48 hours in Edinburgh advice

[OneJollyKhakiViewer]

Hi all, just looking for some advice.
My mams 60th birthday next week so we’re going to Edinburgh to visit my eldest daughter who is at uni there. Travelling is me, my mam, my dad and my recently turned one year old.

My eldest daughter isn’t particularly helpful as her impressions of the city have been the cheapest coffee or drinking spots 🙄🤣

We arrive on the Friday night and leave on the Sunday. My dad is dead against going to the zoo which was my initial idea… just wondering the best way to make a nice weekend with that diverse an age group? I’ve booked my parents into a vaults tour but obviously I can’t do that with the baby, so I’ve booked it for later on evening for them. I’m just stumped as I’ve been told camera obscura isn’t suitable for babies… any help appreciated! It’s a diverse group to try and entertain for a couple of days!
Also, great food recommendations?
we visited the Gruff Goat when I was up last visiting my eldest, so will be going there again. Just any general random itinerary ideas would be so welcome.

Holy rood Palace was lovely, I enjoyed it more than I thought. Little one can have a leg stretch outside and there’s a lovely cafe. But I don’t know if you can take a pram upstairs so you and LO might have to miss that bit.
We enjoyed the hop on hop off bus and went to Calton Hill which was nice.

National museum is worth a look, walk through princes street gardens too if the weather is good.

Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street is wonderful, lovely light filled open spaces, amazing displays and gives a great introduction to Scotland! Also National Gallery of Scotland on the Mound -
both have decent cafes too.

No to zoo. Thats grim

Yes, National Museum and National Galleries for sure.

An afternoon in Stockbridge? Lovely shops, excellent charity shops and great coffee/lunch stops.

A dawdle up the Royal Mile, then down Victoria St? All v close to the museum.

I was also going to say the museum. It’s free as well.

Climb Calton Hill. Views over the old city in one direction, and across Leith and the water to Fife in the other. It always looks different up there as well, depending on the weather.

It must be the easiest way to get spectacular views in the whole country – you can be up there within about ten minutes of getting off the train!

Take your 1 year old to the zoo, let your parents visit museums while you're there. Museums and 1 year olds are a bit of a noisy nightmare.

The Botanics is also nice and near to Stockbridge. Bit weather dependent though.

I’ve been eyeing up the Gruff Goat.

I really enjoyed Britannia.

Divide and conquer if you need to and want to take the little one to the zoo! Be aware it’s very hilly though and can be hard work with a buggy.
definitely do the national museum, again send the parents off to explore while you do the child friendly sections.
walk down to Stockbridge, there’s a food and craft market on Sunday mornings, then botanic gardens.
tram to leith and royal yacht Britannia.
theres a little play area at the west end of princes street gardens and a bigger one at the east end of the Meadows if your wee one is walking.

The Museum of Scotland is certainly suitable for children however tiny - and free. I assume you’ll hold a hand to avoid the tiny getting lost/ hurt or use pushchair! But very child friendly.

it’s close to / opposite Greyfriars Bobby, the statue of the little loyal dog and there’s a very nice family Italian restaurant Vittorias which also has gelato stand just down from there.

The weather may be very bad so some inside attractions would be good.

The St James shopping centre at far end princes street has a good Lego store and food court etc good for wander on rainy day.

When very little my children loved just running round Princes Street Gardens or travelling on top of one of the double decker buses.

For good views, the cafe at the very top floor of John Lewis in the St James shopping centre has superb views on a clear day for miles.

Museum of Scotland is fantastic for the baby, there’s a big kind of sensory room. If it’s nice (ish) weather there’s a good playground in the meadows which is close and also in the university area. Stockbridge, as mentioned, also lovely; apart from the botanics there’s also the water of leith walkway, which is probably doable with a buggy, also loads of nice wee cafes along raeburn place. All depends on weather, fingers crossed for you!

Agree Museum of Scotland, great views from the roof. Possibly the castle too although you may need to keep close eye on toddler and Holyrood Palace. Scottish Parliament is interesting and free. Hop on, hop off bus tour out to Leith which goes via Botanic Gardens and stops at the shopping centre by the Royal Yacht Britannia, or take the tram. Georgian house and National Gallery might suit older members of the party.

what sort of food would you like? Vittorias mentioned above is usually a reliable option for families.

I've visited Edinburgh a few times and top of my list would be Arthur's Seat (although appreciate you'd rule that out with a little one) and a walk to Dean's Village with a potter around Stockbridge. Walking along the Royal Mile and streets off it is nice. Grassmarket is nice - and include the little black dog statue, cemetery(!) - National Museum closeby also good.

To be honest I'd rule our the zoo, and just enjoy the city.

Or, you could get the lift to the terrace at the top
of the museum of Scotland for another great view and no climbing! (Not a hill fan 😂)

Lots of nice places for afternoon tea if your mum would like that

The camera obscura is surprisingly good for toddlers and they actually used to do a toddler festival at one point because I took my eldest when he was about 15 months. It has a lot of stairs and no lift, though. You can leave a buggy downstairs, though and sounds like you will have plenty of people who can hold the baby if needs be.

the museum of Scotland is good. Look at the map for the family zones. The imagination room (level 1 behind the big clock is good for little ones) and adventure planet on level 5 is also good. Level 1 of the science section is also good - maglev train to push and a reaction time button game my kids have loved at lots of ages.

the botanical gardens are good for a walk.

-I loved the National museum so much. Lots to see/do and its free
-I found Holyrood Palace a disappointment. Partly the price, but due to the buildings age, there were alot more steps that I was expecting. Also, having seen the castle museum, art galleries etc, it was the 1 place I'd give a miss if only there 2 days
-If anyone has a medical/health professional background, then the Surgeons Hall museum is fascinating.
-Britannia

museum of childhood on the royal mile is good as well and free

Another vote for the museum. Your baby can toddle or crawl around. There are rooms for young children and things for adults so you can wander around separately then meet up in the cafe.

And you can totally take babies to the Camera Obscura. You'd have to carry them up and down all the stairs though, there's no lift. You can borrow a baby carrier. There are lots of lights and displays to look at. They might be bored in the actual camera obscura room but that's a tiny part.

You can do walking tours of the Royal Mile, book themed walking tours, all sorts, depending on how mobile you all are.

Do your parents have any particular interests? Art or science or history?

The John Knox house on the Royal Mile is interesting for history buffs and the Storytelling Centre next door has a cafe and a big indoor space for little ones to run around. They have a little dressing up corner and a wall with doors to open and book characters like the Gruffalo hiding inside. So historians could visit the house and someone could stay in the cafe with the baby?

As others have said museum is great, there's a room on the main ground level at the back which is ideal for toddlers. Camera obscura would also be good. There's also a play cafe for kids near shandwick place, not sure what it's called. Dynamic earth too but maybe the toddler is a bit young. You could get the train to Dalmeny and then walk around South Queensferry and see the bridges if it's a nice day.

Britannia is fab, but maybe just send the parents there on their own, as it won't work with a pram.
You're not there for long, so just Potter around the centre, Grassmarket etc. It will probably be cold, so build in lots of coffee stops.
National Gallery of Scotland is good, and has an excellent restaurant (just offset on Princes St, same side as Scott memorial).
If it's a toss up between Holyrood and the Castle, Holyrood is much more interesting.