Scotland with 3 kids

[Pinkpanda8]

Looking to travel to Scotland with 3 kids of varying ages - newborn, 4 and 9, probably around May/June or later in summer and trying to put the best itinerary together that is going to entertain the kids. Would love any advice from mumsnetters who either live in Scotland or have travelled with kids there please specifically on fun/quirky places to stay that are located well for places to visit and ideas of must-sees. We would prefer to stop in airbnbs/self contained self catering places but hotels aren’t out of the question and some of the things we would like to see are salmon leaping (which I think is possible in May?), wildlife in natural habitats eg, highland cows, some of the sea life, deer, native birds etc, a sheepdog demonstration and possible a night in Edinburgh to see the castle. Thanks in advance for anything you can suggest.

The Isle of Mull would be ideal for the wildlife. I've seen basking sharks, otters, golden eagles, seals, Highland cows,.
I've stayed in one of the famous coloured houses in Tobermory. The yellow one. It's actually a pub (The Mishnish Hotel) with rooms above., but there's plenty of other places on the island.

You will need to book the Calmac ferry tickets as some crossings are busy. You can also get a "hopscotch" ticket which allows you to do multiple journeys.-useful if you want to pop back to the mainland or go to Iona.
Get the little ones watching Balamory before you go!

Glasgow - the council owned museums are free and it’s a great city to walk around.

Kelvingrove is brilliant for kids and has a great cafe in the basement. It’s also in the west end, there’s a huge play park across the road so it’s lots of fun for walks, cafes and getting outdoors. My kids love watching the skateboarders.

Don’t miss the organ player at lunchtime, check at the desk when you go in if there will be someone playing that day.

Glasgow Uni is really nice to walk around on the way up to Byres Road where it’s very kid friendly for food and coffee.

The transport museum is down on the Clyde. My kids loved to roam around there when they were little.

The commonwealth games will also be on in July & August. When the last games were on, there was lots to do for free around the city.

Also, take them on the Underground aka the Clockwork Orange. Way easier to navigate than London. It just goes in a circle, so you cant really ever get lost and the new trains are cool.

Oh and there are Highland Cows in Pollock Park, which is a great place to go just outside the city centre.

(I’ve also never seen Salmon in the fish dam in Pitlochry and I’ve been there A LOT)

The red bus tour ticket allows you hop and off around the city as suits as well. Handy if it's raining!

The science museum is very interactive as well.

If you are going the places where a bazillion other tourists go (Edinburgh, Glencoe, Skye, Inverness), then you need to book accommodation now.

Aviemore is great for kids of all ages if they are outdoorsy, loads of things in the surrounding area, Highland Wildlife Park, the folk park is good too. Or avoid the tourists totally and go to Dumfries & Galloway, or the Borders which are overlooked.

Lota of great suggestions above, just don't try and do too much - and spend the whole holiday driving (especially with a newborn). Rurally scottish roads are dreadful, and don't even consider places with single track roads unless you are happy to reverse, and frequently.

May/June is a good time to go - weather wise, and when Scottish schools are not on holiday (no May half term). Otherwise leave it until late August/September.

Self catering options are often for week long stays, rather than a few days, and many businesses don't use Airbnb so remember to look at other platforms or, once you've chosen an area, research and book direct.

To be honest I would just book a week in one location. Mull or Aviemore are both a good shout. If this summer, I would book accommodation ASAP.