Visiting Scotland in February (Edinburgh, Fife and surrounds)

[ThistleyLions]

Hi All,
We will be visiting Scotland in the middle of February and I'm looking any ideas of good but not overly expensive indoor places we could take a 5 and 7 year old if the weather is against us and need back up ideas!
We have an annual dynamic earth pass as well as historic Scotland pass. Ideally in Edinburgh or Fife but surrounding areas equally welcome for suggestions. Thanks 😊

Camera obscura is great near the castle & the national museum of Scotland just off the royal mile has interactive stuff for kids and is free.

National Museum free - one of the better museums I've been to. Parliament building free, need to pre-book - more of an adult thing, but they did have drawings and other interactive things for children. Nice view of hill from outside. Both in Edinburgh. It'll probably blow a hooley as they say that time of year, so dress up warm.

Enjoy. DD is at uni there, lovely city.

National Portrait Gallery worth a visit.

Second this. The building itself is incredible inside. And the cafe does nice cakes.

Deep Sea World in S Queensferry. Take them swimming in the Commonwealth pool or another pool. Walk at Portobello beach. The Sea Life centre in North Berwick. The zoo. Blair Drummond Safari Park.

Dundee science centre is very good (I know it is not fife! But not far)

The giant pandas are due to leave Edinburgh Zoo by October, for many people it will be the last and only chance to ever see one.

Secret bunker is great near crail, Stirling castle is good for children . If you get a dry day then Dalkeith country park is good

St Andrew’s beach and castle is beautiful if you make it there. Great ice cream shop. Toastie shack on beach. Aquarium.

Ice skating or curling at Murray field.

Second Stirling Castle (IMO, much more entertaining and cheaper than Edinburgh Castle!) - you could tie it in with a visit to the Wallace Monument.

Agree Stirling Castle is good.
If you are heading to Dundee then Discovery Point is really interesting and has a cafe, and the ship Discovery is berthed there.

These are fab suggestions! I've made a note of all of them - thank you 😁

Little World of Play in Cowdenbeath. There is a play village and soft play. My 5 year old loves it and soft play would easily entertain the 7 year old. I've been to a few of these sorts of things in other parts of the country and this is easily the best one I've seen. Also has a very reasonable cafe for adults.

There a lots of council swimming pools in Fife and many offer free or swim for £1 deals in the school holidays. Beacon Leusure Cente in Burntisland has some lovely coffee shops and a great ice cream parlour in walking distance from it too.

Might also be worth looking at the theatres, some of them have kids shows on occasionally. Alhambra in Dunfermline or OnFife usually have details.

@EnglishwithSubtitles one of our friends up there mentioned little world of play and they said it was good as well, thank you for the suggestion!

Conifox in kirkliston would be a better shout for those ages than little world of play. Same idea, just far bigger and better.

St Andrews aquarium beats Deep Sea world.

The National Museum of Scotland is In Edinburgh and hours of free fun.

And have your dinner at Corrieri’s - I recommend the lime milk shake and a go on the jukebox

Edinburgh, craigmillar and blackness castle all free with historic Scotland pass, also Stirling which we like to get the train to and walk up from the station

Tubing at hill end, aqua dash at the commonwealth pool or ainsle park, the bowling alley in the new st James followed by dinner at Cosmo is always a hit with my 2

In fife pittencreif park in Dunfermline is nice if weather is good (which is is too be for much of this weeks half term if that's when you're coming) dd loves visiting the peacocks 🦚 there which are normally free roaming around the city but are currently indoors due to bird flu you can go in and see them though and the staff are super friendly and chat about them. Easy links farm park in Dunbar is also great for these ages if weather is kind and you can spend a full day there, you've also got John muir country park just outside it with a great adventure play area and the beach, you can walk round the back and see the llamas and donkeys without paying to go in , it's a lovely drive if you take the scenic costal route. - East Lothian beaches are just stunning!

Is 5 not a bit young for aqua dash?
ninja warrior at seafield might be suitable although I don’t know how much it costs.
go for a ride on the tram, although if it’s next week they’re only running as far as haymarket so no trams through princes street.
the play area at the east side of the meadows is good.
portobello beach and a £ each to convert to 2p for the amusement arcade
walk along the water of leith from Dean village to Stockbridge - look out for the herons and otters!
there’s a trampoline place and mini golf at fountain park.
have you got a car?

@emmathedilemma you could be right I was thinking it was 4+ but maybe it's 6 🤔. A 5 year old at ninja warrior will need a fair bit of adult support so you have to be up for doing the inflatable corse with them. The actual warrior course is probably too hard

Also if considering trampoline parks Ryze at Dalkeith is really good, much more than just trampolines dc rate it way superior to the others and if weather is good you could do the other half of the day at Dalkeith country park (has a go ape and an amazing adventure park) or vogrie assuming you have a car. The trampolines at Musselburgh (jump in I think it's called) are better than gravity according to dc too. You have newhailes next door too which has a good park although I think I that's national trust rather than HS so would need paid for. The soft play at leith (wonderworld) is great for those ages on a wet day - I've a feeling I read it was closing but believe it's still open atm. Climbing at ratho is popular too