Edinburgh

[Winnie87]

Wondering if anyone can help. We are planning a trip to Edinburgh in February. We were going to go to Edinburgh zoo again, however I’ve found there is another zoo called Five Sisters zoo. Has anyone been? Is it worth going there as we’ve never been rather than Edinburgh zoo?

It's a totally different thing. Edinburgh Zoo is massive with lots of animals, interactive exhibits etc. Five Sisters has a lot of animals rescued from captivity and is much smaller.

Also to get to Five Sisters you would probably need a car.

Thank you for the response! . We are driving up to Edinburgh as we are staying outside the city and it’s only 2 hours drive.

I haven't been to Five Sisters Zoo for years. I thought it was a nice day out, great value for money and kind of chilled out compared to Edinburgh Zoo, which is very expensive and massive. But Five Sisters isn't in Edinburgh itself, it is do-able on public transport from Edinburgh.

five Sisters is a lovely little zoo .it isnt massive but the animals are well taken care of and most are rescued. i think its worth a visit but i wouldnt want you dissapointed in the size of it.

My kids prefer the rides/playpark at Five sisters compared to the animals.

Another one to be aware of is Almond Valley In Livingston- mine love that - again more rides/playpark than zoo but it's been our favourite over the years.

5 sisters is a lovely little zoo but it's a slightly odd experience. They keep their Christmas decorations up year round and although the animals are clearly well cared for and their enclosures are clean etc, the zoo as a whole has a run down vibe about it. I really like 5 sisters though, you can feed the lemurs (you might have to book in advance) and as pps have said, they rescue a lot of their animals.

I wouldn't recommend 5 sisters to visitors - I would recommend almond valley, east links or Blair Drummond though. They're all a drive out of Edinburgh but a lovely mix of animals and play equipment.

Thank you everyone for replying. The only downside of Edinburgh zoo is my kids are young and the walking puts them off seeing all the animals (even with carrying and pushchair). This is why I looked into smaller places. I will certainly look into all these recommendations ☺️

There’s a little bus at the main zoo that takes you up the hill to see the big animals. Then you walk down. Lots of little play parks and cafes on the way down to distract them. How old are they?

oh yes Edinburgh zoo hills are legendary 😀 Blair drummond Safari park in Stiriling is toddler friendly .

Definitely don’t recommend Five Sisters. Has a very run down feel to it.
Blair Drummond is a drive away but a lot better, with a great play park.

My children are 4 and 1. I didn’t even realise they had a little bus that can take you up. We are staying there for 3 days so all these places sound like great days out!

East Links is fab. A real favourite when ours were little. Farm animals and llamas but so fun and you can feed them. You go on a little train around the grounds. There are also lots of things to play on. February will be cold though. Bloody freezing there, coldest place in Scotland hahha

We have really fond memories of Blair Drummond safari park with ours when they were younger. Loads to see and do.

In February with small DC I'd ditch the zoo or safari park and take them to the National Museum of Scotland which has a fantastic natural world section and animal world gallery. It'll be warm and dry and they can see Greyfriars Bobby on the way in and have an ice cream from the Alandas ice cream parlour across the road from the museum or take the 10 minute walk to Mary's Milk Bar on the Grassmarket.

There’s so much to do in Edinburgh for little ones. The Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street is great for a wet day. If the weather is good the train trip to North Berwick is fun. Lovely beach and pretty town, Seallife Centre and lots of little cafes, play parks and shops.

@soupmaker great minds! Spent many a dreich day there with my three hahha

Have you seen the bus recently? I’m not aware of it and we’ve been members for the last four years.

@Cheeesus very good point! No. It always used to be there but I’ve not been for years.

Safari park was always a big hit with my two from toddler age. Never been in February though.

ive just checked Blair drummond is closed till March.

If you are venturing as far as Blairdrummond safari park I recommend Briarlands Farm Park just a few hundreds along the road from it .

Great play equipment for all ages, including bouncy castles, climbing fort, sand pits, go karts, small animals handling sessions, tractor and trailer rides round the adjoining farm yard and fields. All included in ticket apart from £1 tractor ride. Lovely cafe with homemade food.

Check with their website and social media as I think they close for a break in Jan and reopen early Feb.

https://briarlandsfarm.co.uk/

As you've already been to Edinburgh Zoo, I'd try somewhere new.
I second Almond Valley in Livingston with young kids. Also, the National Museum in Edinburgh, especially as it's free. Camera Obscura is good too with children.
Five Sisters Zoo is alright, but I agree with mogthefor3tfulcat's description. I think it's improved over the years, and although it isn't actually run down, it retains that 'cheap and cheerful' feel of their early days, though it''s not that cheap anymore.
Blair Drummond is good, but a bit of a drive from Edinburgh, and very 'outdoors', which might not be great in freezing February weather with young children.

These are all amazing suggestions thank you! I see the safari park is shut till March. We will have a day in Edinburgh so will visit the museum definitely. What kid doesn’t like ice cream at the end of a trip 😂