jlm43

Any advise on where to start? We will be staying in Ballater in June of 2014. We will have 2 kids between 5 and 10 with us. What are the must do's and the don't bother's? We have a few castles to check out, and want to do some hiking and biking with them. So far our plans are a little vague but we have a few months to plan. We are trying to keep the trip pretty mellow so we don't over saturate their little minds and we can enjoy it as much as them.
Thanks
J

janisj

From Ballater you can cover everything from Inverness/Loch Ness to the Castle trail to the Aberdeenshire coast/Dunnottar and of course all of Deeside. Four different times I've spent a week based in Ballater and you will never run out of things to see/do.

There is a falconry center up north just outside Huntly that kids absolutely LOVE. http://www.huntly-falconry-centre.com Plus it make a great two-fer w/ Huntly Castle which a great one for clambering/climbing/exploring.

How many days do you have there?

jlm43

We will be there for 2 weeks but the kids will be heading back after only one week. The castle and the falconry both look great and are now on our list. Those are the sort of things we are looking for. Dunnottar is on our list too as the kids know it as the Brave castle. We like the idea of the castle remains rather than the "still livable" modern castles. To me, it lets the imagination run a little more.
Thanks for the tips.

janisj

Any chance you are staying at craigendarroch? It is the (now) Hilton owned hotel and time share resort. If so, you will love it there. But anyplace in Ballater will be a good base.

jlm43

We actually got a house for this trip. We have some other family members coming for certain times of the trip so we thought this would be a better option. We just recently started planning our activities so we are open at this point. We are adventurous but still want to relax some too. Figured a small town will suffice. Sometimes it hard to prioritize activities when you have no idea what's good and what's not, then throw in the weather..... We saw some "rope courses" websites that look cool but we have some of them around home so not sure that will be a priority. Mainly focusing on culture and things that are new to the kiddos.

janisj

A good thing about Ballater is it is a small place but has options for dining, pubs, shopping.

If any of the family plays, the golf course is lovely . . . Lies in a bend of the river right in town.

http://www.ballatergolfclub.co.uk/Home.aspx

Gordon_R

Untypically for a small Scottish town, most of the restaurants in Ballater are very fancy, expensive places, so it's just as well you will have your own rented house and the opportunity to self-cater. We stayed in a B&B there for a few nights 3 years ago and would not rush to return to Ballater due to the very limited affordable dining options.

Nevertheless there is plenty to see and do in the area. In addition to what's already been suggested, kids of all ages love the reindeer herd at Cairngorm: http://www.cairngormreindeer.co.uk/Visit/visit.htm. The funicular railway up to the top of the mountain is also great fun: http://www.cairngormmountain.org/fun...railway-panel/.

jlm43

Eating "at home" is one of the main reasons we chose the self-cater option. Hopefully it will save some money allowing us to do some other things instead of always paying for meals at restaurants. The list of hobbies for the people going are biking, hiking, fishing and golf. I thought Ballater would offer a bit of everything without needing to travel very far. This is our first major trip with the kids so it will be interesting to say the least. Thanks again for all the tips. They all look great and are things the kids would normally want to do anyway.
Any other things I need to add to the "do" or "don't" lists?

irishface

The highland wildlife park might be of interest.

http://www.highlandwildlifepark.org.uk

It is off the A9 near Kingussie. When I took my nephews to Scotland all of us enjoyed it. We went on the ranger walk (free with entrance) who was humorous as well as informative. It includes many endangered animals of the UK as well as other parts of the world.

We had packed a picnic lunch but there was a nice café where one could buy the whole deal. We bought ice cream to eat with our picnic which we ate at the picnic tables outside. Most people were picnicking.

You might want to find a list of dates for highland games. We were staying near Fort Augustus (at the foot of Loch Ness) and lucked out as there was a day or two of highland games while we were there. There were all sorts of activities and things to see in a small area (not too much walking for the littlest one). We got to watch traditional displays such as tossing the caber, highland dancing, etc. There were booths of "stuff" to buy and trucks selling hotdogs, etc. Many Scottish breeds of domestic animals were on display. It was a bit drizzly that day but it was fun. there were also various sports activities for kids and no preregistration was necessary so the boys could just show up at the gate when events were announced. The nephews had a grand time trying various things.

Someone gave a website for dates and places of highland games but I can't recall it. You could probably google highland games and find it.

Have fun!

janisj

Oh, yes, a highland games would be great! June isn't the height of the season but there are a few. Depending on your exact dates here are some in your general area in June

Cornhill June 7
Strathmore (a trek but Glamis Castle is terrific) June 8
Cupar (down in Fife so maybe too far) June 14
Aberdeen (the closest) June 15
Old Meldrum (also close) June 21

http://www.shga.co.uk/events.php

jlm43

So some highland games are now on the list. The kids are starting to get anxious for the trip and to see some castles. Thanks again for all the help.

scotlib

When you visit Dunnottar Castle in Stonehaven, perhaps take a swim in a heated seawater pool .. http://www.stonehavenopenairpool.co.uk/

I really recommend Robertson the Baker for getting a sandwich and dessert .. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rober...50250001779161