Hello all-
My husband and I will be taking our 2 boys (6 and 3.5) to Scotland next June, and I'm struggling a bit with the itinerary. Here's what I have so far:
Fly into London, stay for 4 nights
Train to Edinburgh, stay for 2 nights
2-3 nights ???
End the trip with 3(+?) nights near (but not in) Aviemore to explore Cairngorms
Fly out of Inverness

Originally, we thought about doing Isle of Mull in the middle, but I'm second-guessing that for a few reasons: 1. the options for family lodging there, especially only 3 nights, is very slim and so much is booked already for next June. 2. It seems like such a hike to get to Oban, take the ferry, and drive to Tobermory. Also, everyone raves about going to Staffa/Lunga, but those excursions seem like too much for small kids, correct me if I'm wrong. To give context, some of the ideas we had planned for Mull included Calgary beach, the aquarium (which I just learned is closed permanently, bummer), Aros waterfall hike, and the Mull cheese cafe and farm.

So my question is - does anyone have any recommendations for somewhere to stay for 2-3 nights that kids would enjoy? Things we would be interested in include easy hikes, a beach to scamper about, boat rides, castles. My husband would love to go to some Highland games, but it appears there aren't a whole lot to choose from in June.

Any recommendations would be helpful. Thanks!

I'm not a Scotland expert. Luckily, we have a few here who will chime in soon.

But... If this was my trip and the focus was Scotland, I'd fly into Edinburgh and visit London on another trip when you can spend more time there.

You'll use up half a day riding the train London-Edinburgh which leaves you only one uninterrupted day in Edinburgh. The Castle could be a half day, so not much time in this great city. You're also looking to change hotels every few/couple of days, do/see things that are time-consuming, etc. But if you were to spend the two weeks (ish) in just Scotland, it would allow for a comfortable pace (esp. for the 3.5 y.o.), make some of your ideas more realistic and give you a chance to add more.

A couple of things your kids might enjoy: Jacobite Steam Train and/or the Strathspey Steam Train. Also consider Stirling Castle on your drive out of Edinburgh.

FWIW, depending on the time of your departing flight from Inverness, you may want/need to spend the last night at/near the airport. The drive from Aviemore isn't that long, but I'd want to start that travel day with kids as stress-free as possible. If you stayed at/near the airport, you could probably even turn in the rental car the night before your flight.

Welcome to Fodors -- Scotland is WONDERFUL for kids. However -- may I ask why you are focusing on the Cairngorms?? It is a lovey area but not nearly the most scenic part of the country. What do you expect to do while there?

Re London - It is also terrific for families/children but with just 3 usable days there, you really won't get to see/do a lot and it would take a lot of time away from Scotland.

Also just 2 nights in Edinburgh is cutting the city awfully short IMO -- you are talking a little over 1.5 days.

So . . . before we can give you useful advice please tell us more about what you hope to get out of this trip -- Castles, hikes (likely not major hiking with the little ones), wildlife, beaches, scenery, history, etc etc.

Thanks Jean and janisj for the responses! To answer your questions:

My 6 year old is most excited for London, so that's a must. He got a London lift-the-flap book for a gift, so he already knows a lot of the sights and is very excited to see them in person. Also, both kids love Paddington, so there's that. Three days isn't super long, but I think it will be plenty of time to do the things that are suitable for their ages. My husband and I have been to London a few times before, so we won't feel like we're missing out on all the important sites. I know the train ride takes up a bunch of time, but my kids love trains and rarely get to ride on them, so I think that will be an adventure for them.

I waffled on doing 2 or 3 nights in Edinburgh, and I haven't booked our accommodations there, so I can still easily add another night. We definitely plan to stop at Stirling castle when we leave Edinburgh!

I picked the Cairngorms because it seemed very kid-friendly from what I read: some easy hikes, the reindeer herd, other animal encounters/farms, we can go to Loch Ness or Inverness area should we want, and I think we're going to take the kids to Landmark adventure park (gotta do 1 very kid-centric thing after all the hikes and castles and such).

Our goal for this trip is to introduce international/European travel to our kids and for them to learn about new places. Like I said, we're interested in easy hikes (beautiful scenery is a plus), maybe a beach for the kids to run around on for a day, castles (we already have a few on our list), anything unique to Scotland (I mentioned the Highland games). Basically, I don't know if I should suck it up and make the long haul to Mull or if there's somewhere that might be less of a trek but still great for our family. Trossachs/Loch Lomond? The Road to the Isles and its beaches?

Thanks for the input!

I would definitely try to add another night in Edinburgh. I liked Stirling Castle much more than Edinburgh Castle as I think it is more interesting. The most dramatic and interesting, at leas to me about Edinburgh Castle was that it is strategically sited. Your kids might actually enjoying visiting the Royal Yacht Britannia. It was a highlight of our trip two years ago. They likely know very little about the Queen or British royalty but it is so interesting nonetheless, just the concept of traveling around on a fully equipped yacht including the place where the musicians rehearsed and slept, as well as seeing the Rolls Royce that was hoisted aboard. Before you board, there is a giant Lego model of the yacht. Plus the chocolate cake in the cafe where we stopped for tea following the visit was delicious. They do have a lunch menu as well as drinks.

