From Edinburgh we need to pick one of these destinations for 2 nights. Which would be more interesting to children? Arran is a little closer but we are willing to go all the way to Skye if its worth it.

Young kids? I love LOVE Skye --but Arran is a shorter drive and a bit more "accessible" (the sites are closer together)

Not only is Skye farther - it is much larger so the drive to the isle is only part of the equation. Driving around the island will add many more hours in the car.

So while Skye is magnificent -- Arran is very nice and an easier trip for such a short visit. For instance Brodick Castle/Gardens on Arran is very near the ferry from the mainland. Dunvegan Castle on Skye is about 60 miles/2 hours from the Skye ferry or 50 miles/1.5 hours from the bridge.

Plus some of the most scenic roads on Skye are single tracks.

Arran would just be bunches easier.

The kids are 4 and 7 year old girls. distance is a factor....we will most likely rent a car in edinburgh so i'm not sure what we would do with it on Arran. Can the ferry take cars over too?

For ferry information to Arran:

http://www.calmac.co.uk/destinations/arran.htm

I'd also opt for Arran with children. Canon Chasuble used to go there when he was a child and we still visit quite often. Yes, you can take your car on the ferry.

Just to add to the recommendation for Arran, it is referred to as <I> Scotland in miniature </I>. It's easy to get there via ferry and plenty to see and do once on the island with two castles ( one a ruin, the other intact and the ancestral home of the Hamiltons), a distillery, stone circles ( not Stonehenge but nice) and the island's Heritage Museum. Also plenty of wonderful walks and picturesque villages.

i'm thinking this might be a viable option....we can also hit a few things on the way to the island.

which area of Arran should be be based out of?

On the way to Arran there's lots of things to see. The Falkirk Wheel is amazing and fun for kids, and there's a weeks worth of stuff in Glasgow. Arran is lovely it will be fun for your kids to go across on the ferry.

thank you...

wow the Falkirk Wheel looks amazing. I'm going to try and fit that into your schedule. Thank you so much Alihutch for the idea.

It's a spectacular piece of engineering...hope you get to see it!

We chose to do Isle of Arran and loved it!! It had everything we were looking for plus it was closer than we thought.

Thanks for posting back. I agree, I think Arran is wonderful but, unfortunately, it seems to get short shrift on this forum. It is also one of those places where a traveler can actually find those charming, "quaint" villages they're always asking about. Maybe we should just keep it a secret.

sure...it will be our secret. What made our stay all the more memorable was the Bed and breakfast we chose. We truly felt like home and were extremely pleased. It called Darvin Cottage.