiest months
- August
Best things to do with kids
Castle · Old Town
1.Edinburgh Castle
Perched on an extinct volcanic plug above the city, the castle holds the Honours of Scotland — the Scottish crown jewels — the Great Hall, the National War Museum and St Margaret's Chapel, Edinburgh's oldest building, from the 12th century. The One O'Clock Gun is fired from the Mill's Mount battery on most days.
Head straight to the Crown Room for the Honours of Scotland before the queues build, then circle back to the views from the batteries.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets sell out in summer and especially in August; book on the official Edinburgh Castle site.
- Iconic
- History
- Views
- Kids
Museum · Old Town
2.National Museum of Scotland
Scotland's national museum on Chambers Street mixes Scottish history from prehistoric times with natural history, world cultures, science and technology. Highlights include Dolly the sheep, several of the 12th-century Lewis chessmen and the glass-roofed Victorian Grand Gallery. Entry is free, and the roof terrace has a castle view.
Start children in the hands-on science and technology galleries, then go up to the roof terrace for the castle view.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
Museum · Old Town
3.Camera Obscura and World of Illusions
Beside the castle at the top of the Royal Mile, the Camera Obscura has projected live images of the city onto a viewing table since 1853, and five floors of optical illusions, mirror mazes and a spinning vortex tunnel sit below its rooftop terrace.
Time the camera obscura show for a bright day, when the projected image is sharpest.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Views
Museum · Holyrood
4.Dynamic Earth
Beneath a white tented roof beside the Scottish Parliament, Dynamic Earth takes visitors through the planet's story from the Big Bang to the polar ice caps, with a simulated earthquake, a tropical rainforest room and a 360-degree dome cinema.
Pair it with a walk in Holyrood Park next door to see real volcanic rock on Salisbury Crags.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Museum · Leith
5.Royal Yacht Britannia
The royal family's floating residence for 44 years is moored at Ocean Terminal in Leith. A self-guided audio tour covers the bridge, the state dining room, the royal bedrooms and the crew's quarters, and the Royal Deck Tea Room serves afternoon tea.
Take the tram to Ocean Terminal and combine the visit with lunch on the Shore.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Zoo · Corstorphine
6.Edinburgh Zoo
On a hillside in Corstorphine, about 5 km west of the centre, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland's zoo has chimpanzees, koalas, big cats and a large penguin colony. It is a short bus ride from Princes Street.
Arrive early and wear good shoes; the zoo climbs a steep hill.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
.jpg){kind=link}
Garden · New Town
7.Princes Street Gardens and the Scott Monument
Laid out in the drained valley of the Nor Loch, Princes Street Gardens separate the Old and New Towns, with the floral clock, the Ross Fountain and views up to the castle. The Gothic Scott Monument, a 61-metre memorial to Sir Walter Scott, has 287 steps to its top gallery, for a small fee.
The monument's spiral stairs become very narrow near the top; skip the climb if you dislike tight spaces.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Views
- Kids
- Iconic
Rainy-day ideas
- National Museum of Scotland — Start children in the hands-on science and technology galleries, then go up to the roof terrace for the castle view.
- Royal Yacht Britannia — Take the tram to Ocean Terminal and combine the visit with lunch on the Shore.
- Camera Obscura and World of Illusions — Time the camera obscura show for a bright day, when the projected image is sharpest.
- Dynamic Earth — Pair it with a walk in Holyrood Park next door to see real volcanic rock on Salisbury Crags.
Where families should stay
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, luxury and families
New Town
Laid out from the 1760s, the New Town's grid runs from Princes Street to Queen Street, with the bars and boutiques of George Street in between and Charlotte Square and St Andrew Square at either end. It is flatter than the Old Town, close to Waverley station and the tram, and has the widest choice of hotels.
- Good
- Central and flatter; Excellent shops and restaurants; Next to Waverley station and the tram
- Watch out
- Pricey; Traffic and crowds on Princes Street
- Nearby
- Princes Street Gardens, Scott Monument, Scottish National Gallery, St Andrew Square
Family travel tips
- Children under 5 travel free on Lothian buses and trams, and child fares apply to older children.
- Pushchairs struggle on the Royal Mile cobbles, closes and stairs; a carrier is easier in the Old Town.
- The One O'Clock Gun at the castle is loud, so warn small children before it fires.
- Book Edinburgh Castle and Mary King's Close ahead in summer; queues are hard work with children.
- Pack waterproofs and keep the free National Museum as a rainy-day plan.
Day trips for families
- Stirling (About 50 minutes by train) — Stirling Castle, where Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned and Renaissance kings held court, stands on a crag above the battlefields of Stirling Bridge and Bannockburn.
- South Queensferry and the Forth Bridges (About 15 minutes by train) — Three bridges from three centuries span the Firth of Forth at South Queensferry, including the red cantilever Forth Bridge of 1890, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- North Berwick (About 35 minutes by train) — A seaside town with sandy beaches either side of its harbour, a short climb up North Berwick Law for views, and boat trips from the Scottish Seabird Centre around the Bass Rock, home to a huge gannet colony.
- The Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel (About 45 minutes by car) — The Kelpies are two 30-metre steel horse heads beside the Forth and Clyde Canal, and the Falkirk Wheel, a few kilometres away, is a rotating boat lift that raises boats between two canals.
When to go with children
The best months overall are May–June and September. August is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Edinburgh good for kids?
Edinburgh suits families who like history with drama: castle cannons, underground streets, optical illusions and a real volcano to climb. Many of the best museums are free, and Princes Street Gardens, the Botanic Garden and Portobello Beach give children space to run around.
+What can kids do in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh Castle, National Museum of Scotland, Camera Obscura and World of Illusions, Dynamic Earth and Royal Yacht Britannia.
+Where should families stay in Edinburgh?
New Town: Georgian crescents, Princes Street shopping and elegant squares.