Scotland road trip with kids – 12-day itinerary

Scotland might not be one of the world’s largest countries, but with so much to do on a Scotland road trip with kids, you could easily spend months exploring.

contains affiliate links*

Happily, if – like me – you don’t have months, you can pack a surprising amount into less than two weeks, getting a taste of city, countryside and islands, with some spectacular scenery along the way. And you don’t have to follow a specific route like the NC500 as it’s easy to make your own perfect Scotland family road trip.

Our own summer road trip visited Edinburgh, Stirling, Falkirk, Loch Lomond and the Isle of Skye, but it would have been easy to tweak to include Glasgow, to swap Skye for the west coast of Scotland, or even head north to Inverness and Loch Ness. So if you’re not sure where to start, here’s my 12-day itinerary for a Scotland road trip with kids.

For more tips on enjoying road trips with kids check out my posts on planning a family road trip, packing for a road trip, road trip activities for kids and the best road trip snacks

Day 1-3 – Edinburgh or Glasgow

You start your trip by having to make a choice between Scotland’s two biggest cities – both Edinburgh and Glasgow have plenty of reasons to tempt you (and you’ll almost certainly find that you want more time, whichever you choose).

As the capital, Edinburgh has the national museums, as well as Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh Castle, the historic old town, some Harry Potter links, a great zoo and the wonderful Arthur’s Seat, an extinct volcano which you can walk up.

That’s obviously just the briefest overview of what there is to see, but you can check out my top things to do in Edinburgh with kids here for more details.

Meanwhile Glasgow has its own impressive museums, some gorgeous green spaces including the botanic gardens, the fantastic Glasgow Science Centre, and the river Clyde to explore, so you it’s another fantastic way to begin your Scotland road trip.

Again, for more details of the best things to do in Glasgow with kids, check out my top picks.

If you’re determined to try to see both, it takes less than an hour to get between the two, or you could consider splitting the time with a couple of days at the start of the trip in one and a couple of days at the end in the other. Equally, if you prefer, you can move this whole section to the end of your trip.

TOP TIP: We chose to get the train up to Edinburgh from London and moved straight on to Stirling, picking up our hire car there for the rest of the road trip – you won’t need to drive while you’re in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and there are regular trains onwards if you’d rather not deal with the roads out of the cities.

Day 4-5 – Stirling

The next stop on your Scotland road trip with kids has to be Stirling – this compact city is oozing with history, and it’s a great way to discover a bit of the country’s past if your kids aren’t already familiar with it.

Allow half a day for Stirling Castle, with its royal palace, Great Hall and impressively realistic kitchens. There are also plenty of hands-on activities for kids, great views from the walls and lovely gardens to explore, not to mention other exhibitions and attractions.

While you’re in Stirling’s Old Town, save some time for the Old Town Jail. The great guided tours bring it all to life, with your guide playing several different characters, plus the chance to look inside the cells and find out what daily life would have been like. Finish with some impressive views from the roof – or take on the escape room to see if you’d be any good at breaking out yourself.

Then it’s time to choose your hero, with two important sites linked to key characters – Robert the Bruce at Bannockburn and William Wallace at the Wallace National Monument.

Personally I loved the Bannockburn Experience, with a guided replay of the battle and chance to lift a spear, but it’s closing for renovations until mid 2028 and only the battlefield itself will be open for the time being.

Or the Wallace Monument lets you follow a woodcarving trail taking you through history, before climbing 246 steps up the spiral staircase to the top of the tower, passing through the Hall of Arms, the Hall of Heroes – lined with busts of notable Scots – and the Royal Chamber along the way, each one giving you a breather and a bit more of the story.

Get more details on all the attractions above and more inspiration for things to do in Stirling with kids here

Day 6 – Falkirk

Even if you’ve relied on trains up until this point, it pays to have a car to explore from now on – Falkirk has some great walking and cycling trails, but with limited time, driving means you can tick off some of the highlights easily.

If you only have a day, you can still visit the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, both of which we loved and both also unmissable.

