We just returned from 8 days in Scotland with our 11-year-old son and I wanted to share some of our highlights.
In Edinburgh, we LOVED the Department of Magic! There are two different Harry Potter themed escape rooms and you can also book a table to make potions (drinks). There are non-alcoholic and alcoholic versions. Definitely book in advance. This was one of the highlights of the trip! Afterwards, we had surprisingly good pizza from Pizza Paradise (the take-away counter, not restaurant) on South Bridge across the street.
We did a tour of the vaults with Auld Reekie and my son enjoyed that as well. We had scheduled a different one with Mercat that was more ghost themed, but it was canceled at the last minute.
As for candy, he loved the tablet and the Tunnock's caramel wafers. We found packs of 8 at Aldi to bring home as gifts for friends. 4 packs fit perfectly in a cereal box for safer travel. He also had fun just walking through the grocery store and picking out different snacks that we don't have in the US. There was some type of Monster Onion crunchy thing that tasted like salt & vinegar Funyons.
We went to the Visitor Center at Loch Ness and were not impressed. We did not have high expectations going into it, but it was pretty boring for a kid. The gift shop was also not that great. (I know...I know... we knew it was a tourist trap, but thought it might still be fun to do!)
The free tour at the Stirling Castle was not fun for a kid. Too much history. He was very bored. He enjoyed walking around the Edinburgh Castle on our own better.
In Isle of Skye, he loved the Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools. Definitely bring a raincoat and an extra pair of shoes. In Portree, we had another delicious pizza from Pizza in the Skye, a pizza truck in a parking lot just outside of downtown. If you need a bathroom and have a car, there are free toilets at the Co-Op just outside of town (not the one right downtown).
It was an amazing trip for all of us and we're so glad our son got to enjoy it with us. Happy Travels!