Last July, we took our big kids on a BIG trip…to Scotland! We had an unforgettable vacation exploring the Scottish coast and Highlands. I’m here to tell you that travel with kids isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it! While my husband and I wonder whether they will remember the incredible sights we saw, we know that they will never forget the life lessons and education that they get while traveling and seeing how other cultures differ from our own! There were times where we cringed at the extra costs (especially of uneaten food), but making memories as a family wins out over any minor inconveniences or additional costs every time. We spent 8 nights (1 in London, 6 in Scotland, and 1 in Manchester) in the United Kingdom and followed the route below. I’m detailing all of the highlights, including our lodging and activities, in this post. Please feel free to get in touch with me through the comments if you have any questions or just want to chat! I love to talk travel!
Jump to: London — Edinburgh — Fort William/Glencoe — Skye— Inverness and Cairngorms National Park — Manchester — Scotland Packing List
London – We flew from the States to Heathrow Airport and then took the slow train to Kings Cross (this took 1.5 hours). We stayed at the Premier Inn near Kings Cross for easy access to/from the train.We spent about a half day walking around to see main sights like Big Ben, the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. The boys really enjoyed seeing landmarks that they have read about in books and seen in movies!
Of course, we had to make a stop at the Platform 9 3/4 store at Kings’ Cross train station. All Harry Potter fans should check it out – it’s filled with fun memorabilia and souvenirs! One of our favorite memories of our day in London was eating ice cream bars in St. James Park and relaxing while enjoying the people watching. Before we called it a night to sleep off the time change, we had an traditional English pub dinner of fish and chips, bangers and mash, and pints.
In the morning, we took a quick walk from our hotel to Kings Cross to catch the Azuma LNER train to Edinburgh. The 4 hour train ride was fantastic – we all loved seeing the English countryside from the large windows while we played Harry Potter trivia and nibbled on shortbread.
Edinburgh -Once we arrived in Edinburgh, we took a hackney (British taxi) from the train station to the Roseate Edinburgh, a small luxury hotel, where we lucked into staying in the most beautiful suite in the hotel, complete with a copper bathtub. I could have spent a week at this charming and cozy hotel!
Edinburgh has a robust bus system that runs 24 hours a day, so we had no trouble finding a bus to bring us from the hotel to the city center. After a quick lunch of kebab pizza (genius!!) at Clamshell on the Royal Mile, we met our guide Ignus for a Free Walking Tour of Old Town. Ignus was a wealth of knowledge about Scottish history and life, and educated us in an accessible and interesting way. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times at his subtle Scottish humor. The tour took us down the Royal Mile, through several of the famous Scottish closes, iconic Victoria Street, the Haymarket District, and ended at Greyfriars Cemetery.
Our day in Edinburgh was beautiful and sunny, and many people were enjoying drinks in the Grassmarket area. We wanted to do the same, but learned that if you have children, you cannot sit in restaurants’ front patios unless the kids order a full meal (this is a great example of random ways things get more complicated when traveling with kids!). Instead, we found a table in the beer garden (behind the restaurant) of the Beehive Inn. As Wimbledon was going on at the time, the atmosphere was fun and celebratory. Alex and I ordered pink gin spritzes like many of the locals and it has since become my cocktail of choice.
For dinner, we learned that it’s a good idea to secure a restaurant reservation during the summer as restaurants can be busy! We ended up finding a table at the Malt Shovel Inn, where we continued on our British food tour, enjoying steak and ale pie, mac and cheese, scotch egg, and fried halloumi. On our walk back to the bus stop, we saw the Sir Walter Scott monument, the second-largest monument dedicated to a writer in the world.
In the morning, my husband picked up the rental car we had reserved for our road trip at the Hertz near our hotel and we set off on a 3.5 hour drive to our next destination, Glencoe. There aren’t a lot of places to stop on the way, but we found a lovely picnic area to have lunch from The Cabin at Loch Lubnaig in Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. We shared sausage rolls, a pepperoni panini, crisps, and shortbread with chocolate after taking a short break to enjoy the beautiful loch.
