The first time I looked up from the Edinburgh train station at Edinburgh Castle towering over the city, I knew we had arrived at a special place. We visited Edinburgh with kids for 4 nights. Of our one month UK road trip, this was our absolute favorite city.
How to Get to Edinburgh with Kids
The Edinburgh airport is only 8 miles from the city, so if you are coming from the US this is a great option.
When we travelled, we were on an extended trip of the UK and we took the train from London to Edinburgh. The train itself took 4 hours and very comfortable. We recommend booking through LNER. UK train crowding is a real issue, and you should definitely reserve seats. We made the mistake of not doing this on one of our trains, and there were not enough seats for our kids to sit with us.
There are basic snacks and coffee and tea available on the train. If you have a family, try to get seats that surround a table so you have some space to spread out and relax during your journey.
The Edinburgh train station is right in the center of the city. It’s busy but easy to navigate. We got the privilege of navigating it a few times because my son left his IPAD on the train. Miraculously, they found it and were able to get it back to us! (not without a smidge of drama)
Once in Edinburgh, you don’t need a car. Everything is accessible by foot or taxi. We did end up renting a car on our way out of Edinburgh, and navigating the city streets on the other side of the road was a bit harrowing – so we wouldn’t recommend this if your intention is to stay close to the city.
Where to stay in Edinburgh with Kids?
This is a bit of a quandary, and it really depends on your family and what you are up to.
We were on a budget, and stayed at the Yotel. We loved it. The Yotel had a great family room with a bunk bed, and with the press of a button, our bed folded into a couch during the day. The hotel is modern and quirky, and there are colorful lights around the tv that change color when you press a button to set your “mood”. There was coffee in the morning, and a nice lounge area downstairs where we could relax with a drink after a long day, or enjoy coffee in the morning.
Yotel is in New Town. It is two blocks from George Street which has tons of restaurants and shops. It was perfect for us to enjoy dinner in the evenings, and it was a great area to get out and run if you are into that. It’s a great hotel to stay in Edinburgh with kids – if you don’t mind walking.
Most people when they visit Edinburgh are interested in Old Town and want to see the Royal Mile. Its true we spent a lot of time in this neighborhood, and found ourself walking in and out of it, up and down hundreds of stairs. We don’t mind walking, but the elevation was serious even for us. Keep it in mind when you choose where you stay.
The Yotel was a solid 0.5 mile away from the Royal Mile, and most of the journey was uphill. If your goal is to see Edinburgh Castle, and be in the center of the tourist area, I would consider The Radisson Blue which looked like it had a very central location.
What to do in Edinburgh with Kids
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a must see. We booked tickets ahead of time, and they were definitely full by the time we got there. I had invested in a Historic Scotland membership thinking we would visit more historic sites in Scotland. I regretted that and wished I had just paid per destination.
Entry is timed, and you can’t sneak in early. Take it from us, we tried 🙂
We didn’t do a formal tour of the castle. Our kids were a bit castled out at this point in our trip (we had already done the Tower of London a week earlier). We explored the walls, did a couple cof astle exhibits, and saw the Crown Jewels.
My favorite moment at Edinburgh Castle was visiting the Scottish National War Memorial. My great-grandfather’s brother was killed in action in WW1. We were able to enlist help from the guides in the building and find his name in the books of the memorial – a truly special moment for me.
We also did stop for some whiskey in the castle gift shop. Not a bad treat after a long day of walking.
Harry Potter Walking Tour
Walking tours are a great way to explore Edinburgh with kids. Our boys are very into Harry Potter, so we chose a tour to see the Harry Potter and Horrible Histories walking tour around town. Rober the guide was engaging and fun. He was very welcoming of our kids, and asked lots of Harry Potter trivia that our 9 year old aced.
Side note: If you are in the UK and your kids love Harry Potter, don’t miss the Studio Tour in London, it was truly out of this world and totally worth it!
We saw several places where JK Rowling was known to write, and we saw some of the suspected inspiration for her books including the grave of Tom Riddle. There were also some great stories along the way including that of Grayfriars Bobby, a dog that guarded the grave of his owner until he died.
There are lots of tours that are a great way to see the city. This is the one we chose: Harry Potter and Horrible Histories
Camera Obscura & World of Illusions
When my 9 year old selected the Camera Obscura museum as his pick for the day, I was skeptical. The photos made it look like a place designed for “instagrammable” moments without a lot of substance. Boy was I wrong.
This was one of the coolest museums we have ever been to. The museum features 5 floors of visual illusions and mind bending exhibits. Everything is interactive and educational. Each room has lots of activities to engage with, and despite it being a busy day in July, we always had something to do and moved easily around the exhibits.
There was a Vortex tunnel, mirror boxes, and countless visual puzzles and optical illusions. It was SO much fun to explore – for both the kids AND us. Once you have completed the museum, the top floor features the original Camera Obscura which is 170 years old. They do a show for all of the guests and demonstrate how the Camera Obscura can “spy” on tourists miles away along the Royal Mile.
If you have kids with you, this is a MUST see experience. Even if you don’t, this is a really fun place that is truly unique and unlike anywhere we have been before.
Department of Magic
This was a tourist trap that we all fell in love with. The Department of Magic is capitalizing on Harry Potter’s success. Its hidden in the basement of a building, and houses 2 escape rooms and a Potion Room. If you reserve a room in the potion room, you can sample cocktail recipes that allow you to brew your own drinks. They have really fun color changing, smoking, and magical recipes that everyone in the family can do. Some with alcohol, and others without.
We highly recommend the Department of Magic if you have Harry Potter fans in the family. Its quirky, but really well done and the people were really nice and obviously love what they do.
Where to Eat in Edinburgh with Kids
If you ask anyone in our family where to eat in Edinburgh, they will all point you to the same place – The Queens Arms. This is a classic, comfortable, high quality pub that has delicious traditional Scottish fair. I had a haggis pie, and the kids had Bangers and Mash. It was a great place to kill a couple of hours enjoying drinks and getting the quintessential Scottish dining experience.
