Tell us about your happy family holiday experiences in Scotland and if you haven't been where would you like to go? Chance to win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED!

[AaronMumsnet]

Going on a family holiday doesn’t have to mean venturing to far off lands, and there can be lots to experience closer to home. Scotland is so easy to get to and can be an ideal family holiday destination. VisitScotland would love to hear about the family holidays you’ve had in Scotland - and if you haven’t been, where in Scotland would you like to visit?

Here’s what VisitScotland has to say: Scotland celebrates the Year of Young People in 2018 #YOYP2018 and what better time to visit to enjoy a fantastic holiday experience across any of its regions. We’re a country packed with family friendly activities; from the great outdoors including wildlife, beaches and country parks to historic castles and stately homes and lots in between. Check out the National Trust for Scotland’s new playful gardens and playparks opening this spring at Brodie Castle in Moray and Newhailes House and Gardens outside Edinburgh. There’s also fantastic opportunity to visit Scotland’s islands – an adventure on a Cal Mac ferry to a west coast island or Northlink for a ferry to the Shetland and Orkney islands is all part of the adventure! What’s more, there's plenty of quality accommodation and unusual ones to boot! Ever thought about staying in a yurt or tipi, a converted church or lighthouse.

Be inspired to find out more on our unmissable family attractions, outdoor adventures and top 50 family hotspots in Scotland – check out www.visitscotland.com/holidays-breaks/family/

What happy memories do you have from a family holiday to Scotland? Do you have tales from visiting some of Scotland’s castles, islands, National Trust sites, beaches or parks? Have you looked into visiting and found some interesting accommodation? Would you like to visit Scotland’s cities or experience the great outdoors?

Whatever your family holiday memories or what you’d like to do in Scotland, share this below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck!

MNHQ

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We holiday in Scotland annually, Shetland has to be my favourite place. It's hard to believe you are still in the UK it is breathtakingly beautiful, so friendly and there is so much to see.

Every year I take the children now 6 & 3 to Edinburgh and Stirling. We visit Edinburgh Museum at least 3 times during each stay. There's so much to cover. It's free, educational, informative, they always put on activities for the kids. It's brilliant. My eldest would spend the whole trip in the Museum if she could. Her favourite is the Viking and Roman displays. We also visit the Castle and other attractions. The Zoo is great too. Stirling is really scenic, a lot of walking uphill for the William Wallace Monument but worth it if you're into your history. We just love being in Scotland. There's something about the air that makes us happy.
Can't wait to go again this year.

Summer 1986. For a Londoner who had only ever been as far as holidays in Kent, the prospect of a fortnight touring Scotland in our 1972 Capri was slightly worrying.
What an eye opener - brewing a cuppa on our camping stove overlooking beaches and oceans that rivalled pictures of the Caribbean, proper Mountains (not Downs), Nessie-watch from our tent on the banks of Loch Ness, a ceilidh up Cairngorm, a cosy hotel on the seafront at Oban.
Been many times since, but nothing rivals that first trip.

We like doing obscure beaches along Argyll. I've never done the islands but quite fancy it if the funds allow.

Been to Scotland so many times and I just love it. All inclusive holiday round a pool side in the heat? Nope! Not for me I'm afraid. Give me the vast and beautiful Highlands any day of the week! Don't care if it's raining or cold, with midgies everywhere, I love it!

My dad lives in Scotland (Highlands) so I'm lucky enough to have a base to go and explore the Cairngorms. You open his curtains and can see the mountains from his kitchen window...just amazing!

The ILs live just under the border and it's nice to be able to nip into Southern Scotland when we are up there. Also Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities.

DH spent 6 months working in Scotland a few years ago, on the East Coast, so I got to see islands like Jura and little ports like Islay. The distillery tours were a must, especially when his boat couldn't go out due to rough weather.

I just love the clean air, the rolling hills and mountains, the wildlife, the breathtaking scenery and the people are always very friendly and helpful. I'm a real Scotland fan and I'd love to be able to live up there one day. I chose a Scottish name for my son too!

I've done a driving holiday which was amazing, starting in Glasgow and going the long way around to Edinburgh. I would love to do the top coastal road one year.

The hospitality in Scotland is amazing - we were made to feel so welcome everywhere we went. It's a beautiful country.

Glasgow

Absolutely loved it. The architecture, thenpeople, the shopping, the food.

Can’t wait to return

We used to holiday regularly in Scotland when I was a child and in fact one of my earliest childhood holiday memories is staying at Barend holiday lodges, which I spotted promoted on MN at the same time as I saw this thread - I had no idea it was still up and running! I loved staying in the big log cabins, we used to play on the balcony, and I distinctly remember taking a walk down by the water and seeing loads of baby frogs hopping around!

I live in Scotland now and reckon it's partly due to how much I loved it as a child and my familiarity with the country and its people. We used to visit St Andrews regularly, which is near where I now live and I still have that feeling of being on holiday when I visit the town - it's one of my favourite places to be

Pre baby I went to Ayr and Edinburgh and loved both. Haven't been anywhere with my daughter yet.

Currently on my wish list is a trip to the highlands.

Went to a holiday center around avimore back in 1984, was actually my last proper holiday.

Myself and foster sister went with our.foster parents.

We stayed for almost 3 weeks and was a fantastic.time.

Walked in the caerngorms (spelling), did loch Lomond n loch Ness.
Had a great day or 2 in Inverness, went to John o groats (went to castle may and took photos (queen mother's place)).

Thoroughly enjoyed.myself.

