Toddler suitable fun on the A9 route in between Glasgow and Cairngorms?

[Randomthought]

Driving all the way from England up to the top of Scotland later this summer for an event.

We have a two year old and looking at activities to break up the journey en route. One of the potential legs will be from Lake District to Inverness and looking for something in the red circled area as that’s about half way.

Any great things we can do on the way?

We like everything really so please suggest away. Anything from a town/ village to visit. Some weird and wonderful odd must see thing 🤷‍♀️ To normal things like gardens, parks or landscapes. Or toddler specific stuff like play areas or petting farms.

But must have food, toilets etc.

Thanks for any suggestions 😊

active kids in Stanley just off a9. fantastic place for toddlers

Yeah, Active kids is a good shout. You have the highland wildlife park at kingussie or the folk museum at newtonmore further up the road. If you pull off earlier at Pitlochry you have the fish ladder at the hydro scheme. Also plenty to do in Aviemore e.g. The beach at Loch Morlich. Then you have Landmark at Carrbridge.

For an earlier stop you have the safari park at Blair Drummond or briarlands farm next door to it.

The Hermitage and Pine Cone Point
https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/the-hermitage

For a town cafe stop Pitlochry or a bit further off the A9 Aberfeldy.

Stirling Castle?

Falkirk wheel - there are small water features to play with there as well as the wheel. The Kelpies are nearby.

Active kids at Stanley would be my recommendation.

Wow! So many fantastic suggestions! Thank you so much!

Glad we can check out more than one of these as we also have the way back 🥳

Going to be difficult to choose!

If you want food, loos and shopping you can stop at house of bruar but perhaps not the obvious place with a toddler. However there's good facilities

A walk to the hermitage at Dunkeld is a great stop.

Don't go to the Hermitage on the way back. It's a nightmare turning right!

Definitely Active Kids at Stanley.

Landmark is also good but much further up.

I also immediately thought of the hermitage near dunkeld when saw your map but I have a feeling they either no longer have toilets or only have portaloos now. And yeah that right turn is not for the faint hearted - much better to visit travelling northbound. Dunkeld and Birman are pretty though with facilities and there is the cute Beatrix Potter garden for wee ones.

So many great options around Aviemore like highland wildlife park and landmark if you can break a bit further north.

Is Stewart's Icecream Farm near the Active Kids place? I've not been for a few years but they had animals to look at and pocket money buys in the shop.

Agree re the hermitage. The Dunkeld junctions in general are dangerous, lots of fatal accidents unfortunately. If you stop there OP just be patient and go for a bloody big gap when turning, it's easy to misjudge speed. I've driven there often and know the road but if you don't know it is easy to misjudge.

Cairnie fruit farm in Cupar is amazing for toddlers, the play area is great and the strawberry picking is a bonus best strawberries on earth especially straight off the plants!

Carnie fruit farm park.
Active Kids.
Aviemore, a great wee town and there's lots to do in the MacDonald resort. Or Loch Morlich is beautiful.

Helix park and the kelpies on the way back.

We usually stop for a picnic at the play parks in dunkeld or Kingussie, dunkeld is a PITA parking wise though. Kingussie has a playpark right next to car park but possibly too far north for you.