Holiday help Scotland!

[KindergartenKop]

Please can someone help me because I don't know where to start my research? I've never been to Scotland and don't fancy driving all the way from London but I'm considering flying up there and hiring a car. Can anyone suggest anywhere to stay within about an hour of an airport near stuff that a 5 and 8 year old might enjoy? We're not super outdoorsy but like a little walk, one child is also really into wildlife.
Thanks 😊

Have you considered getting the sleeper perhaps?

There is a premier inn just along from Edinburgh Airport (think it's called The Gyle) and has excellent tram and train links into Edinburgh (and from Airport.

Edinburgh has so much to offer with entertainment and history.

East coast, west coast, boarders or highlands?

Fly to Edinburgh, train to north Berwick. Four nights there then three nights in Edinburgh.

Train to Stirling? Hire car, go to Blair Drummond Safari Park. Stirling has a fab castle, also the Wallace monument - a tall tower to climb. Plenty of space around for outdoor walks.

What time of year are you going?

So you could fly into Glasgow or Edinburgh if cheaper. Spend 2/3 days in that city then get train to other city. After that head north. Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Oban, Fort William are all on mainline train station. If you want to include an island you need to look at Cal Mac ferries.

Just re read your op and see you are willing to hire a car once you land. Honestly Scotland is your oyster.

Land at Edinburgh spend 2/3 days then hire car go over to Fife, East Neuk and St Andrews, then upto Dundee from there head on up North towards Aberdeen and Inverness or head west to Perth down to Loch Lomond via Killin and Callander etc. That will take you near to Glasgow.

Thanks. After I posted I thought of the sleeper train and it sounds a better option than flying. Stirling looks interesting, as does Fort William. This is great advice people, thanks!

Train to Glasgow, Loch lomond is a 30 min drive, the kelpies are less than an hour as is Edinburgh, the Ayrshire coast is less than an hour away( Largs has a great viking museum). So many free museums (riverside in Glasgow ie excellent) and there isso much more you can do.

Get a reasonably early train from kings x to Kirkcaldy, pick up hire car, head to the east Neuk of Fife, stat a few days and -

Walk some of the Fife coastal path
Explore variety of beaches for wildlife things
Visit some farms with tea shops, Cairney in Cupar is excellent as it's a really good play park.
Visit St. Andrews
Visit Dundee V&A

I'ld suggest a few plans in case of bad weather and dress as waterproof as you can!

I second the Stirling/Dunblane area - in an hour or less you're in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, the coast, the Trossachs. There's something for everyone amongst all of those options!

I spent my childhood summers in the East Neuk of Fife, love it so much - I drive up there when I can.

Hiring a car is the best bet. I live just outside Glasgow and regularly take the car up to places like Fort William, Anstruther .

In the summer Loch Lomond and Balloch are regular places I go .

If you aren’t outdoorsy people then go for Glasgow or edinburgh. Actually if you stay in one it’s dead easy to get train between them. Lots of free museums and galleries in both. Edinburgh has dungeons, castle, dynamic earth, Mary kings close (old city under current city). For cheaper accommodation there’s south queensferry, Musselburgh or the caravans at seton sands (which have lots of entertainment and less than an hour on bus into edinburgh).

Hi op, to be honest I wouldn’t bother paying for the expense of a sleeper and just take an early morning train up(not stupid o’clock) the sleeper with dc might be more disruptive for them as they might not actually manage to sleep on the train. I’ve done it myself a fair few times over the years and unless you’re planning on going all the way up to Aberdeen or Inverness I wouldn’t say it’s worth it tbh.
As far as flying goes, the inconvenience of getting to an airport in time and then from the airport at the other end, time wise there’s probably not much in it between the modes of transport.

dumfries and galloway is a forgotten region.
or the isle of Aran known a scotland in minature.
good transport links

Fly to Inverness and stay at grannies heilan hame in Dornoch the kids will love it.

Don't spend 4 nights in North Berwick.

The East Neuk and St Andrews are lovely but very expensive.

If you can go further north then Kingussie has the Highland Wildlife park, Landmark Forest adventure park and a lot more.

Staying in Edinburgh would mean you are half an hours drive of South Queensferry with the ferry to Inchcolm Abbey and various wildlife cruises. Edinburgh itself has so much to do for everyone, a day walking down the Royal Mile starting at the castle and ending at the parliament, with free attractions like the museum of childhood in between, is also good.

If you go to Edinburgh and aren't outdoorsy, you'll probably be able to more than accommodate 'a little walk' by going up Arthur's seat and up and around the castle. Both right in the city centre.

What time of year, OP?

All-rounders to consider would be Crieff Hydro or Auchrannie in Arran - both a resorts with a mixture of hotel/self catering accommodation & plenty to do no matter what the weather.

Both Edinburgh & Glasgow have plenty of outdoor spaces, museums etc.

But Edinburgh in August is extremely busy/expensive due to the festival.

The East Neuk is lovely in the summer.

There’s a holiday inn at ingliston airport that was very nice.
Great watching the planes take off and not noisy
We loved the zoo..not Only did we see the pandas..we saw them awake too
Love the royal yacht at leith..not sure if little ones feel the same

I’ve been to east Neil but didn’t find any rubies on the beach ☹️
My family was from lochgelly, auchterderran, Burntisland, Kirkcaldy...I feel another trip coming on

Stirling is ok..but Edinburgh or Glasgow better

Why Scotland?

Scotland is a country not a city so asking for somewhere to go without knowing what you enjoy is a bit like throwing a sausage up a tunnel; what are you looking for from your holiday?

All of the cities are nice if you want a city. Some lovely coastal towns too, but also lots of 'middle of nowhere' places.

Do you want a hotel? B&B? Week at haven?

Spent my childhoods in Inverness and then my kids did. Would always recommend it - so much to do like dolphin watching, beaches, shops, highland park, highland fair, trip to the Black Isle, horse riding, Nessie hunting etc

If your DC like wildlife I would say fly to Inverness. Go on a dolphin watch cruise in the Moray Firth and/or a tour of Loch Ness. Then head down to Aviemore area, loads of stuff to do there for kids plus Landmark adventure park and the Highland wildlife park are pretty close too (Hamish the polar bear youngster is a big draw but there's lots of other species there too). There's a reindeer visitor place near Loch Morlich too.

Or Edinburgh if you want more of a city break. Lots of attractions are very central and walkable and its a gorgeous city at any time of year (the Festival in August does mean prices go through the roof so unless you are particularly into culture or don't mind staying out with and travelling in each day I would avoid Aug with young kids).