Edinburgh with children

[UserExperience]

Having just under a week In Edinburgh with DH & 3 children in the Easter holidays.

Children age 14,10 and 7. Staying in an Airbnb centrally (new town area). Will drive up from midlands so can get places easily but happy to use public transport when staying in the city. I've heard it's pretty compact so will be doing lots of walking.

Any must dos in Edinburgh itself and surrounds please? Any avoids?

Happy to spend a bit but for example the zoo will be £100+ for a day trip so need to be sensible (this is an example, we're not set on the zoo).

I’ll second Mary Kings Close and the National Museum of Flight.

The Modern Art Museums are free and worth a look (I’ve taken young children there and it’s been fine).

National Mining Museum is also very good - go for the tour with retired miner. Good value for families too.

To be fair, the city hosts the world’s biggest arts festival in August so it’s bound to be busy! As a local you’d have to pay me danger money to go anywhere near the castle and royal mile in August!

In Edinburgh, it's called 'the museum'. If you ask directions to the national museum of Scotland nobody will have heard of it

When I lived in Edinburgh it was call "the Chamber Street museum".

It is useful to give the proper names in case OP wants to look it up on the internet.

If you have EH membership you can get into the Castle for free.

I always recommend a walk up or down Cockburn Street. Twisty old street runs from High Street down to Waverley Station / Princes Street. Harry Potter-esq with quirky shops, some nice restaurants and a great gelato shop near bottom.

Princes Street Gardens is a nice (free) activity for a wander and ice cream too - look at the fountain, admire the war memorial for fallen Polish soldiers ( big bear), the flower clock etc. If the kids like trains, you’ll see them pass at one side.

There’s a good Lego shop in the newish St James shopping centre (the shopping centre has a distinctive golden curled roof feature ( sadly known colloquially as ‘ the Golden Turd’. Apologies for the vulgarity!) Several kid friendly restaurants on top floor and food court lower. There’s also a cheap and cheerful Italian cafe called ‘Taste of Italy’ near the St James centre with great ice cream sundaes and the best garlic bread ever. Vittorias on the Bridges is a good choice restaurant after Museum of Scotland and if heading for it after Museum, you will pass statue of Greyfriars Bobby - see also graveyard - see names in Harry Potter on the gravestones.

I sent last year with DCs then 10 and 8. They are still talking about Dynamic Earth and the National Museum! Going to S. Luca’s ice cream parlour was also a big hit. We got the bus along the coast to Musselburgh and had a fun walk along the ‘beach’!
going over to Fife on the train is also fun as you get to go over the bridge.

Thanks again all. Feeling slightly overwhelmed at all the suggestions but know we won't be bored! It's really appreciated

Took 12 and 13 year old recently.

They loved Camera Obscura and illusions museum ( expensive but brilliant)

Harry Potter walking tour (free)

Museum of Scotland

Wondering around stopping at quirky cafes for hot chocolates and going into book shops for a browse

Great, walkable beautiful city.... Enjoy!

I have to echo all the suggestions of Vittoria - I’ve been going for decades and it is so welcoming, the food is amazing and always a fun atmosphere.

Camera Obscura as well - always a hit with any kids of friends who’ve been to visit. I live near Portobello and the kids LOVE the prom, cafes, beach and arcade. Though if anyone in your party is not keen on dogs I wouldn’t recommend it as Porty is teeming with them!

Download the Lothian Buses app which is a godsend for route planning and up to date bus times.

Culture all the way, I would not waste time doing Go Ape unless city breaks haven't been your thing in the past

No, we won't do go ape although I appreciate the suggestion. We have one not too far from us and one child isn't keen on heights anyway! We might investigate the country park if we get some good weather though.

Camera obscura sounds like something everyone would enjoy so that's on the list.

Arthur’s Seat is a must
And a ghost tour/Mary Close tour -definitely.
Museum of Scotland is fantastic. So much to see I wouldn’t plan anything else that day - lots of walking about - it is big).

Dynamic Earth is dreadful don’t bother.

What is dreadful about Dynamic Earth? Was thinking of going

Dynamic Earth is a fuck ton of money for not a lot of content. We took SIL and nephew and everyone was underwhelmed.

We stayed in May half term with dc of very similar ages. We considered driving but in the end we took the train as it was no more expensive when we factored in petrol and parking and meant we could use train tickets to get 2-4-1 entry into a lot of places and it was a different experience for the dc. Also meant we could pick a more central place to stay.

We love camera obscura, and did a ghost tour, older ones went to dungeons while youngest and I went to the park, the museum and the zoo. You'll have a great time.

I disagree about dynamic earth, especially for science lovers. Various visiting children have variously loved the human brain encased in liquid, the iceberg, the 'going back in Time lift' , the 3D snowing film and the film in the dome at the end. Earnest environmentally minded young teens have liked those bits that talk about human population growth etc

It’s a bit Millennium Dome, though isn’t it? Dynamic Earth seems to lack imagination, place setting etc.

If you’re only in Edinburgh for a few days, it isn’t worth it. Much better to go to the Science Museum in London.

If you don't mind the drive the five sisters zoo is excellent much better than Edinburgh zoo in my opinion. Much less hilly. Also has cheetahs. So I'm biased. But has lots of animals that you don't normally get to see in zoos

On a different note, when you book restaurants for dinner, check what time the children need to be off the premises. There are lots of places where kids are not allowed after a certain time.

Mary Kings close is excellent, very interesting and well done. DS2 was fine there but nearly fainted and had to be rushed out of the Edinburgh dungeons! It’s also excellent but very dark and claustrophobic and yes pretty scary!
Another vote for Camera Obscura and the museum.
As PP say it’s also an excellent city for pottering around in the Old Town or places like Stockbridge and lots of nice playgrounds. It’s a beautiful city especially with the sun out like today!