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Top 5 Child-friendly places in Scotland
Scotland is packed with great places to visit for family day trips. We have chosen a selection of 5 child-friendly places in Scotland. Many are suitable for children under 8 years-old. Others cater for the whole family.
Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh
This is the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood. There are toys and games from the past on display, which range from dolls and teddy bears to train sets. Adults can get nostalgic about their own childhoods, and it’s a good way of showing children what life was like without computers!
Find out more about the Museum of Childhood
Almond Valley Heritage Centre, outside Livingston, West Lothian
Part of the fun here is being allowed to feed lots of farm animals. The centre is situated by a river with almost a mile of woods and green spaces. There are trampolines, a museum, an archaeological dig sand pit and tractor rides.
'Morag's Meadow' is a soft play area and parents can watch their children bounce on giant vegetables while they relax with a cup of tea! There is a special self-contained soft-play area especially for babies and toddlers called 'Little Weeds'.
A tearoom offers a choice of healthy food and is open from 10 – 4.30pm every day.
Go to the Almond Valley Heritage Centre website
Loudoun Castle Theme Park, Galston, five miles outside Kilmarnock
For a theme park day-out, this is the place to take the children. There are lots of rides to suit everyone, from scary to toddler-friendly.
There are live shows to take your children to, for instance the stunt show 'Walk the Plank' or children can sing and dance along with Loudoun’s mascot, Rory the Lion.
McDougal's Farm gives you the chance to get close to some more unusual farm animals. There are four different food outlets including a barbeque hut and McDougal's Teabarn.
Find out more on the Loudoun Castle website
Finlaystone Country Estate, Renfrewshire
If you fancy a day-out exploring spectacular woodlands and beautiful gardens, pack a picnic lunch and look forward to a relaxing day. The woodland at Finlaystone is great for wildlife spotting. If you’re lucky you can spot roe deer, foxes and bats.
The Celtic Tree tearoom has a wide range of hot and cold food.
Especially for the school holidays, there are activities organised for children between 5-10 years old. Choices include Make a Kite, Den Building, Shadow Puppets, Woodland Art, making Scarecrows and Sock Puppets.
Go to the Finlaystone Country Estate website
Museum of Transport, Glasgow
This is a great place for children to have fun and learn about the history of transport at the same time. The collection includes horse-drawn vehicles, fire engines, motorcycles and toy cars.
Hire a toy car free of charge for your child (aged 3-6 years) and they can ‘drive’ all over the museum. Families with children under five can take a tour with Nanny Noo, who will tell nursery rhymes and sing songs. Or you can visit the ‘Nursery Treasure Box’, which has transport-themed educational games and activities. You can pick up a ‘Story Sack’ which contains transport-themed books to read to nursery-aged children.
All these activities are free of charge.
Find out more about the Museum of Transport
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