Holiday Ideas around Inverness and St Andrews...

[tassis]

Well I've lived in Scotland all my life, but have never had to entertain a 3 year old in Inverness or St Andrews.

We're spending a week in each and I'm looking for ideas of nice play parks, day trips, soft play, child-friendly restaurants etc etc.

Of course if the sun shines, we just need beach suggestions!!

TIA

[tassis]

bump

[schneebly]

There is a nice swimming pool in Inverness and right next to a good play park which has a duck pond - Also there is a wildlife park on the black Isle but never been. HTH

[nailpolish]

st andrews has a sea life centre

and on a good day go to st andrews beach (one of the nicest beaches ive ever been to)

near Cupar (not far from st andrews) there is a great place called \link{http://www.cairniefruitfarm.co.uk/\cairnie fruit farm}

there is also Craigton Park (great family day out park, lots of things to do but you need a good weather day)

\link{http://www.thedeercentre.co.uk/\scottish deer centre}

for indoor stuff there isnt really a lot (the sea life centre is ok for a rainy day)

thats all i can think of at the moment! (i dont know whats on around inverness sorry)

[nailpolish]

half an hr up the road is dundee which has a nice small zoo at Camperdown Park

there is a brilliant swimming pool (olympia pool)

and there is the \link{http://www.sensation.org.uk/index.html\sensation}

[Blandmum]

There is a nice swimming pool in St Andrews. make sure you buy ice creams in Janettas, and you must buy a fudge doughnut in Fisher and Donalsons. It is worth a nice wander round the ruined cathdral and then down to the beach. There is a nice park opposite the botanical guardens (can't get there directly , there is a stream in the way.

[Pruni]

Nr St Andrews is Tentsmuir - woodland with trails and a huge (but exposed) beach.

Inverness has, within driving distance of course, Loch Ness/Drumnadrochit for monster spotting. Ummm, oh my, I can't think of anything else. I grew up nearish and the highlights of Inverness were Boots and TopShop, Pizza Hut and McDonalds. ("Hovv a nice daayyyyyy, injoyyyyy yer meeeaallllll." )

[nailpolish]

oh tentsmuir is fab

hey pruni what was the name of that little bakers shop tearoom place inverness

i remember going there while on girl guide camp WITHOUT the leaders (we were so grown up)

[Pruni]

The Coffee Pot? Near the Eastgate Centre?

[bogwobbit]

If you go to Cairnie Fruit Farm, you must visit the maze - went last year and it was brilliant.

[Pruni]

Elie (nr StA) is a lovely beach too.

[nailpolish]

hmm i cant remember

it was on a narrow st

had a old fashioned window, lots of little panes

had a counter for takeaway and a sitty-down bit

[Pruni]

Nah...dunno np.
My trips to Inverness were purely shopping
No time for sustenance
My focus was whatever eighties horrors were on sale in Chelsea Girl

[nailpolish]

its probably a starbucks now

[tassis]

Thanks girls, some good ideas.

Deer Centre looks fab, NP. Think we'll be fine for stuff to do in St As. COuld do with some more Inverness ideas maybe.

Looks like the maze at cairnie doesn't open until July (we go in about 10 days), but we'll remember that for a day trip inthe summer holidays. Looks great.

Pruni, both dh and I grew up with Inverness as our nearest shopping town so know Eastgates from of old and had totally forgotten Chelsea Girl! Mind you, everytime we go we're amazed at how good the shops are now!!

So any more Inverness ideas??

[tassis]

bumping for Inverness ideas...

[tassis]

nobody??

[bogwobbit]

I found \link{http://www.kids-scotland.co.uk/this site} which you might find useful. There seem to be quite a few things to do in or near(ish) to Inverness. I'm afraid I don't have any personal experience of any of them though.

[bogwobbit]

Now why didn't that link work?

[bogwobbit]

try \link{http://www.kids-scotland.co.uk/\this}

[tassis]

thanks bogwoppit, that's a great site and some really good ideas.

I'd forgotten how near Aviemore is too, so that'll be a day trip.

[saltire]

Everyone else seems to have covered St Andrews. If all else fails, stand on the beach and watch the jets!

[saltire]

Actually, Inverness isn't that far from Loch Ness, which could be worth a look, although your 3yo might be a bit too young for Nessie! Nairn, Hopeman and Lossiemouth aren't too far from Inverness and have great beaches, and again, at Lossie there's jets!

[Pruni]

oooh where did yous grow up, tassis?

[CMac]

Inverness itself - Aquadome for swimming. The only soft play is a small bit of Brewsters restaurant (Brewers Fayre type place). It's free to play - you just have to have a coffee or sthing. A bit further out there's bigger soft play places in Coylumbridge (Aviemore) and near Brodie on the Aberdeen Road (Bumbles). There's also a Ceramic Experience at Cawdor which has a soft play bit I believe, though haven't been...
There are a couple of good parks (Whin park near the aquadome is the biggest and has a pond that you can hire boats on etc).

Aviemore and surrounds are good - The Landmark Centre in Carrbridge is excellent and there's also the Highland Wildlife Park. You could go up the funicular railway to the top of the Cairngorms which kids might like depending on their ages.

Nairn only 25 mins away and the beach is fab - East beach also has a nice wee play park. Findhorn beach also good if weather nice.

Dolphin watching boat trips (or drive to Fortose point and watch them from the car park there for free if you're lucky!). There are also boat trips (jacobite Queen) which go down Loch Ness as far as Urquhart Castle and back - could do some Nessie spotting!

Black Isle Wildlife Park not bad - esp for young kids.

Places to eat in Inverness - there's Brewsters which is fairly standard Brewers Fayre type food but not bad (and soft play keeps the kids happy). Pizza Express, Debenhams restaurant (has a kiddie corner) and the Filling Station are all close to the Eastgate. A few of the 'nicer' restaurants do early evening specials which are really good value and i imagine would be a bit more child friendly than later on (Mustard Seed, Rocpool, Riva). Will keep thinking!!

[tassis]

just noticed this was added to.

thanks CMac!