11 Ideas for fun family days out in Scotland

Head to the heart of Dumfries & Galloway to see Scotland’s most iconic farm animals up close. Kitchen Coos & Ewes is home to a phenomenal herd of Highland cows which you can learn more about on a purpose-built trailer tour around the farm. On the Highland cow safari, you’ll discover how important these friendly faces are to the environment while seeing them up close, before finishing the tour with homemade baking, and a steaming cup of tea from the farmhouse.

For an extra-special experience, book the Hands-On Coo Tourwhere you can safely groom some of the younger cows before heading off on a safari to see the rest of the herd and enjoy some traybakes and tea.

Plan a day trip to Kitchen Coos & Ewes: Kitchen Coos & Ewes

Pack up the kids and head to RSPB Lochwinnoch Nature Reserve in Renfrewshire, just 30 min away from Glasgow. Make the most of the outdoor play areas, keep an eye out for local wildlife, and let the wee ones burn off that energy with a day out in nature. Open all year round, the reserve offers something new to see in every season, with a rich variety of birds and other wildlife calling it home. Before you leave, stop by the visitor centre and shop, and some coffee and cake in the café.

Uncover RSPB Lochwinnoch

Set in the Cairngorms National Park, the Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge offers outstanding thrills and spills with its unique blend of rides and family-friendly activities. Feel the high speeds of the Runaway Timber Train or take on the dizzying heights of the Wild Water Coaster, featuring three splash-filled raft rides over waterfalls.

For those who prefer exploration over adrenaline, ancient giants await in Dinosaur Kingdom, where a 20-foot-tall T-Rex emerges from the woodland, while the steamy Tropical Hot-House brings you face-to-face with exotic wildlife and fascinating insects from around the world.

The park also features the world's first Bamboozeleum – a mind-bending maze of puzzles, optical illusions, and special effects for hours of added fun, while little adventurers can get behind the wheel of their very own mini 4x4, or take control of a mini digger to scoop and deposit sand like real pros.

Book a forest adventure

Set against the sparkling waters of Loch Insh and surrounded by the breathtaking landscapes of the Cairngorms, Loch Insh Outdoor Centre is a playground for adventure seekers of all ages. Whether you want to be skimming across the loch on a stand up paddleboard, setting sail on open water, working together to build and launch a raft, or pedalling across the water, there are countless ways to embrace the great outdoors. If you prefer to stay on dry land, immerse yourself in Scotland’s scenery along scenic mountain biking trails, test your focus and precision with archery, or let the kids enjoy the centre’s play parks.

Book a day by the water

Head to the famous shores of Loch Lomond, just 30 minutes from Glasgow, for an exciting day trip to the SEA LIFE Aquarium. Dive into this underwater world and discover the depths of the world’s oceans across seven immersive themed zones. You’ll see shoals of fish glide overhead, rays drift silently through the water, and blacktip sharks circle the breathtaking Tropical Ocean Tunnel, all as part of an unforgettable encounter with over 1,500 sea creatures, big and small! The wee ones will also love getting hands-on in the rockpool experience, finding out what a starfish feels like, and seeing otter cubs from up close.

Explore SEA LIFE Loch Lomond

Set within 370 hectares of beautiful woodland and tranquil lochside scenery just south of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Beecraigs Country Park is a natural playground for family adventures. The park offers up miles of woodland trails which you can explore on foot, by bike, or on horseback.

The kids will love the adventure play area, and if you’ve got a budding mountain biker on your hands, they can train at a dedicated skills area before tackling the park's network of exciting biking trails designed to challenge and inspire riders of all abilities. Don't forget to stop by and relax at the visitor centre for more information, gifts, refreshments, ice-cream, and delicious food in the café.

Explore Beecraigs Country Park

Perched at the top of Edinburgh's historic Royal Mile, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is a museum dedicated to optical illusions that will simply boggle your mind. Spread across five floors of interactive exhibits, this captivating attraction invites you to step into a world of puzzles, tricks, and mind-bending illusions that challenge the senses.

From the dizzying vortex tunnel to the tricky mirror maze, this attraction is sure to add a lot of excitement to your day out in Edinburgh. Strike a pose in the famous shrinking room and watch friends and family transform from giants to tiny miniature versions of themselves in a few steps, creating unforgettable photo opportunities. To round it all off, head up to the rooftop terrace for sweeping views of the New Town skyline.

See Edinburgh from a new angle

Discover Fife’s wildest day out at the Scottish Deer Centre, where Scotland's most iconic animals can be encountered in a beautiful countryside setting. The attraction is home to 12 species of deer, along with animals such as lynx, the Scottish wildcat, the European brown bear, and many more. Daily animal experiences bring the park to life, offering memorable opportunities to watch feeding sessions, learn from expert keepers and find out more about the animals that call the centre home.

But that’s not all! Leave time for the kids to enjoy the indoor play area and the outdoor adventure playground. Whether they're climbing or zooming down the zip line, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

Discover the Scottish Deer Centre

Nestled in the picturesque Perthshire countryside, Auchingarrich Wildlife & Adventure Park gives visitors the chance to get up close to 50 species of animals in their natural habitats. There is something to see all year round, from baby chicks hatching and daily feeding sessions to meeting newborn animals. The experience is especially magical for younger visitors, who can get involved in authentic farm activities, including the opportunity to try milking Clover the cow and learn more about life on a working farm. The indoor soft play barn provides a fun space to climb, explore and burn off energy whatever the weather.

Plan your adventure today

Thankfully, no passport is required for this next visit! Located in East Lothian, the National Museum of Flight invites you to explore the people, innovation, and engineering that shaped the history of flight since the First World War. Wander through vast hangars filled with historic aircraft and immersive exhibits, and wonder at the centrepiece of the museum: the iconic Concorde! Step aboard and imagine the glamour of supersonic travel as you explore the cabin that once carried passengers across the Atlantic at more than twice the speed of sound.

Beyond Concorde, you can admire historic aircrafts spanning decades of aviation history displayed across the museum's airfields, as well as exhibits exploring the evolution of the in-flight experience throughout the years. 

Learn more about the museum of flight

The Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland, is a wonderful choice for a family break, offering plenty of day-trip opportunities to keep everyone entertained for hours. Head to the Skye Museum of Island Life and wander through a collection of traditional thatched cottages and imagine the daily lives of those who once called this remote corner of Scotland home, where every building tells a story of craftsmanship and island tradition.

From thatched-roof cottages and fascinating displays of artefacts and original tools to seeing the village smithy, the weaver’s house that vividly brings centuries of Highland culture to life, and historical archives too, there’s a wealth of history to explore in this unique wild island setting.

Discover the Skye Museum of Island Life

This list was created by VisitScotland to showcase a range of experiences. It isn’t ranked in any specific order.