Summer holidays: great for children, but a bit of a headache for parents. Trying to find new activities to keep them occupied can be a real struggle, especially when you hear the dreaded cry of ‘I’m bored!’ after what feels like five minutes. But fear not, this list of family days out should keep even the most imaginative children occupied for at least a few hours.
1. Jump In, Aberdeen
Craigshaw Road, West Tullos Industrial Estate, Aberdeen
01926 356290
Open Monday-Thursday, 10am-9pm, Friday 10am-10pm, Saturday, 9am-9pm, Sunday 9am-8pm
Prices vary depending on jump session
www.gojumpin.com/locations/aberdeen
With a tumble track, battle beam, drop slides, dodgeball, and some good old-fashioned trampolines, Jump In is the ideal place to tire out little legs and ensure they get a good night’s sleep. It has more variety than most trampoline parks, so even if they have been to one before they are sure to have fun here (there is also Jump In Edinburgh).
2. Go Ape, Aberfoyle
The Lodge, Forest Visitor Centre, Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Aberfoyle, Stirling (also in Aberdeen and Peebles)
0845 094 9032
Open Sunday-Friday, 9.30am- 4pm and Saturday 9am-4pm
£20 for 10-15-year olds, £26.40 for adults
www.goape.co.uk/days-out/scotland/aberfoyle
Thrill-seeking youngsters will love this treetop adventure course, with rope crossings, climbing and zip wires to enjoy in the beautiful surroundings of the Queen Elizabeth Park. Parents get to join in the fun too, as under-16s must be supervised by an adult.
3. Gruffalo Trail and Ardkinglas Woodland Garden
Ardkinglas Estate, Cairndow, Argyll
01499 600261
Open every day
£5 per person, £15 per family
www.ardkinglas.com/the-gruffalo-trail.html
This peaceful and picturesque walk is a perfect activity for younger children, but will be enjoyed by parents and grandparents. Pictures from the book signpost the way along the trail, with characters to spot as you go (and the elusive Gruffalo hidden somewhere in the trees). You can also see some real life furry friends, with the area often frequented by red squirrels.
4. M&Ds Theme Park
Strathclyde Country Park, Motherwell
01698 333 777
Open every day, 11am-6pm during school holidays, 12pm-6pm for the rest of August
Prices vary depending on activities
www.scotlandsthemepark.com
There are an impressive range of rides at M&Ds: log flumes, rides for little ones, a big wheel, dodgems, and then the biggest of all, the looping, swooping 1000m-long Tornado. If all that wasn’t enough to keep you busy, there is also Amazonia, an indoor tropical rainforest with exotic animals, birds and creepy crawlies to look at (and even hold, if you book in for a special session).
5. Charleton Fruit Farm, Montrose
Charleton Fruit Farm, Montrose, Angus
01674 830226
Open every day, 10am-4pm
Prices depend on weight of fruit
www.charleton-farm.co.uk
There are few things tastier than fresh Scottish strawberries, and you can’t get much fresher than picking your own straight from the plant. Charleton also has raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries (if you’re lucky) and kids will love the challenge of finding the best berries on the branch. Simply bring your own container and pay by weight.
6. Mabie Farm Park, Dumfries
Burnside Farm Mabie, Dumfries
01387 259666
Open every day, 10am- 5pm
£7.50 for children (2-16 years), £8 adult
www.mabiefarmpark.co.uk/
Animal-loving children will be in their element at Mabie Park, with sheep, goats, bunnies, guinea pigs, ferrets and baby ducks to visit and pet. When you finish with the animals you will easily be able to fill a full day there with donkey rides, a quad bike-pulled choo choo train and paddle boats to keep you busy. Very good value.
7. Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick
North Berwick Harbour, North Berwick, East Lothian
0871 2002233
Open every day, 10am-6pm
£8.95 for adults, £4.95 for children, family tickets available
www.seabird.org
The highlight of the Seabird Centre is its Discovery Centre, where you can control interactive live cameras – linked up to local islands – to zoom in on gannets, puffins and other wildlife in their natural habitat. If you fancy it, they also run the Forth Ferry from the centre, a 45-minute crossing on a catamaran over to the quaint village of Anstruther.
8. Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018
Venues vary
0131 226 0026
Many shows are free
Showtimes available on the Festival Fringe website, free shows for children are listed on http://www.freefestival.co.uk/genre.asp?GenreID=3
The hectic, heaving streets of Edinburgh in August might not seem like the best place to bring children, but there is a huge programme of performances that have been made especially for youngsters. Some of the best are free: look out for the Fantastic Magic Show for Kids at the Free Sisters, Grandma’s Gonna Kill Us at the Counting House and ComedySportz at Fireside.
9. Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway and Museum of Scottish Railways
Bo’ness Station, Union St, Bo’ness, Falkirk
01506 822298
Check timetable for train times, museum open every day 11am-4.30pm
Train prices vary, but average £10 for adults and £6 for children. Museum £5 for adults, free for under-16s
www.bkrailway.co.uk/
Everyone will love boarding an authentic steam train and hearing the thump of the engine as you head through the countryside – with an extra treat if you manage to get a seat in a first class Hogwarts Express’-style carriage. There is also a museum of engines, carriages and memorabilia to explore.
10. Tentsmuir Mountain Biking
Tentsmuir Forest, Tayport, Fife
0300 067 6380
Open every day, 8am-sunset
www.scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/tentsmuir
Dust off your bikes and helmets and head to Tentsmuir for some cost-free fun. The forest paths are wide and suitable for most children, but there is also a more challenging single track to be found for older (and braver) kids.
11. Landmark Adventure Park
Carrbridge, Inverness-shire
0800 7313446
Adult £20.70, Child £18.60, Family tickets available
Open 10am-7pm, until the 19th August, 10am- 6pm thereafter until September
www.landmarkpark.co.uk
One of the best family attractions in the Highlands, you will probably struggle to fit all the activities of Landmark into one day. There is a timber train rollercoaster, a hot-house filled with butterflies, not one but three water coasters (all requiring varying bravery levels), a growing-shrinking room, tree-top trails, a forest viewing tower and even a skydive platform to jump off. Phew.
12. Snow Factor, into Braehead
King's Inch Rd, Braehead, Renfrew, Glasgow
0871 222 5672
Open Monday-Friday, 10am-10pm and Saturday-Sunday, 9am-10pm
Prices vary depending on activity
www.snowfactor.com
Seeking out snow in the summer might seem odd, but if children get bored with all the usual holiday activities it can be worthwhile trying something a bit different. This indoor real snow slope is the longest in the UK, and gives you the chance to try skiing, snowboarding or sledging – whatever the weather outside.
13. Dunrobin Castle, Sutherland
Golspie, Sutherland
01408 633177
Open every day, 10am-5pm, falconry displays are daily at 11.30am and 2.00pm
Adults £11.50, Children £7 (prices include museum, gardens, and falconry display)
www.dunrobincastle.co.uk
This fairy-tale, conical-spired castle is one of the most northerly – and most beautiful – in Scotland. Children will love running around the grounds, exploring the inside and, above all, the impressive falconry displays, featuring owls, hawks and majestic falcons.
14. Stonehaven Open Air Swimming Pool
Queen Elizabeth Park, The Links, Stonehaven
01569 762134
Open Monday- Friday, 10am-7.30pm and Saturday-Sunday 10am-6pm
£5.45 for adults, £3.35 for juniors, family tickets available
www.stonehavenopenairpool.co.uk
With remarkably good weather so far this summer, being in Scotland almost feels like you are on holiday. Complete that holiday feeling with a trip to the clean, Olympic-sized, outdoor pool in Stonehaven. And if the weather does turn chilly there’s no need to worry, as the water is heated to a tropical 29C. There's also an outdoor pool in Gourock.
15. Glasgow Spy Mission Treasure Trail
Trail begins at Ruthven Street, Woodlands, Glasgow
01872 263692
Can be completed whenever you want
£6.99 for one trail booklet, which is for 4-5 people
www.treasuretrails.co.uk/things-to-do/glasgow-and-lanarkshire/glasgow
Ideal for little explorers (or wannabe detectives) this trail takes you round Glasgow’s west end, solving clues found on buildings and monuments as you go. The aim is to deactivate a device created by a vengeful professor at the university, so it’s high-stakes stuff: but if you get stuck then there is a text message service with clues. No one likes a cheat though...
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