Fort William/Glencoe – Glencoe is a town located slightly south of Fort William, a popular area considered to be the gateway to the Highlands where many tourists visit to hike the famous Scottish mountain Ben Nevis. We made many of our Scotland bookings late and stayed a little further south of Glencoe in Appin (Appin is 25 minutes from Glencoe and 45 from Fort William). The scenery in this area of the Highlands area is full of forests, valleys, and winding trails so even though we had to do more commuting by staying in Appin, the drives were picturesque. We booked a caravan at the quaint Appin Holiday Homes, a family-run self-catering retreat which allowed us to truly unplug (no internet!). The cabin we stayed in was rustic, but fully equipped with everything we needed. The property has a small lodge with a selection of DVDs, books, and games, but most of our time was spent exploring the outdoors. There is also a small honesty shop with baked goods if you need something for breakfast.
What to do in Fort William/Glencoe
Our first stop in the Fort William area was a hike to Steall Falls (park in the Upper Glen Nevis Car Park). Unfortunately, this was the only few hours of our entire time in Scotland when it rained. We were very blessed with sunny weather for almost the whole trip and hardly needed our rain gear, except for at Steall Falls. Even so, the heavy rain dispersed shortly after we started on the trail. Unfortunately, that meant the midges came out in full force. Admittedly, this wasn’t our top highlight of the trip, but it did result in a funny and lasting memory – in order to reach the falls, you have to cross a river either by rocks or by a rope climb that was too tall for the boys. They took off their shoes and socks to cross the river, but the rocks were slippery and they fell and were soaked. In the time it took to climb out and get their socks and shoes back on, we were all swarmed by a cloud of angry midges. Needless to say, they were not very happy, but we were all able to laugh about it later!
On our second day in the area, we set out for one of my favorite hikes of the trip, Coire Gabhail, or The Lost Valley, (park in the Three Sisters Car Park). The trail gradually, and at some parts steeply, climbs until reaching The Lost Valley. We stopped multiple times to take in the dramatic view of the Three Sisters rising out of the skyline, and enjoyed the view of the valleys while we rested and ate our snacks.
One afternoon, we we took a boat cruise to Seal Island through Cruise Loch Linnhe. It was a beautiful and different perspective to enjoy the Loch by boat. The captain even let the kids take turns steering the ship! The boat has a full bar and snacks available. We enjoyed hot chocolate (spiked for the adults) and shortbread. We were able to book the boat ride the day of, but check the schedule before you arrive as different tours are offered each day.
Where to eat in Fort William/Glencoe
Like in Edinburgh, I’d recommend making dinner reservations. While it didn’t seem like the area was particularly busy, it is a remote area and there are few restaurants. I regret that we weren’t able to eat at The Old Inn, which is popular for its historic building, rustic style, and fantastic food. One night, we had dinner in Fort William at Black Isle Bar for pizza and craft beer.
The second night, we had happy hour at the Onich Hotel – it has great views, but unfortunately the entire outside patio is reserved for smokers. We followed happy hour with dinner at the Holleytree Hotel, which also has a good view. We introduced our boys to mussels, which they loved, and sticky toffee pudding for dessert!
For lunch, we loved the soups and sandwiches at Clachaig Inn. This is a great spot for families as it has a playground and you can take a very short walk to see the filming location of Hagrid’s Hut from the Harry Potter movies.
Main Street in Fort William is a nice place to to shop and enjoy the gorgeous views over Loch Linnhe. We also tried to ride the nearby Nevis Range Scenic Mountain Gondola, but unfortunately arrived after it was already closed for the day.
Skye – We had an early morning as we wanted to spend two full days in Isle of Skye but only booked one hotel night due to cost and availability. We took the 8:30 am ferry from Mallaig to Armadale. Make sure you reserve this well in advance as it is a small ferry and books up in the summer. On our drive from Appin to Mallaig, we stopped to see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, also known as the famous bridge that the Hogwarts Express goes over in the Harry Potter movies. You can actually take an 84-mile round trip train ride on the Jacobite Steam Train to channel your inner Harry or Hermione, but we opted to just see the famous 21-arched aqueduct.
What to do in Skye
Our first stop in Skye was the Fairy Pools. We arrived mid-morning and had no trouble finding a parking space as the early birds were starting to leave. The trail along the Fairy Pools is great for all abilities because you can take it as long as you like and you’ll see various different pools and falls no matter how far you walk. We walked a round-trip of about 3 miles. Don’t forget swimsuits if anyone wants to take a dip!
