With young children, the best day trips from Edinburgh are the shorter ones: the Kelpies, Stirling & Perth and St Andrews & Fife both have you home by around 3:00 PM, with flat paths and plenty to run around in. For a full Highland day, Loch Lomond & Glencoe is the gentlest at about 9 hours. Loch Ness and the Harry Potter bridge at Glenfinnan are the trips children talk about most, but at around 11 hours they suit kids who are happy with longer drives.
By Waseem Abuaglain, Founder & Driver-Guide. Families are our most popular travellers — these are the days we see children enjoy most.
The Day Trips at a Glance
Every tour leaves Edinburgh at 8:00 AM, collecting you from your hotel or apartment. Prices are for your whole private group of up to 8, not per person.
| Day trip | Day length | Children love | Best for | Group price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stirling, Perth & Kelpies Day Tour | About 7 hrs, back 3:00 PM | The giant Kelpies horse heads, the Scone Palace maze and peacocks | All ages, including babies and toddlers | £695 |
| St Andrews & Kingdom of Fife Day Tour | About 7 hrs, back 3:00 PM | Cairnie Fruit Farm's Funyard, Maize Maze and fruit picking | All ages — best Wednesday to Sunday | £695 |
| Loch Lomond & Highlands Day Tour | About 9 hrs, back 5:00 PM | Lochside strolls, Glencoe's mountains and Highland cows | All ages — our gentlest full day | £745 |
| Loch Ness Day Tour | About 11 hrs, back 7:00 PM | Hunting for Nessie, the optional boat cruise, the Falls of Pattack | Children happy with long drives | £795 |
| Glenfinnan & Harry Potter Bridge Day Tour | About 11 hrs, back 7:00 PM | The "Hogwarts Express" crossing the Harry Potter bridge | Harry Potter fans happy with long drives | £795 |
The Best Family Day Trips, Shortest First
1. The Kelpies, Stirling & Perth — our shortest day
The first stop is the Kelpies in Falkirk: two 100-foot steel horse heads rising out of the canal basin, with flat, wide paths where children can run around safely. Then Stirling, where your group chooses between Stirling Castle and the National Wallace Monument, and Perth, whose museum (free to enter) holds the Stone of Destiny. Ask to add Scone Palace and the children can explore the Murray Star Maze and spot the palace's white peacocks. You're back at your Edinburgh door by around 3:00 PM, in time for an afternoon nap.
See the Stirling, Perth & Kelpies Day Tour →
2. St Andrews & Fife — castles, the Old Course and a fruit farm
A gentle start on the flat waterside trails at Loch Leven, looking out to the island castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was imprisoned. In St Andrews, children can pose on the little Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course and explore the cliff-top castle ruins. From Wednesday to Sunday the afternoon is the family favourite: lunch at Cairnie Fruit Farm, with the outdoor Funyard (March to October), the giant Maize Maze (mid-July to October) and seasonal fruit and pumpkin picking. Back in Edinburgh by mid-afternoon.
See the St Andrews & Kingdom of Fife Day Tour →
3. Loch Lomond & Glencoe — the Highlands without the longest drive
If you want real mountains and lochs but your children aren't used to long car journeys, this is the one. It's about 9 hours, with short, level strolls by the water at Loch Lomond and Loch Lubnaig, Glencoe's dramatic valley as the main stop, and a good chance of spotting shaggy Highland cows along the way. Lunch is at Glencoe, and you're back in Edinburgh by around 5:00 PM.
See the Loch Lomond & Highlands Day Tour →
4. Loch Ness — for young monster-hunters
Nessie is the big draw for children, and Fort Augustus is a great base for the search: an optional loch cruise, the Caledonian Canal locks, and plenty of spots on the shore to keep watch. On the way home there's a short walk up to the viewing platforms at the Falls of Pattack. It's a long day, from 8:00 AM to around 7:00 PM, so it suits children who are happy in the car; we break up the drive with regular stops.
See the Loch Ness Day Tour →
5. Glenfinnan — the Harry Potter bridge
For young Harry Potter fans there's nothing like standing beneath the Glenfinnan Viaduct and, with good timing, watching the Jacobite steam train — the "Hogwarts Express" — cross the bridge. The day also takes in Loch Lubnaig, Glencoe and the Falls of Pattack. Like Loch Ness it's about 11 hours, so it's best for school-age children who are fine with longer drives.
See the Glenfinnan & Harry Potter Bridge Day Tour →With Older Children and Teens
Outlander & Royal Palaces (about 9 hours, no long drives) suits older children who like castles: Blackness Castle, shaped like a great stone ship, Linlithgow Palace, where Mary, Queen of Scots was born, and the three Forth bridges side by side at South Queensferry.
Inverness & Loch Ness (about 11 hours) adds woodland waterfall walks at the Hermitage and the Falls of Bruar, and ice cream on Pitlochry's high street on the way home.
The Castles & Whisky day includes two distillery visits, so it's one for the grown-ups.
Tips for a Day Out with Children
- Reserve car seats when you book. We have one free baby seat, one child seat and one booster seat, and your guide helps fit them.
- Pack layers and a waterproof for everyone, all year round — Scottish weather changes quickly — plus a spare change of clothes for little ones.
- Bring snacks. Every itinerary has café stops, but snacks between stops keep everyone happy. Water and Scottish biscuits are on board.
- Tell us about motion sickness in advance. Highland roads can be winding, and we can plan extra breaks.
- Ask for breaks whenever you need them. It's your private minibus, so a toilet stop or a run around by a loch is never a problem.
