Take the Family holiday rating 
| Timezone | GMT |
|---|---|
| Local Currency | British Pound |
Scotland's capital is full of things for kids to see and explore – one of Britain's greatest castles plus tons of history and its world-famous festival. You can walk around the historic areas of Edinburgh relatively easily and the city has a gentler pace than many big capitals. Plus great shopping in department stores like Jenners and new arrival Harvey Nicols.
Christmas and particularly Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) bring out Edinburgh in all its glorious tradition. While in the summer avoid August unless you're definitely going to the festival – the city is packed and at its most expensive. But Edinburgh is great fun at any time of year.
take the train
Take the sleeper train up from London (Scotrail offer families of four two interconnecting double berths for £260 return), take the train by day or fly in from most UK city airports. Check deals with TheTrainline.com the UK's top seller of online train tickets.
take the plane
Edinburgh Airport is 7 miles west of the city center, and has connections throughout the United Kingdom including, London (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, and City), Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Humberside, Jersey, Kirkwall (Orkney), Inverness, Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Norwich, Sumburgh (Shetlands), Southampton, Wick, and Belfast (in Northern Ireland), as well as with a number of European cities, including Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Cork, Dublin, Frankfurt, Paris, and Zurich and even a few transatlantic flights. Check deals with British Airways from London to Edinburgh, or search low cost airline deals to Edinburgh from main and regional airports with Opodo.
There are many family friendly accommodation options in and around Edinburgh. As with other cities a good bet for families is an apartment such as the Royal Garden Apartments. Alternatively, if budget allows then treat the family to a stay at the posh and wonderfully located Balmoral. To choose from a huge selection of family friendly hotels in and around Edinburgh take a look at more of our favourites, in conjunction with partners Active Hotels or find your family the perfect cottage retreat with partners Cottages4you, and enjoy the exclusive 5% discount to Take the Family users.
The Festival – every August, Edinburgh becomes culture capital of the world as performers and artists from every corner of the globe descend on the city. Last year there were 68 shows just for kids. Plus there are free performances every day on the Royal Mile between 11am and 9am. There’s a real carnival atmosphere as street performers and mime artists strut their stuff.
The Military Tattoo – If your son or daughter like soldiers, they'll love this mix of pageantry and parade set against the floodlit backdrop of Edinburgh castle every evening. OK, so it has its fair share of bagpipes and weeping Americans and Australians tracing their families back to the old country but for sheer soldier per square foot it can’t be beaten.
The Castle – Unmissable in every sense. It dominates the city skyline and is a must-do for every castle-loving kid. It contains everything from the Scottish Crown Jewels (The Honours) to the famous One o'Clock Gun. Plus a truly stunning view.
Opening Times:
1st April To October 31st 9.30am Until 6pm, Last Admission 5.15pm.
1st November To March 31st: 9.30am Until 5pm, Last Admission 4.15pm.
Closed Christmas Day And Boxing Day.
Admission Charges:
Adult £9.50 Child £2.00 Concession £7.00.
Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
Other Take the Family favourites include:
The Zoo – Home to the world’s biggest penguin pool, the zoo is located in Murrayfield just ten minutes from the city centre.
Dynamic Earth – more educational but a chance for kids to discover about the planet while having plenty of interactive fun.
The Royal Mile – well worth a stroll down ending with a visit to the Palace of Holyrood House – the Queen’s official residence in Scotland. The Palace is open every day except 5-7 April, 9 April, 7 May, 11-23 May, 1-4 June, 23 June – 4 July 25.
Click here for an up to date family friendly events guide to Edinburgh.
Other sites we'd recommend include the Edinburgh site of the Scottish Tourist Board and familyholidays.biz, which specialises in family holidays and breaks to Scotland.
Don’t miss Edinburgh’s great fish and chips served with salt ’n sauce – a runny brown sauce that the locals swear by.
Umbertos and Topolinos, 2 Bonnington Road Lane EH7. Tel: 0131 554 1314. Award-winning child friendly restaurant. Excellent Italian food with a superb children’s menu.
Bella, 9 Hanover Street. Tel 0131 225 4808. Handy Italian for pasta and pizza with good children’s menu which includes unlimited drink refills and ice cream for £3.95
Brown’s Restaurant and bar, 131-133 George Street, EH2. Tel: 0131 225 4442. Kids get crayons and paper to muck about with while their food comes, Excellent service plus baby changing facilities.
Like any capital city, the cost can soon add up. But at least it's not as expensive as its southern rival London!
by Dan Lerner
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Local writers take you down the cobbled alleys of the Old Town, through ultra chic bars of the New Town and right out to the tranquil beaches of Gullane.
by Laura Burgess
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