48 Hours in Edinburgh with children

Packing for Christmas is always challenging. But we were lucky with the weather when we went to Scotland last month. If you are heading North of the Border soon, here are some things you could do if you have 48 Hours in Edinburgh with children.

A quick hour or so from Gatwick, you barely have time to enjoy the proffered complimentary crisps-or-cookies with your on-board beverage, before The Girls want to know why their ears are popping. It really is quite an easy flight to make. We were through the airport (noting soft play area for our return journey) and letting ourselves into the house we were exchanging within an hour of landing.

The Portobello area of Edinburgh- known for it’s art and beaches- is one stop from Edinburgh Waverley on the train, making it a very easy journey into the city centre to explore. We bought a 48 Hour Grand Pass for the tour buses opposite the station, having already determined it to be the best way to see the things we wanted to see without exhausting The Girls- which allowed us to hop on and off any of the bus routes for the two full days that we spent exploring the city. And those things we didn’t get off to look at, we were able to see from the enclosed bottom deck of the bus which didn’t afford the best view but did give us more warmth.

Christmas is not the peak  time for tourists in the City- Festival and Hogmanay I presume are the two big ones, so what you lack in weather, you make up for in short queues. The only attraction we had to queue for was Edinburgh Castle- which was clearly well-organised for large numbers of visitors- and we only waited minimal time to get in. We took in the Museum of Childhood, which is a must for any young people, though mine happened to be the only ones there when we entered- the rest were adults reliving their youth! It’s free to enter and has five floors filled to bursting with a fascinating selection of toys, in addition to plenty of hands-on attractions for children to enjoy. You could spend the whole afternoon there.

The Scottish National Gallery is a very grand, central building. It was much easier to navigate that The Royal Academy in London, and has plenty of wonderful art to look at, including a room devoted to Scottish Artists and a wonderful collection of Impressionist Art- paintings and sculpture that simply took my breath away. What’s more there’s a cafe and restaurant overlooking Princes Street Gardens in the basement so if you accidentally lose a morning, you can replenish your energy and go back for more.

Across the courtyard from The Gallery was Edinburgh’s large and vibrant Christmas Market, spilling out across several levels. We spent the rest of our afternoon picking up trinkets, drinking Gluhwein and Hot Chocolate and gorging ourselves on Candy Floss before catching the last off-peak train back to the house.

The following day we took a different route up to Edinburgh Castle, where we counted 12 selfie sticks! The views out from the parapets are wonderful- it gives you a clear picture of the city down below. The Girls particularly enjoyed the exhibition about the Crown Jewels, as well as the jewels themselves. Outside the Castle we met a man dressed as William Wallace, and had our photograph taken with him. We listened to bagpipes and shopped for tartan in the Old Town, before heading back down the 100-or-so steps to the Grassmarket to enjoy a hearty lunch. Afterwards we spent more time in the Santa Land part of the Christmas Market where the girls got to ride on the Santa train, rollercoasters and reindeer waltzers until they were quite dizzy. And a bit more Candy Floss.

If you have 48 hours in Edinburgh, you’ll find plenty of fun for all the family. Just check out our #EdinburghAtoZ!

 

Flights: British Airways, Gatwick to Edinburgh, £108 per person, with extra charged later for baggage.

Trains from Brunstane to Edinburgh Waverley: return £2.30, one over-5 child goes free with each paying adult, under fives free of charge.

Tour Buses: £48 for a Family of Four 48 Hour Grand Tour