Okay -- thanks for the added background info. Have you already booked flights into in to London and home from Edinburgh? If it was my trip and had a London-besotted 6 year old I'd think something like this would be a good itinerary (just to think about there are many other options)

Arrive in London and stay 5 nights (6 would be great but I'm not sure you have the time). Your arrival day would likely be a 'non-day' with at least some of you needing to recover from jetlag. Then take the train to Edinburgh and stay 3 nights.

Then rent a car and drive to Falkirk and visit the Wheel then on to Stirling and visit the Castle before driving east into Fife. Stay in Fife for 2 nights : St Andrews, fishing villages, castles, beaches, deer park, boat trips, etc. Maybe stay here https://www.kilconquharcastle.co.uk Hopefully in the cottages/lodges out in the grounds.. Bunnies on the lawn!

Then north to Deeside -- via Glamis Castle and Dunnottar Castle. Glamis and Dunnattar will take most of the day and then on to somewhere like Ballater or Aboyne -- tons of castles and the river. Stay 2 nights. Then drive through the Cairngorms and finish up outside Inverness fo the last few days --I'm not totally clear how many total nights you have so Inverness area could be 1, 2 or 3 nights. Culloden, Fort George, if you have time, maybe a drive part way down the west side of Loch Ness and visit Urquhart Castle (the Loch itself isn't that scenic)

Fly home from INV

Thank you so much for the very thought out itinerary, janisj! I haven't really looked into Fife or Deeside, so I'll do that.
I think I had it in my head to go west from Edinburgh before heading up to Aviemore, just because it seems more dramatic scenery-wise. I kind of wanted to stop in Glencoe (for the adults, not the kids) because it looks gorgeous. But I've read a lot of very meh comments about Oban and Fort William as a place to stay, so that's where I got stuck.
Thanks again for the ideas though!

Oban is nice. Ft William not so much. Glencoe is glorious . . . not a lot for kids there through UN:ESS they happen to be doing an historic 'performance' where they demonstrate creating a kilt using 'the whole nine yards' - since they often pick a child to drape the fabric around.

As I said - my suggestion was just one of many options. I geared it to sort of kid friendly site but still LOTS for the adults.

Here is another one to consider: Edinburgh > Falkirk (Wheel and the Kelpies) > Stirling > then stay 2 nights somewhere like Callander in the Trossachs with Doune Castle, Inchmahome Priory, where kids love exploring the island. Maybe the steamship Sir Walter Scott on Loch Katrine, etc > then up to Glencoe with a short detour to Killin/Falls of Dochart en route. Stay maybe one night in Glencoe or Ballachullish. Then up along Loch Ness/Urquhart Castle and stay outside Inverness before flying home.

BTW when leaving Edinburgh to start the driving tour -- the best place to collect your rental car is out a EDI. Driving IN Edinburgh is a beeee-atch. EDI has all the major rental companies plus it is right on the main road heading out to Flakirk/Stirling/etc.

We don't know that much about you or your kids (like, where is home?) but I'd have to assume that this is likely the first time the 3-year-old has traveled this far.

My general suggestion for people in your situation is to save London for last. Even if jetlag isn't an issue, dropping into the metropolis for what's likely to be a go-go stay can be a bit overwhelming both for kids and their parents.

By comparison, Edinburgh provides (in my opinion) a much "softer" landing with no shortage of fun things to see and do for all ages, but without the congestion and hustle/bustle of London. It's a good city to visit without a car, but if you want to use it as a base for touring, it's pretty ideal.

Then by the time comes to head south, you're likely to be much more attuned to the pace and to the dos and don'ts on British cities - look right to keep from being massacred by a bus on the "wrong" side of the road, etc.

If it's easier on the logistics front, Edinburgh can also be a decent hub for day trips. For example, you can take the train to North Berwick or Dunbar - both around half an hour from Edinburgh - for time on the beach or for visiting some puffins. Or the day trip to Stirling as mentioned, or to St. Andrews... all doable.

Anyway, maybe give the "reverse" idea some thought. You have plenty of time to google away.

OOPS -- I see a goof in one of my earlier posts (not the first time ) Should have been "Have you already booked flights into in to London and home from Edinburgh Inverness?"

While I often recommend doing London at the end of a trip for the reason Gardyloo mentions -- It depends on if you've already booked the flights.

Thanks again for the help! I think we're going to do something similar to the last suggestion you made, janisj. I think we'll do Edinburgh-Falkirk-Stirling- Trossachs or Oban, depending on my research. I haven't read much on Trossachs yet, so I need to do that. But ff we stay in or near Oban, then we can still day trip to Mull and find out what the story is there.
Then we'll head up to Glencoe and stay 1 night. I was thinking the Isle of Glencoe so that way the kids can swim after we drag them on boring hikes/drives. Then we'll head up to the Cairngorms for a couple of days and fly out of Inverness.

Gardyloo, I hadn't considered doing the reverse trip, but you make a good point, so I'll think about if that could work for us. Thank you!