Next, we did the Coire Lagan to the Cuillin Hills viewpoint/Loch for a 3 mile round trip hike. We parked at the Glenbrittle Campsite for our next hike and before setting out, we ate a lunch of pasties, pizza, and smoothies at the Glen Brittle Camp Cafe near the campground. The food is fresh and there is a small shop where you can buy souvenirs or stock up on anything you need for camping/hiking. It’s a popular campsite for good reason as it accesses a mountainside loch as well as the beach. One thing about Scottish hikes is that many of them are a straight climb as they begin at sea level. If we returned, I’d add more stair climbing to my workout regimen to train!
On our second day in Skye, we hiked to the Old Man of Storr, one of the most famous and busiest hikes on the island. We arrived at the Old Man of Storr Car Park at 8:35 am and had no problem finding parking, although the lot was full when we left. We hiked 2.75 miles (again, a straight climb!) to see the famous Old Man of Storr. We took a slightly longer route on the way down to enjoy the views from Trotternish Ridge over the Sound of Raasay.
On the drive to the Quiraing, we stopped to take pictures at Lealt Falls and Mealt Falls. They are both quick stops, but worthwhile for the views, and you may even see a Scotsman playing the bagpipes!
After a quick lunch at a side of the road cafe, we stopped at An Corran/Slipway Beach to swim and look for dinosaur footprints, which I’m thrilled to say we found! It was surreal to put our feet in the spot where a Megalosaurus dinosaur once stood over 60 million years ago. My older son loves to swim no matter the temperature so he braved the cold water while the rest of us enjoyed exploring the rocky shore. Low tide gives you the best chance of finding footprints.
Our final hike before leaving Skye was the Quiraing. This is another area where you can hike as long or short as you like. We ended up walking about 1.75 mi total. We took the middle trail from the car park and did not realize how very narrow and precarious the trail was so we went very slowly with the kids. I reckon I grew several gray hairs trying to keep my boys away from the sheer drops off the side! If you’re with kids, I’d recommend taking the upper trail as it is much wider. Despite the treacherous conditions, we enjoyed incredible scenic views over the landscape.
Where to stay in Skye
We stayed at a small hotel called Hame on Skye. It’s a beautiful hotel decorated in tasteful Scandinavian style and set in a picturesque cove. If you’re looking for something quiet and cozy, where you can still have an excellent dining experience and jump off to all of the sights, it’s a great choice. Just make sure that you put the correct number of guests on your reservation form. We had a wee bit of trouble at check in because we had forgotten to add the kids on the reservation.
Where to eat in Skye
We ate dinner down the street from our hotel at The Old School, where we got takeaway fish and chips and beef casserole from the bar as there were no tables (again, with few restaurants and many summer visitors, it’s a good idea to make a reservation). We drove to see the historic Dunvegan Castle down the road, which has been occupied by Clan MacLeod for 800 years – incredible!
Inverness and Cairngorms National Park– After leaving Skye, we drove 3 hours into the Scottish Highlands to stay at the Tulloch Castle Hotel near Dingwall. This is one part of the trip where I truly wish we had more time. I loved this part of the country and we just didn’t have a lot of time to explore it. Tulloch Castle is a 700-year old Scottish castle now owned by Clan Davidson and operated as a hotel. There is so much history in this castle and unfortunately, we didn’t have time to do the historic tour or really spend much time exploring the grounds. Such is travel, isn’t it? To spend more time in one place, you have to sacrifice time at another equally amazing place!
The Tulloch Castle also has a restaurant and really nice (and reasonably priced) gift shop, making for a very restful and convenient stay. While the Tulloch Castle Hotel offers dinner, we stopped in the nearby town of Strathpeffer for an al fresco meal of pizza, burgers, and salad at Deli in the Square. Here I learned that there is excellent salmon and smoked salmon to be found in the Highlands (unexpectedly served alongside American country music in this case)! We enjoyed our meal, and left with some delicious pastry items to take home for breakfast the next day.
