Scotland with kids
 

Am planning a trip to Edinburgh during June, 2005. We are a family of 4 (with two girls - ages 10 and 13). We are planning 3 nights in Edinburgh (Castle, National Gallery, etc). A train will take us to Fort William for another 3 night stay. Dad gets to hike around Ben Nevis. We will rent a car for side trips to Isle of Skye (Road to the Isles and Armadale Ferry), and a leisurely drive to Drumnadrochit/Inverness. Any tips for us and our "tweener" girls? All appreciated.

Of course it all really depends on your kids interests. Are they into Harry Potter? There are places associated with JK Rowling in Edinburgh they might like to visit. I understand the Deep Sea World just outside Edinburgh is really good though I don't have personal experience with it. If they are into funky secondhand clothes shopping, take them to the Grassmarket in Edinburgh - I recommend Armstrongs, located on the east end of the Grassmarket right near where it meets Victoria Street - a really fun, weird place, but packed tight with piles of merchadise - digging will be required.

They might like Loch Ness since you'll be in the area, but if theywant to see the mosnter, they'll have to go to the gift shop, it's the oly place she is guranateed to make an appearance!

Not that there's anything wrong with them but are those places fixed?

I did a "Scotland with Kids" docuemnt a couple of years ago. Email me for a copy.

What do they like? What do you like?

Daisy, both are Potter fans. I know the exteriors for the film were shot in the Highlands, but what interesting things do they have for Potter fans in Edinburgh?

Sheila, the only spot that is fixed is Fort William (Dad hiking Ben Nevis and area). We thought Edinburgh for the art/museums, history, etc. We have heard such positive things about the drive to the island that we had to include it. My wife wants to explore some castles. We included Loch Ness for the girls, but are reluctant because of all the touristy kitsch.

echaves,
Two places I found in Edinburgh assocated with HP are restaurants where JK Rowling wrote portions of the first book when she was a struggling single mother. One is call Elephant and it's on George IV Bridge, the other is on Nicolson Street, it used to be called Nicolson's but it's now a Chinese restaurant whose name eludes me but it's something like Chinese Buffet - it has a large white trim just above the ground floor. Both these places are within walking distance of the Royal Mile - a place the kids can look at and say, this is where it all started. I discovered the Nicolson Street site while looking for the building my grandmother was born in, which is just down the street.

Also, as I mentioned to someone else just earlier today, Grayline Tours in Edinburgh has a bus tour to Alnwick Castle which was used as the location for Hogwarts.

Aha! Light dawns.

1. Do you have the option of staying outside Fort William?

2. Loch Ness is pretty naff. A quick pass by for the Loch Ness Exhibition would do it for me.

Think about staying in Glenfinnan instead of Fort William - much prettier setting, and the local railway station, railway viaduct, and a large number of local secondary school students have had on-screen appearances in the Harry Potter movies - in fact the Hogwarts Express steam train set fire to some moorland around the Glenfinnan Viaduct during the filming of the Chamber of Secrets.