Scotland is almost the same size as South Carolina and has a population of about 5 million people. In order to explore the country adequately, most of the must-sees can be done in under 14 days. Although it is a small country a large percentage of it is mountainous, and so with so many country roads, it means that it takes significantly longer to get from A to B than you might first imagine. For this reason it is wise to plan to take longer than Google Maps might say. The locals are so friendly that they will no doubt convince you to stay for another drink or a ‘cuppa’ tea! So don’t rush your Scottish holiday.
Why is Scotland a great destination for families with kids?
There is something truly magical about Scotland. The people are known to be some of the friendliest in the world and they make a special effort to make any visitor to their country more than welcome. Scotland has not only many cultural attractions but incredible landscapes, a proud history and a very ancient heritage. Famous for its many castles, it is also home of the best scotch whisky in the world! (Please note, our whisky has no ‘e’). For kids who love adventure there is so much to do in the great Scottish outdoors – hiking, biking, kayaking, deer running, sheepdog trialing, falconry, archery and hunting down the Loch Ness monster.
Must see places in Scotland
It is not possible to seeing everything on one visit to Scotland so we suggest that the main places to visit include:
a. Edinburgh – Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace, National Gallery
b. The Isle of Skye – Eilean Donan Castle, Portree, Old Man of Storr, Quiraing, Kilt Rock
c. Loch Lomond – the Trossachs National Park
d. Loch Ness – Urquhart Castle and to visit ‘Nessie’!
e. Inverness – Caledonian Canal, Culloden, Inverness Cathedral
f. Stirling – Stirling Castle, William Wallace Monument, Bannockburn
g. Glencoe – Fort William, Ben Nevis, Etive Mor
h. St. Andrews – The University, the Cathedral, the Castle and the golf course!
i. Cairngorms – Aviemore, Pitlochry
j. Glasgow – if nothing else just for the people!
How long would you vacation in Scotland?
We would say that 7 to 10 days is an ideal amount of time to visit Scotland. If you only have 7 days then we may exclude the Isle of Skye as it is quite difficult to get to. Ten days allows you enough time to explore Edinburgh and to get into the Highlands and visit the Isle of Skye, as well as Inverness, the Cairngorms, the Trossachs and some of Scotland’s famous lochs (Loch Ness and Loch Lomond).
Our top 10 reasons to visit Scotland
- People
- Scenery
- Castles
- Wildlife
- History
- Culture
- Hospitality
- TV & Film – Outlander, Game of Thrones and Harry Potter
- Whisky
- Haggis
Top 10 things to do in Scotland with kids
Out top 10 things to do in Scotland with kids are in no particular order and presume that you are visiting the whole of Scotland. For us these have been some of our best experiences and we have got fantastic feedback from our clients and friends.
- Spend half a day touring Edinburgh and the Castle with a local
- Take a Boat Cruise on Loch Ness
- Take a drive to the Isle of Skye and visit Eilean Donan Castle on the way.
- Go on a Reindeer Run in the Cairngorms
- Visit a working Sheepdog Farm
- Partake of a ‘wee dram’ in one of Scotland’s whisky distilleries
- Ride on the Hogwarts Express (Jacobite Steam Train)
- Visit Stirling Castle or stay the night in one of the many others
- Visit the Loch Ness Monster
- Take an evening Ghost Tour in Edinburgh’s Old Town
How can we help?
While we live in Europe (and one of us being Scottish!) we believe we are in the best position to speak about it, to advise you and help you to plan a memorable vacation. Let us help you by taking advantage of our vacation consulting or itinerary development services. Working to your budget we’ll discuss the best locations, present you with the best family accommodations, family focused tours/excursion/activities and work out the logistics for you.
So if you are planning a vacation to Scotland and you need some help then drop us a line. We’ll set up a time to call you and let you know how we might help. If you are still at the initial stages and trying to determine how much time you should allocated to exploring Scotland then have a look at the Best 10 day Scotland road trip itinerary
Planning to visit Scotland? Here are some articles and resources that will help you….
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