We are flying into Edinburgh in a few weeks. Will get in about 1 PM. We will spend two nights in Edinburgh. Unfortunately our schedule will only allow us that first afternoon/evening and one full day in the city before we have to move on. Our kids are 9 and 12. We want to see the Castle, obviously. The Museum of Childhood looked interesting as well as Camera Obscura. My husband would like to see the Britannia. Anything else you would highly recommend we see without wearing out the kids too much?
Posted by
New England
312 posts
Hi Carey,
I visited the Museum of Childhood. There were a few play areas for children to play with toys, but I remember it as more "look and don't touch." Also, I kept thinking how as it was toys from adults' childhoods, they were in the thralls of nostalgia and the kids were sometimes wondering along the lines of "What's going on here?" Please visit :-) Everyone will have a different opinion!
Do bring some coins. I remember a player piano and some mechanical toys (one was a mechanical Loch Ness monster toy) that would work if putting in 50 or 30 pence.
I enjoyed a model of the 1:00 gun at the Castle. When standing by the gun, look through some doors not to far away. You want stairs going down to a lower level. Especially if you should miss being there when the gun is shot, I had a lot of fun pressing the button for the model.
If you know the story of Greyfriars Bobby, the Museum of Edinburgh has pictures and some if his items (ex: collar, feed bowl) in a nice display (second floor, way at the back, so easy to miss).
One more thought .. the National Museum of Scotland (close to the fountain with Greyfriars Bobby's sculpture) has a terrific hands on area for kids.
Cheers.
ps: Would you be driving when leaving Edinburgh? Going east-ish? The National Museum of Flight has really good hands on stuff for kids. I used the bus from Edinburgh, but it's almost a full day trip doing it that way, http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/museum_of_flight.aspx Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Minneapolis, MN, USA
1525 posts
Climb the Scott Monument (the big dark gothic tower in the park to the NE of the castle) It has the craziest tight spiral staircase we've ever been in - and we've been in a lot. Nice view, of course, but especially interesting for kids.
When we were there in 2007 they had a playground set up in the NW corner of that same park, just below the castle, with a bungee/trampolione thing that our kids enjoyed. Don't know if it's still there. But it was a nice playground.
You can do all that on the same day you do the castle.
Posted by
New England
312 posts
Hi again .. I've not been there yet, but there's also the zoo (www.edinburghzoo.org.uk) and an aquarium (www.deepseaworld.com) to research, see if you would like to try them. I hope to try the aquarium myself next month. I've seen that you can buy a combo ticket and take the train from Waverley to get to the aquarium.
Posted by
OP
Jackson, WI
34 posts
Thanks for the info! Has anyone been to the Camera Obscura? I found something on-line and it looked like it might be fun for the kids. There seems to be so much to do in Edinburgh! I'm sorry we can't be there longer. Maybe next trip...
Posted by
OP
Jackson, WI
34 posts
Also, I was just looking on the National Museum website and it said that 1/2 the exhibits are closed for renovations. Has anyone been there recently? Is it still worth going there?
Posted by
West Sacramento, California, USA
281 posts
Did Edinburgh in the same time frame with our kids, similar ages, two summers ago. Start at the Castle so that you are at the top of the hill. Be sure to see Scotland's Crown Jewels, in the castle. Then, work your way down the Royal Mile. Duck into a view of the closes, to see the back half of the buildings and how they got light into them. Also, don't forget that the Edinburgh you see today is actually built on top of the original city, and there is a whole Edinburgh underground tour that you can take. For lunch, there is a Cafe in the Crypt at St. Giles that is quite reasonable. And then, on down the Royal Mile, and off to the right is the Pub where JK Rowling started writing Harry Potter, and then Greyfriar's Kirkyard and the story of Bobby, all of interest to kids if they know the story. Great teaching possibility here, have the kids read Where the Red Fern Grows before the trip, and then pickup a copy of Greyfriar's Bobby for them to read, and compare the two stories.
That was enough for my kids for one day.
Good Travels
Kevin
Posted by
New England
312 posts
Hi, I visited last year when 1/2 was closed. You will have the children's hands on section and I enjoyed what was to be seen in the available displays. Some of it was "look and keep walking," but I remember stopping a few times for a much longer look and a few hands on things were mixed among the displays (don't remember which of the floors I was on, though, sorry).
The museum is free, and easily reached from the Royal Mile. It's in the area of the pub JK Rowling used and Greyfriars Kirk.