Oh I forgot the west Highland way!

Definitely Edinburgh. The history and architecture look amazing.

Not been to Scotland yet! But heard lots of good stories about where to go and visit.
Would like to visit Aberdeen one day.

Throughout my childhood we went to Tiree every summer on holiday, renting a house there.

We used to take bikes: 4 bikes on top of a Renault 4, being lifted onto the old Claymore ferry (shows how long ago it was ). We also had 2 Siamese cats in the car - which we'd even take for walks in the ferry during the crossing!

Many happy () memories of cycling into a Force 9 gale to meet the ferry from early childhood!

Also memories of not understanding why our parents weren't as happy to come into the sea with db and me: for some reason they would only do so if the tide had had all day to come in over hot sand, so that the water had had a chance to warm up a bit

In those days (before the advent of the windsurfers), even through it was windy, you just went to the beach that was sheltered on the opposite side of the island from the wind direction. And if you saw someone on that beach, you went to the next one!

Lovely carefree holidays and over the years we got to know lots of lovely friendly locals.

I'd love to go back.

We've got a trip to Scotland planned for June.
We are going to Jedburgh, Oban, Mull, Fort William and back. Cannot wait.
It's our first camper trip with our baby and first proper holiday in Scotland.

I'd been away to Edinburgh and Glasgow with my daughter's father before she was born, we've since separated and my daughter is old enough to go away with me and appreciate where we go. I'd love to return to Scotland and really explore the wilderness with her, lochs/mountains/castles/beaches/countryside and stay in a log cabin all cosy. I think she'd love exploring Edinburgh too, and I love the architecture and history of the city. I'm not sure I can cope with the drive up North in my tiny car from the Midlands, but good train routes would be the way to go and add to the adventure. Fingers crossed we can go one day.

We love the range of places to stay and the book a bed ahead system at tourist information centres, from small town houses to farms to places on the seaside. We love the fact that virtually everywhere you go there’s a swimming pool, even in the smallest town or village -Poolewe, for example - so if the rain is tipping down or the midges are swarming you can have fun in the pool. We love the open space, to run,jump, shout, be yourself, go for long walks or rides, kayak, We love the breakfasts that set you up for the day, the teas and scones that keep you going. And we love the places you can go round: distilleries once you’re old enough, ice cream factories, castles of course, Culloden with its ghosts, museums, art galleries in eg Glasgow and Kirkcudbright. And perhaps most of all, the beaches. They are beautiful, often empty, wonderful for sandcastles, kite flying, seal spotting, counting the number of species on the machair, paddling and, for the brave, swimming.

I've been to Scotland as a small child, we visited my parents' friends who lived in Glasgow. I would love to visit Edinburgh, particular during fringe! And also to see the amazing zoo. Oh and Loch Ness! I'm desperate to spot Nessie

We've spent a few holidays traveling around various campsites in Scotland with the kids. We travelled Europe & the US a lot pre kids but we don't have the same budget these days.

I couldn't pinpoint our favourite because I've loved everywhere in a different way if that makes sense, but our first Scottish holiday together was near Stranraer so that will always hold the fondest memories.

We have never been to scotland. We would love to go in the near future. We would love to see all the wildlife and scenery.

We rented a cottage in Dalbeattie it was super cheap in February half term last year, took the kids on a bike ride , and there was a chocolate factory close by that they went to with us and made their own chocolate treats! They had loads of fun! Such a beautiful area we loved it

Family of 4 -does aged 7 and 4. We live in Scotland, and tend to holiday in Scotland too...there's so much variety.

We live near Brodie Castle and are excitedly awaiting the opening of the Playful Garden shortly.

For short breaks we love the Pitlochry/ Dunkeld area. There's so much to do with walks at the Hermitage, the Power Station and salmon ladder in Pitlochry, nearby Atholl Palace. Pitlochry is so child friendly with little parks and attractions all over the place.

We have also had short breaks in the Trossachs, enjoying the outdoors most days but also managing day trips into Glasgow for the Science Centre, Transport Museum and the fabulous Kelvingrove. We try to be near Loch Lomond as they have the best Sea Life Centre with otters.

We have taken a week in Shetland before, using air bnb. So, so much to do...Sand gairdens is full of tadpoles and frogs, the Bonhoga Gallery, the museums in Lerwick and Scalloway, fantastic places to eat, Jarlshoff Viking settlement and just dozens of empty clean beaches everywhere you go. The big highlight is just the huge amount of wildlife -puffins, seals, starfish...the kids get to see so much.

Inverness is also a fantastic city to visit, far away from the central belt. You are near Glen Urquhart Castle and Fort George are within a short travelling distance. You can take a boat trip down the canals directly to the castle on Loch Ness. There are also great indoor attractions like the trampoline park and a huge leisure centre.

We had a lovely first family holiday in Dumfries and Galloway when ds was 6 months old. I especially remember the beautiful Castle Kennedy and a trip upto the Robert Burns birthplace museum. Happy days!

When I was younger we lived abroad but my parents bought a flat in Edinburgh to keep a foot in the uk property market - we spent every Christmas there for years and it was such a beautiful city. I haven’t been back in a decade but I’d love to spend time there as an adult. I also vividly remember a holiday spent touring the highlands, we passed spectacular scenery, saw fantastic historical sights - but for my dsis and I the highlight was a B&B we stayed in one night that had a PlayStation in our bedroom .

I have never been in a family holiday to Scotland however I would love to take the girls to Edinburgh and then onto the highlands taking in the lochs and gorgeous beaches.