48 hrs in Edinburgh - A Family Guide

Edinburgh is one of my favourite cities, it's visually so beautiful and unique and makes for a fantastic weekend city break, although it's easy to spend much longer in the Scottish Capital as there is so much to see and do but if you are heading up north here is my 48 hour family friendly guide to get the most out of your trip.

We arrived into the city very early via the Caledonian Sleeper Train from London, check out my post about what we thought of the experience. We wanted somewhere that was close to Waverley Train Station due to the early arrival and late departure on our return. We decided to stay at The Premier Inn as it's less than 5 minute's walk from the train station, in the older part of town and only a few hundred feet from The Royal Mile. After dropping our bags off we decided to head out as we wanted to make the most of our time in the city. Here is what we got up to in our 48hrs in the city.

Hit up the Royal Mile 

Yes it is very touristy but there is a reason for that, this mile takes you from The Royal Palace up to Edinburgh Castle and takes in a lot of the old town with many historical buildings and sights. It's a beautiful, vibrant and busy street, packed with plenty of places to eat, traditional pubs, eclectic shops, visitors attractions and entertaining buskers. If it's your first time in the Scottish Capital this is a great place to start and the kids will be captivated by everything that is going on. Along the mile is also a variety of museums including the Museum of Childhood and the Scottish Story Telling Centre, both perfect for families. Even if you don't plan on visiting Edinburgh Castle it's still a must to walk to the top to take in the view and make sure to look out for the Heart of Midlothian Mosaic on the way up

Edinburgh Castle

The Castle without a doubt is one of the most well-known and iconic sights in the city and sits perched high up on the castle rock overlooking the city. While admission is on the pricey side (you can save on booking in advance and under 5's go free) I do feel it's worth it as it's great for families with plenty to see and do and the views are amazing. The ticket not only gives you access to The Great Hall, Palace Apartments and getting to see the Crown Jewels but also includes The National War and Regimental Museums. I also recommend sticking around for the One o'clock Gun which fires each day from the Mills Mount Battery and it's a highlight for kids. The Great Hall is also adorned with armour and swords and is fascinating for both children and adults. 

National Museum Of Scotland 

This has to be one of the best free attractions in the city and one of the most beautiful museums we have been to and fantastic for both adults and children. With Dinosaurs, race cars, aeroplanes and science experiments it has everything you need for a fun few hours, plus it's great if you're looking for somewhere action pack on a rainy day. My kids loved the Animal World gallery with plenty of hands-on exhibits including unearthing a dinosaur fossil as well as trying to generate power in the human-sized hamster wheel and having a go at racing a formula one car. The main gallery is full of natural light and has a wonderful cafe to keep the kids hydrated and tummy full.

Dynamic Earth

At the lower end of the Royal Mile, you will find the modern-looking Dynamic Earth, an interactive journey through time and space and nothing like anything else you would have done. I wasn't sure what my youngest was going to think of this as you start the tour off stepping into a time machine and being whisked off millions of years back in time with very realistic visual effects. My eldest loved it right from the start but my youngest was a little unsure but really warmed up as time went and they both had a fantastic time. You are brought back from millions of years to the present day in a fun, inspired and educational way that includes plenty of hands-on activities, a 4D flight, exploring everything from and real-life Ice Glacier to the Rain forest, your ticket also includes a film in the 360 show dome.

Arthurs Seat

If you love the outdoors as much as we do and fancy a little bit of a challenge then head up Arthurs Seat, depending on your fitness levels it will take around an hour to get to the top. I have done it a few times before and I would recommend this for children 5yrs plus unless you are happy to carry them part of the way. The views from the top are fantastic and it's located right behind Dynamic Earth so you can tick both off in the same day.

Art Galleries

The city has plenty of Art Galleries, cultural centres and museums and we always make sure to pop into at least one or two when we are exploring a city. We decided to head to The Fruitmarket Gallery which is a small contemporary gallery with a fantastic shop packed with independent books, creative pieces and unique toys as well as a hip cafe which is always busy but there is good reason for it. This is a very family-friendly space and while we were there they had an audience-led exhibition with large cardboard boxes that encouraged people to become bricks which you can imagine the kids loved. Also right opposite The Fruitmarket Gallery is The City Art Centre which houses a variety of traditional and contemporary Scottish Artworks. Both Galleries are free entry

City Sightseeing Bus

This was the first time we have ever done one of these open top hop on and hop off bus tours and I think they are a great way to get around the city when you are short on time as they take in a lot of the sights and kids love sitting at the top of the bus and there is a special Horrible Histories commentary which my eldest really enjoyed. We used the bus to get us around to places which were just a little too far to walk as well as seeing the sights such as The Scotts Monument, Greyfriars Bobby, Grass market and taking you to the bottom of Carlton Hill.

Carlton Hill

Carlton Hill is another popular hill and viewpoint in Edinburgh and a great place to take kids to run off some steam while taking in some pretty breathtaking views of not only the city but also across The Leith and the coastline. Located on the East End of Princess Street it's a pretty easy climb up to the top and doable for even toddlers. The hill is also the location of some iconic monuments including Nelsons Monument, the Robert Burns Monument, the City Observatory and the unmistakable Athenian Acropolis which is actually an unfinished monument but is very popular with visitors climbing on top of the giant steps. You can also climb to the top of The Nelsons Monument and there is a small hip coffee station with some delicious cakes and its easy to spend an hour or two up here and I recommend fitting it into your trip.

Princess Street Gardens

This is a lovely public park right in the heart of the city with the castle in the background and Princess Street right above with a view of Scotts Monument this is a great little place to get away from the manic city for a moment and let the kids run around. During the winter they have a fantastic Winter wonderland here and through the warmer months, it's a great spot for a picnic. During our stay, there was a really cool interactive light installation as part of the Lumen show and it was a really fun art piece to see and the kids loved running through the light show which played to music.

A few more suggestions 

We could have easily spent a few more days exploring the city but when your doing a short weekend visit you have to be selective about what you fit in. We also would of loved to have checked out more of the Leith area and The Royal Yacht Britannia as well as the Botanical Gardens. Camera Obscura which is only a few meters away from Edinburgh Castle is also a big hit with all ages as well as The Edinburgh Zoo. We all had an incredible action-packed stay in Edinburgh and would highly recommend visiting this unique Scottish city as a weekend break or part of a bigger trip to Scotland. 

Check out the vlog of our time in the Scottish Capital