For more ideas of some great things to do in Falkirk with kids, check out my top picks

The Kelpies are two enormous horse-head sculptures, each around 30 metres tall, rearing up on the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal. It’s completely free to visit (or you can pay for a tour that takes you inside as well).

They sit inside Helix Park, a huge stretch of green space linking Falkirk and Grangemouth, with kilometres of flat, paved paths that are ideal for walking, scooting and cycling, as well as some woodland and wetland walks.

Meanwhile the Falkirk Wheel is the world’s only rotating boat lift. Built to reconnect the Forth & Clyde and Union canals, replacing the original flight of 11 locks, it now takes just five minutes for the lift to turn 180 degrees and raise you 35m.

Don’t miss the hour-long boat tour which explains how the lift works, as well as letting you experience it yourself as it takes you up to enjoy the views across the countryside.

TOP TIP: You can head to Falkirk from either Glasgow or Edinburgh before visiting Stirling – all the cities are well connected and close to each other. We chose to base ourselves in Stirling and then drive to Loch Lomond via Falkirk – you are going in the wrong direction, admittedly, but not much and it was more practical for us. You could also make a detour and plan a pit stop at the Dunmore Pineapple.

Day 7-8 – Loch Lomond

Around an hour from Falkirk, slightly less from Stirling, Loch Lomond is the first taste of wilder countryside in my Scotland road trip with kids – and it really is gorgeous.

Most families stay either in Balloch, the biggest town (which also has a good train connection to Glasgow) or in pretty Luss – I loved Luss, which is gorgeous, but Balloch has a few more attractions, restaurants and places to stay. They’re both close to each other, so it’s easy to visit one from the other.

Check out more of my tips on where to stay around the loch and some of the best things to do in Loch Lomond with kids here

Needless to say, the first thing to enjoy is a boat trip; there are lots of sightseeing cruises, as well as some ferries in summer across the loch and to the islands in the loch itself.

Or if you prefer something a bit more energetic, you can hire canoes, kayaks, small boats and stand-up paddleboards to explore under your own steam.

There are lovely walks around the loch too; the faerie trail at Luss is fun for younger kids (and you can also follow the riverside trail to extend it a bit further), or wander around Balloch Castle Country Park where you can stroll through woodland and down to the water’s edge.

Balloch’s Loch Lomond Shores is also home to some of the bigger family attractions, including the Sea Life Aquarium and the Bird of Prey Centre, plus a high ropes course in the trees and a little mini golf course.

The area is also a great place to see Highland cows, including some free/cheap options. If you’re visiting with teens or older tweens, especially those with an interest in the environment as well as animals, we loved the two-hour Coos and cake experience at Nether Glenny farm which lets you get (safely) closer to the cows, as well as learning more about them and rewilding projects in the area.

TOP TIP: We headed to Nether Glenny Farm on our way from Loch Lomond to Skye as it was approximately on our route – if you aren’t continuing on north or west, there are alternative options around the loch and closer to Glasgow

Day 9-12 – Isle of Skye, Mallaig or Loch Ness

So far, the drives in my Scotland family road trip have all been fairly short but if you’re looking to explore further, you’ll have some longer journeys ahead – depending how old your kids are, you may want to build in short stops along the way.

Unfortunately, unless you have lots of time, you’ll have to make a decision between the Isle of Skye, Mallaig and the west coast or heading north to Loch Ness with three to four hours on the road to reach each destination. You can also get a ferry from Mallaig to the Isle of Skye if you have chance to combine both.

Isle of Skye

I love the Isle of Skye – while it’s easily the most popular Scottish island to visit, you can still find plenty of secluded corners and it feels like a proper escape. It also means it’s well set up for families while still large enough that you can pack plenty in.

In fact, don’t underestimate the amount of time it can take to get across Skye – from Armadale (where the ferry from Mallaig docks) or Broadford, not far from the road bridge, it can easily take 60-90 minutes to reach some of the highlights on the opposite side of the island.