Glenmore/Aviemore – Travel is never perfect, and unfortunately on our way to Aviemore, our rental car got a flat tire. In the end, the rental company was able to send someone to replace the tire, but we lost about a half day waiting on the side of the highway. After about two hours of playing Uno in the car, we started getting hot, hungry, and antsy, so the boys and I went on an adventure and hiked (luckily a very short distance) into Aviemore. We picked up items for a picnic lunch at Aldi and spent time doing a little shopping in Aviemore while my husband waited for the tire to be fixed. We stopped at the Walkers store and bought several boxes to bring home to family and friends, and visited the Visitor Center to pick up a few more souvenirs and ask about the area.
The main reason we were in Aviemore was to visit the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd in Cairngorms National Park. The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd is the only free-ranging herd of reindeer in the United Kingdom. The reindeer were originally introduced from Sweden in 1952, based on the belief that they were native to the area but had died off. Today, there are about 150 reindeer in the free-ranging herd. I had heard about the herd through another blog while researching for the trip and knew that my boys would love the experience. Luckily when we got the flat tire, the staff at the Reindeer Herd were very accommodating and were able to switch us to the last afternoon tour. If you are not able to do a full tour, the Paddock is open to the public and you can view a couple of the reindeer and learn about the herd through educational kiosks. The Glenmore Visitor Center is a short (walkable) distance away if you need a bathroom, snacks, or water bottle refill.
Once you check in, the staff will give you directions to another parking area where you go to meet your guide and take the short path to the Hill. The entire experience lasted about two hours. After the presentation and reindeer feeding, you have the rest of the time to enjoy and take pictures of the herd. The most surprising part of the experience to me was that everyone else on the tour left within a few minutes after the feeding, so our family essentially had the whole Hill to ourselves, aside from the staff. We all enjoyed watching the reindeer run back and forth and play with one another. I can only imagine how magical (and popular) the experience is in the winter when there is snow on the ground and the reindeer have their full coats.
After our reindeer visit, we took a short walk around Loch an Eilen to view the ruins of a small 14th century castle that incredibly, is located in the middle of the loch. Historians think it may have been connected to the shore by a causeway that sunk over time as the water level of the loch rose.
Due to the changes in our itinerary, we decided to have dinner in the town before heading to Inverness. We ate at MacDuis, a charming Scottish pub, where I had another smoked salmon salad, Alex had a venison burger, and the boys had the kids mac and cheese and burger. We ended our evening with gelato at Miele’s Gelato, before driving to Inverness.
Inverness – Unfortunately, due to our flat tire, our time in Inverness was super short since we arrived late and had to head to the airport early the following morning. All we had time for was a visit to the tartan shop at the Highland House of Fraser (luckily located right next to our hotel, the Premier Inn Inverness Centre River Ness), and a walk around the Ness Bridge and Greig Street Bridge (a passenger bridge). Inverness seemed like a beautiful city from what we saw, and I think if we returned to Scotland, we would use it as a starting point for a road trip around the Highlands.
Manchester – Our final day in the UK was spent in Manchester. We stayed at the Clayton Hotel Manchester Airport as our flight back to the states was the following day. We spent the day visiting the Science and Industry Museum, where we all thoroughly enjoyed the interactive exhibits. We had lunch nearby at The Oxnoble, found Paddington, and ended our trip with an incredible meze dinner at Meze in the nearby town of Handforth.
And that’s all for our big UK adventure! It was a wonderful vacation with our older children and I would go back in a heartbeat. If you love stunning landscapes, hiking adventures, and history, Scotland is a fantastic choice. Just make sure to book lodging ahead of time if you’re visiting during the popular summer months and consider restaurant reservations in some areas! Please reach out if you have any questions about our trip!
I’ve also included my packing list for our summer trip to Scotland below – key words to remember are layers and waterproof!
SUMMER IN SCOTLAND PACKING LIST
- Rain Jackets
- Wellies/hiking boots
- Walking shoes
- Sweatshirt/fleece
- Sweater/flannel shirt
- Layers: Long-sleeve and short-sleeve tees
- Hiking pants/leggings/joggers
- Jeans
- Gloves/scarf/hats
- Pajamas
- Socks and Underwear
- Hiking Backpack
- Midge Repellant
- Umbrellas
- Outlet converters
- British currency (pounds)
Candie Travels 