Help to plan Scotland trip!

[Scottishexplorer]

We’ve never done a family holiday to Scotland and now are planning to stay in August this summer.

We will have one week with the kids (14 and 11), then their grandparents are taking them camping for a week with the cousins somewhere near Stirling, while dp and I wfh in Scotland for a week (we don’t have enough annual leave left to go camping for the second week with the kids and the rest of the family). We then need to collect them from Stirling at the end of the second week.

Where can we take the kids by car in the first week which would be really good for that age group? I was thinking Edinburgh for a few days? Anywhere else you would recommend?

Then where can we stay reasonably cheaply (just has to be with WiFi) for the second week when we will need to work from home up in Scotland before driving the kids back south?

Dp has always really wanted to visit Skye as he’s a keen birdwatcher and walker and looking at the map this looks about four hours from Stirling, so could be an option, but I’m sure it’s pricey in high season. I guess we could do some exploring after work each day even if we can’t do big days out as we will be working.

Any tips very much appreciated on where to visit in the first week and stay the second week!

There will be loads to do for dc that age in Edinburgh. You'll want to book accommodation ASAP as the fringe is on in August so prices will skyrocket. You could go and see a fringe show (there are various ones on throughout the day), go on a ghost tour (Edinburgh – The Ghost Bus Tours | Comedy-Horror Sightseeing Tours- also a good way to sightsee!), visit the castle, the monument, etc. Coros chocolate cafe is great too!

You could also then do a few days in Glasgow, which isn't far from Stirling, and you'd be avoiding the fringe rush so accommodation prices should be lower. There's lots to do, the science museum is well worth a visit. If your dc are into football, the Rangers stadium tour is decently priced and my dc enjoyed it Ibrox Stadium Tours, Glasgow – Football | VisitScotland. There are also ghost tours here if you didn't get a chance to do one in Edinburgh (Gothic Glasgow Spooky Walking Tour)

Skye tends to get pretty pricey in August. Somewhere near one of the Lochs (Ness, Lomond etc) might suit if he likes birdwatching.

I’d go Glasgow over Edinburgh, especially in August. Edinburgh is a nightmare during festival season imo, and as another poster says it’ll be expensive and many places will be booked. Glasgow is an awesome city.

I would go north or west as the Fringe has a ripple effect on availability of accommodation in the areas surrounding Edinburgh.

Is the Fringe on throughout August? Guess who’s coming in August! 😁

@Abracadabra12345 from the 1st-25th August 😁

If you do Edinburgh stay outwith the city and use the train to get in and out. As others have said, it’s the festival. Accommodation will be expensive, even for basic hotels.

You may want to post this also on the Scotsnet topic if you haven’t already.

Scottish school holidays run from the end of June to roughly the middle of August, I think. If you are going to be up there at the end of August you will find it a bit quieter than the first half. (As others have said, the Fringe makes Edinburgh a special case.)

I always pop up on threads like this if I see them to recommend Arran. An hour or so on the ferry from Ayrshire. Scotland in miniature, as the Tourist Board likes to call it, with reason. The landscape in the north of the island is like the Highlands and to the south it's more like the Borders. Two castles, one really good waterfall with a good circular walk to get to and from it, Goatfell (the highest mountain) has an excellent path and fantastic views from the top, some lovely beaches. You can get around by bus with a bit of planning. If you want to take a car you'll need to book soon.

Don't forget midge repellant!

There's a chocolate experience place in Edinburgh. You have to book. You can book a tour and a class. You then keep the chocolate you make.
I was too late to book for us but it looked great.
The Chocolatarium.

Edinburgh in the Fringe can be chaotic and expensive, the book festival is more focussed within the New Town and less busy and boozy..The Tattoo may be on while you are there. Accommodation will be expensive though and with a car, stay further out and tram/bus into the centre.Take bikes out to Portobello or Musselburgh beach. Climb Arthur's Seat, Otherwise the Falkirk Kelpies are set within a country park with activities such as bike trails. There is a new alpine centre outside Edinburgh with artificial ski slope, tobogganing etc. For your trip try Loch Lomond, Fort William, maybe Oban and/or Skye, Inverness, Aviemore etc.

We've been going to Scotland every year, sometimes twice a year.

Stay at North Berwick and get the train in to Edinburgh. Much better.

For twitching, you can't beat Mull. Loch Lomond is very busy. Ardnamurchan is beautiful (Hamza from Strictly does a lot here / lives here because the wildlife is so amazing). Less holiday options than Mull.

West Coast near Gairloch good for camping spots (although several good spots on Mull - Fiddden Farm busy)

Skye is at least 5 hours on the roads and with lots of slow cars potentially longer from Edinburgh so from Stirling maybe 4.5 hours. Depends where you go on Skye. It’s a big island with lots of single track roads which can be slow to drive.

The police have also been known to stop cars going over to Skye if they have no reservation at peak times.

Agree with PP - Mull would be lovely to stay for a week and potentially cheaper than Skye. The long days in summer should allow for lots of evening exploring and early morning twitching.

With children it depends on what you want to do. Edinburgh-Glasgow are both great cities. If you want to do something outdoorsy the Border area around Peebles has lots of great walking and mountain biking (easy to rent bikes) and is easily accessible from Edinburgh by bus. Aviemore is great as an accessible taste of the Highlands reachable from Edinburgh by train. Lots of great walking and cycling and potentially canoeing as well.

Glenmore Lodge is an outdoor centre in a beautiful location near Aviemore which does affordable and child-friendly B&B accommodation, with good value dinners available on site.

We went to Glasgow for a week last summer and loved it, so much to see. We took the train from there to Edinburgh for the day. Festival was on so the city was packed. Glasgow was much cheaper to stay in even though we were very near to Kelvingrove.

Thanks so much everyone for all these ideas - I’m taking lots of notes!

Have a look at the East Neuk of Fife nice towns like Ellie & Anstruther , lots of holiday accommodation and caravan parks. For your second week have a look at Linlithgow ,a historic town that has Palace & Loch for bird watching and walks. ( Linlithgow Hostel for budget rooms with wifi)
Very central you can easily get the train to Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stirling .
If you haven't already been on it look at the visit Scotland website its good to help you plan your trip.

I was also going to suggest Arran since you'll be relatively nearby anyway.

It's so lovely - there's so much to see and do, even though it's only small 💛.

some of these already mentioned:
Arran (the distillery at the south end is nice for lunch), the standing stones and also the caves in the south west, as well as goatfell and the Island more generally
boat ride on Loch Lomond
Dumbarton Castle
Walk up Ben A’an with views of 2 lochs
Kelvingrove museum

all those are Glasgow centred

Falkirk Wheel and the Falkirk Kelpies
Calton Hill
Arthurs Seat
Castle
all in/near Edinburgh

So much to do and see you can easily fill a week and also be in danger of doing too much x