Edinburgh – the historic gem of Scotland, home of the Scottish parliament, The University of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Castle which sits upon an inactive Volcano. It is the image that springs to your imagination when someone mentions William Wallace or kilts.
We were only there two full days but it was an amazing experience. It was the first sight-seeing vacation that our little family has ever been on. Up until now, the only places we have gone as a family have been to visit loved ones or relax in Tofino. And, unlike the chaotic trips I had envisioned with bored, crying children or major sensory overload, it was a perfect balance of culture and fun. I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS AS A FAMILY VACATION WITH CHILDREN.
Everything in Edinburgh is child-friendly. There are endless activities from the Museum of Childhood, to the zoo to the castle to keep both adult and child entertained. Not only that but the whole city was dressed for Christmas making it a Winter Wonderland. Even the “boring” stuff becomes magical when it’s Christmas.
The full album can be viewed here but these are just some of the highlights.
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| The Edinburgh Castle |
There is tonnes to do in the Castle. Despite the rain Jakob had a really good time climbing on the canons, exploring passageways and seeing the model war terrain displays. The hardest part I had was trying to explain war to a four year old. The views are also spectacular.
During the holiday season you can also book Christmas Lunch at the Castle. This was a true highlight as we came in from the cold damp into a warm dining room with large windows and wood beams. The tables were set with Christmas crackers, cinnamon, pine cones and dried apples and oranges. We had Turkey with all the Scottish trimmings followed by Christmas pudding and Brandy Sauce.
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| St. Giles |
For the month of December, Edinburgh comes alive with endless Christmas festivities including the Edinburgh Wheel, an outdoor skating rink, the German Christmas market (complete with Beer Garden) and Santa’s train, which runs along Princes street (the main shopping street of Edinburgh)…We did it all and Jakob would not stop asking if he could go on the “Happy-go-round” You can see his version of the trip here.
Jakob loves animals and subsequently LOVES zoos so we took an afternoon and went to the Edinburgh zoo, which recently welcomed a new Panda Bear.
It’s always a little different travelling with children so we took our time and didn’t rush. We let ourselves wander and stopped often for hot chocolate and snacks. Even so, we took in A LOT! Here I have mentioned what worked.
A note on what didn’t work:
Arthur’s Seat: there was no way we were getting up there with two small children on a cold, windy day. The view from the top of the zoo however, was a nice consolation. It is REALLY high and while you can’t see downtown very well through the trees you can see much of the Edinburgh skyline.
Eating: I always find eating out with kids difficult. First you have to find the good unique establishments and then they have to be child friendly. I had emailed a restaurant a friend had recommended and they said that they “weren’t licensed for children” I have no idea what the heck that means…we are in Europe for goodness sakes. You can take your kid into a pub. Nevertheless, they clearly didn’t want us so we had to settle for chain restaurants and the Market (which was great anyway with Pretzels, Bratwurst, Crepes and Mulled Cider.)
Other things that worked:
Where we stayed: Stay Edinburgh Apartments
Our apartment was well equipped just off of the Royal Mile – a perfect location with the exception of the noise because of thin windows (as is typical of older buildings-but it had a lift and apparently this is rare in Edinburgh). The staff was very friendly and accommodating and it was clean and affordable.
Our favourite place for Coffee: St. Gile’s Cafe
Just up the Royal Mile from our Apartment – they served hot chocolate just the way any child (or adult) would like it and the coffee and croissants weren’t bad either.
Website for what’s going on in Edinburgh during the Christmas Season
How to get around: On your feet. Everything is really close and central. We could have used an all-terrain stroller on the cobblestone however.
There is so much more we would have loved to do, isn’t that always the case with vacations. But that is the beauty of Europe…you’re only a train ride away!
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