Edinburgh with kids :: what to do & see

Last weekend we were invited to make tracks with the Railcard.co.uk using our shiny new Friends and Family rail cards, which give us epic discounts to travel up and down the country and explore what is to offer.

We decided to change direction from our southern pursuits (see my Wiltshire post from the weekend before – we get about ((in a none creepy way)) and head up North to bonny Scotland, or more specifically Edinburgh. I thought I’d write a little roundup of what we got up to whilst we were up there and give you some ideas of where to go should you make your way up there yourself!

We stayed in the StayCity ApartHotels West End and I was actually rather impressed! Was this the height of luxury? No. Was it perfect for what we needed, ideally located and convenient for self catering with the kids? You bet! My only complaint was that the sofa bed hadn’t been cleaned overly well and wasn’t ideal so Edith slept in our bed -which suited us fine as the beds weren’t too small and were perfectly comfy!

First on the agenda, lunch. We went to WildWood on Lothian road and I have to say that, while pretty pricey, it was bloody lovely! The kids filled their bellies, we filled ours. The restaurant itself is classed as a grill, which really meant we had the choice of burgers, pizzas, salads and pasta. Naturally, always conscious of the waistline, I opted for a pizza andAdam polished off a burger. The kids had sausage, chips and peas and a pizza. Not only could the food not have been any nicer, but the staff were delightful, even giving the kids a set of marks at the end of our meal to take with them, which incited nothing but excited “Raas” from Edith.

Next up was a mooch around Edinburgh castle and then on to the Camera Obscura. The castle itself is stunning. Truly. Serious stone wall hard on for me, like a posing haven. One of the things I loved about going to the castle was that I feel like the boys have really got the chance to go home and share something with their classmates and at school. The castle is so rich in historical information, but without being barren of areas to run about and play – something that the kids need otherwise their truly feral natures break free and we’d find ourselves banished from the land. One of the parts of the castle that the boys like the best was the prisons (tried to lock them in but they cried and people stared so we had to let them out) and the crown jewels. Toby especially loved David’s tower, with the tale of the bulls head dinner. The boys loved the canons (of which there are plenty – obviously to defend against those pesky English) and the views are just stunning. Honestly well worth a visit inside, if a little over priced for a heritage site… but it IS a castle, so…

Camera Obscura was apparently Toby’s favourite spot. Open until 9pm, it was an absolute GEM for the kids. Essentially it’s a museum, filled with fun and exciting things for the kids to do that are based on optical illusions. Everything from a vortex tunnel (which made both boys fall over) to morphing computers that told them how they would look when they were old (not so fun for Adam who got a glimpse into my extreme facial sag!). My favourite part was the mirror maze, though Toby – who spent the entire weekend ignoring instructions because, well, he’s 4 – ran into one of the mirror walls… and I didn’t laugh. Not even a bit.

I personally thought the obscura was too expensive, it was £40ish for all of us, with two children free, which just seemed far more than it needed to be for something that only lasted around 1.5-2hrs. Had the boys not raved about it so much I honestly wouldn’t have been that impressed because it was a costly afternoon, though you really couldn’t fault the exhibitions.

One of the things that I liked about the apartments was that Adam and I ordered a takeaway from deliveroo (my first time #SmallTownGirlProblems) and the kids had a ready meal from Sainsburys. It meant that instead of taking three worn out, ready for the bath and bed treatment but in need of grub kids into a restaurant, we could take them “home” and commence said treatment whilst the grub was being prepared. Adam and I ordered a Wagamama – I don’t think I need to comment any more on that other than to remind you that jealousy is a futile emotion.

The following morning we filled the kids full of cereal (and chocolate buttons thanks to Senor Soft touch) and then headed out to visit Holyrood Palace. While I really liked Holyrood and I would encourage anyone wanting to take their kids out for the afternoon to get some good ole educational value instead of soft play, Edith wasn’t much of a royalist and spent the majority of the time going around crying, possibly over the fact that we wouldn’t let her sit in the throne. Bastards.

Holyrood was undeniably beautiful, but I found it so bizarre that the view from the gardens was of blocks of flats – such a contrast to the stunning buildings that surround Buckingham Palace in London. These were run down and in need of affections that probably won’t ever reach them. I also have to confess that I am anything but a fan of the new Parliament buildings, which we walked past and had a chat about. The saving grace around the whole area was the park just outside the palace, which really was beautiful and the kids thoroughly enjoyed burning off steam and having a run about. The other part of Holyrood that the kids loved was seeing the abbey, and I have to confess the ruins are beautiful. I also think that Mary Queen of Scots chamber enthralled Reuben, with him loudly demanding to know why Robert the Bruce’s skull was in the room, but her own head was noticeably absent. Awks. I was hoping to grab a couple of “Horrid History” books on the way out but there weren’t any, which was a crying shame as the castle had loads! One of the things I would say is that the cafe was reasonably priced and the food was lovely, so if you are like me and often cringe as your right fisted backside makes its way into the cafe/restaurant that accompanies these day trips, fear not.

The very last stop on our weekend expedition into the land of Scots was the Museum of Scotland and I WISH we had made this our first stop. By a country mile this was my favourite place, combining the Natural History Museum and a condensed version of the British Museum, with so many interactive stations for the children I lost count. As if it wasn’t enough for the kids – I say kids because there was a plethora of things to entertain Edith as well as the boys – the museum had cafes, a fab shop and a brasserie which we would almost certainly have eaten in if we hadn’t been heading home around 4ish. I couldn’t sing the praises of the museum enough, and if you are looking to cut back on costs them it is even more of a winner for you because entry is freeeeeee!

Lastly, before I leave you to book a trip to Edinburgh, a few tips for travelling by train with children:

1.) Snacks are your friend. Just like any travel with kids, snacks are ideal, they stave off boredom and make that bad behaviour that surfaced during hunger bouts evaporate!

2.) Little ones don’t get a seat, so be prepared for sitting them between you or on your lap. On our train journey home (2.5hrs!) Roo insisted on sitting on the floor while his little brother took his seat – it worked for us!

3.) Get there early. No one likes to rush, especially with kids.

4.) Try to book near a toilet, and a table is best too. This could just be us, but a table seat is so much better than a normal seat. Toilet doesn’t really need explaining does it?

5.) Colouring pads, tablets, games are fab, but if you don’t want them then don’t discount window spotting. Like a reverse of train spotting (the act, not the movie), the train window is a hub to a world of cows, diggers, mountains and all the fun things you know you want to spend hours spotting.

6.) Get a family and friends rail card. Seriously the discounts are brilliant, and well worth it if you want to travel by rail with your kids.