Get more tips on where to stay on the Isle of Skye with kids, as well as some of the best things for families to do

We stayed at Isleornsay on the east coast as it was already a long drive from Balloch and we loved the secluded cabin on the loch where we stayed, but it did mean we were further from many of the more popular walks and landmarks, so accommodation in Portree can be more practical.

Wherever you pick, there are some wonderful walks and trails to discover, from gentler easy options like the Fairy Glen and the Fairy Pools up to the Old Man of Storr and the more challenging Quiraing.

Step back in time at the Museum of Island Life, spot dinosaur footprints around Staffin, see wild waterfalls and lighthouses, or enjoy the colourful streets or Portree while you’re there too. Or take a quick trip back to the mainland to explore Eilean Donan Castle, set on the water where three sea lochs meet and often considered the most beautiful castle in Scotland.

TOP TIP: If you’re travelling from Loch Lomond to the Isle of Skye, you can drive through Glencoe for some wonderfully dramatic scenery. The Visitor Centre has more information on the history of the area, including the 1692 Glencoe Massacre, or there are some great walks around here too. This is somewhere you won’t mind being stuck in traffic, so you can soak up some of the views

Mallaig and the west coast

While there are plenty of reasons to tempt you to Scotland’s west coast, the area around Mallaig is best known for a couple of things – its amazing white sand beaches, which look like they’ve been whisked from the Caribbean, and (if you’re a Harry Potter fan), the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

For beaches galore, head down the B8008 coastal road – Camusdarach Beach, the evocatively named Silver Sands of Morar, Traigh Beach and Arisaig Beach are a few of the highlights.

You can choose to ride the Jacobite Steam Train (aka the Hogwarts Express or Harry Potter train) or enjoy the famous view of the steam trains passing over the Glenfinnan Viaduct.

Head to the Glenfinnan Visitor Centre to walk up the hillside path for the famous view down. You’ll need to check the timetable and aim to park up at least 30 minutes beforehand – the walk from the visitor centre is around 25 minutes, and the car park (unsurprisingly) gets busy, so the last thing you want is to turn up 30 seconds after the train has passed.

Or hop on a boat to explore along the west coast – as well as the ferry to Skye, boats run to the more remote islands of Eigg, Muck, Rum, and Canna, and around the Knoydart Peninsula. There are wildlife cruises too, with the chance to spot puffins, orcas, basking sharks, minke whales, dolphins, porpoise and seals.

If you want to tick off one of Scotland’s loveliest routes, the Road to the Isles is the A830 running from Fort William to Mallaig, which takes you through the Scottish Highlands via Glenfinnan, Lochailort, Arisaig (another lovely alternative to Mallaig as a base to explore), and Morar, looking out over lochs, mountains and beaches.

Inverness and Loch Ness

The capital of the Highlands, you’ll find history, beautiful scenery and – of course – tales of a mysterious monster hidden in the depths of Loch Ness itself.

Whether you’re hoping to spot Nessie or not, it’s another gorgeous corner of the country to explore. If you don’t want two lochs back to back, you could also head directly here instead of Loch Lomond, which gives more time to venture further north.

A boat trip is a must, but you can also explore castles, including the ruins of Urquhart Castle to discover its dramatic past and Inverness Castle, where the Inverness Castle Experience is led by a storyteller for a rather different visit.

Or get outdoors with everything from gentler river walks and the Ness Islands to hikes in the surrounding countryside. Not far from Inverness itself is Culloden, where you can visit the site of the final pitched battle on British soil – a moving experience, this is better with older kids who can appreciate the history.

You’re also close enough to visit Aviemore with the Highland Wildlife Park, Landmark Forest adventure park and even see a herd of reindeer.

TOP TIP: If this trip has whetted your appetite for more, the NC500 – or North Coast 500 – route begins and ends at Inverness Castle, a 516-mile loop which takes you into Scotland’s far north. You could power around it in about 13-15 hours, although where’s the fun in that? Instead, allow another five to seven days to make the most of this route.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission

Images: Calton Hill/Glenfinnan Viaduct/Loch Ness courtesy of Depositphotos, all others copyright MummyTravels

LIKED THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EMAIL NEWSLETTER