# Edinburgh with the family: the castle, optical illusions, a free museum, a volcano to climb and a royal yacht

Pieces to build two to five days with children: the castle, the Camera Obscura, the free national museum, Arthur's Seat, the Britannia in Leith and ice cream in the Grassmarket.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/scotland/edinburgh/itineraries/family-castle-museum-and-volcano · Revisado: 2026-11-13

Dónde: Edinburgh

Edinburgh is small, and with children that's worth a lot: almost everything is less than half an hour's walk away, and the expensive and the free alternate within a few streets. The rule that works best is one paid visit a day and the rest outdoors or at the national museum, which costs nothing. What you need to bear in mind is the terrain: the Old Town is slopes, cobbles and stairs, and a pushchair suffers. A baby carrier or a light pushchair that folds quickly makes the trip easier.

## The paid ones, one at a time

The castle is the visit of the trip. Under-7s go free and 7 to 15-year-olds cost £11.50 bought online. What works for children are the cannons on the ramparts and the one o'clock gun, fired every day except Sunday: if you arrive first thing, you have time to see the jewels and be on the ramparts at one. Allow a good two hours.

Two minutes away, down the esplanade, the Camera Obscura is what children ask for most afterwards. At the top of the tower, an 1853 lens projects the city live onto a table; below, five floors of mirrors, spinning tunnels and hands-on illusions. It costs £17.95 for ages 5 to 15 and nothing for under-5s, who also need a booked ticket. There are 98 steps with no lift and the visit lasts a little under two hours.

In Leith, the Royal Yacht Britannia can be explored from end to end: the Queen's cabins, the bridge, the engine room and the galley. Children up to age 6 go free. It's half an hour by tram, and that's already part of the plan.

## The free ones, without watching the clock

The National Museum of Scotland, on Chambers Street, opens every day from 10:00 to 17:00 and charges nothing. It has stuffed animals, machines, Dolly the sheep and space for little ones to play, and on the roof a terrace with views of the castle. It's the plan for rain and for afternoons when nobody wants to walk any more.

To tire them out, the hills. Arthur's Seat is 251 metres: from Dunsapie Loch the climb is short and five or six-year-olds manage it calmly; from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, it's longer. It's windy at the top, so bring an extra layer. Calton Hill takes ten minutes up the steps from Princes Street and has monuments to climb on with your eyes. And if the sun comes out, the riverside walk from Dean Village to Stockbridge is flat and short, with a market on Sundays.

For fans of the books, The Potter Trail's Harry Potter walk is free, with a donation, and recommended from about age 7: an hour and a half of graveyard, closes and a guide dressed as a wizard. Book ahead.

## Eating without fuss

For lunch, Oink, on Victoria Street, has a small roast pork roll designed for children, to take away. At the bottom of the street, in the Grassmarket, Mary's Milk Bar makes ice cream every morning, Wednesday to Sunday; it closes from 24 December to 5 February. For dinner, The Abbotsford, on Rose Street, serves families in its upstairs dining room, from age 5.

## Split it like this

Two days. First, the castle in the morning and the Camera Obscura in the afternoon, with Oink in between. Second, the national museum in the morning and Calton Hill at sunset.

Three days. Add Arthur's Seat in the morning and the Grassmarket ice cream on the way back.

Four days. Add Leith and the Britannia, there and back by tram.

Five days. Add the Harry Potter walk in the morning and Dean Village and Stockbridge in the afternoon, best on a Sunday for the market.

## Where to stay with children

The base we suggest is the Premier Inn on Princes Street: family rooms, a free cot and free breakfast for two children per adult who orders it, opposite the gardens and the castle and a few steps from the tram. The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal, next to Waverley, has a family room with a sofa bed for three. If you're coming by car and want a garden, Prestonfield House, at the foot of Arthur's Seat, has free parking and welcomes children.

## Un consejo más

On the bus and tram, under-5s travel free with an adult and 5 to 15-year-olds pay less. Each adult needs their own card or phone for the daily cap.

## Cuándo no ir

The Real Mary King's Close with young children: under-5s aren't admitted, you can't take a pushchair down, and for many 6 or 7-year-olds the darkness and plague stories are too much. With teenagers, on the other hand, it works very well.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### What to do in Edinburgh with children?
The castle, the Camera Obscura and the Britannia yacht as paid visits; the National Museum, Arthur's Seat and Calton Hill for free.

### How much does the castle cost for children?
Under-7s go free; ages 7 to 15, £11.50 bought online.

### Can you go with a pushchair?
Yes, but the Old Town has slopes, cobbles and stairs, and the Camera Obscura has no lift. A light pushchair or a carrier is better.

### How many days do you need?
With three days you can see the castle, the Camera Obscura, the museum and Arthur's Seat without wearing anyone out; with four, Leith too.

## Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.
- **Prestonfield House**: A country house inside the city
Prestonfield House is a 1687 mansion in its own parkland of about eight hectares, with gardens and woodland, at the foot of Arthur's Seat and five minutes by taxi from Waverley station. It's a five-star hotel with the same owners as The Witchery, and it shares their taste for the theatrical: velvet, antiques, deep colours and roaring fires. What sets it apart in Edinburgh is the silence: you sleep in the city as if you were on a country estate.
Rooms, dining room and lounges
There are 23 rooms and suites, each decorated in its own way, with antique pieces and heavy fabrics. The Rhubarb restaurant is open every day from 12:00 to 22:00 (last booking), and the Whisky Room has sofas by the fire for an after-dinner drink. Afternoon tea costs £70 per person. There's a lift to the restaurant and the rooms.
Who it suits
For a luxury break as a couple, for anyone travelling with a dog (every room accepts them, and they can be in the lounges, though not in Rhubarb) and for those arriving by car: parking is free and there are electric chargers. It also welcomes children of all ages, who can dine in Rhubarb until 20:00. If you don't have a car, buses 2, 14 and 33 stop about five minutes' walk away. The hotel suggests walks that start from the estate itself.

## Dónde dormir without a car
- **Motel One Edinburgh-Royal**: By Waverley, with the Old Town above
The Motel One Edinburgh-Royal is on Market Street, the street running behind Waverley station. Get off the train, cross over and you're at the door; from here, the Royal Mile is a couple of streets uphill and Princes Street is on the other side of the station. It's the option for anyone arriving by train or on the airport tram who wants to do everything on foot, without paying what the hotels on the main streets cost.
Small rooms, cleverly done
The chain is known for its compact, well-kept rooms, and this one is no exception. The standard, The One, is 16 m² with a 160 or 180 cm bed; the Cosy One, at 14 m², has a 120 cm bed and suits one person. For families with one child there's the Family One, 20 m², with a double bed and a sofa bed. There's an accessible room. All have a rain shower and free wifi. The décor plays on Scotland: tartan headboards, photographs of Highland flora and fauna and living ferns on the reception wall.
Bar, breakfast and what it doesn't have
Downstairs is the One Lounge, with a whisky bar under a chandelier made from fifty decanters, and in the morning the buffet breakfast, with organic products and fair-trade coffee. The hotel has no parking: the nearest it suggests is at Greenside Row, a quarter of an hour's walk away, so it's not a place to arrive by car. Pets are allowed, but they ask you to check first.
- **Premier Inn Edinburgh City Centre (Princes Street)**: A room for four on the main street
This Premier Inn is on Princes Street, the New Town's great shopping street, with Princes Street Gardens opposite and the castle peering over them. The castle esplanade is about fifteen minutes' walk away; Rose Street and George Street are one street behind. It's a chain hotel with no surprises, and that's exactly what many families are after: clear prices, identical rooms and a location where you don't need transport for almost anything.
What makes it practical with children
The family rooms have a large double bed and, depending on how many of you there are, a sofa bed or a trundle bed. Cots are free of charge. Breakfast is a buffet with hot dishes (bacon, sausages, eggs), vegetarian and vegan options and pastries, and for every adult who orders it up to two children eat free. There's an in-house restaurant for dinner, which comes in handy when the little ones can't manage another outing. It also has accessible rooms and free wifi.
Arriving and getting around without a car
The airport tram stops on Princes Street, a few minutes from the hotel. You don't need a car, and it isn't a good idea: the hotel has no parking and lies within Edinburgh's low emission zone, which fines non-compliant vehicles. If you're arriving by car, the car park they suggest is the NCP on Castle Terrace, ten minutes' walk away, with a 50% discount when you validate your ticket at reception.
- **Castle Rock Hostel**: Sleeping at the foot of the rock
Castle Rock is on Johnston Terrace, the street that wraps round the south side of the castle rock, between the esplanade and the Grassmarket. Step out of the door and in five minutes you're on the Royal Mile, on Victoria Street or in the Grassmarket square with its pubs. It's a large, lively hostel in an old high-ceilinged building, aimed at people travelling solo, as a couple or with friends who want to spend little on a bed so they can spend on everything else.
Dorms, private rooms and rooms to spend the evening in
There are shared dorms of various sizes, women-only dorms and private rooms for anyone who wants their own door. Beds come made up and each guest has a locker with a key in the room; towels are for hire. Downstairs there are several lounges: a large common room for socialising, a music room with guitars and a piano, a quiet room for reading or working, games and film nights. The kitchen is spacious and fully equipped, with fridges and freezers, and in the mornings they serve a simple continental breakfast.
What you need to know
It's an over-18s only hostel: it doesn't work for families with children. Reception is open 24 hours, there's a laundry and luggage storage, and on bookings of three nights or more an automatic discount applies. They organise activities daily and have a courtyard for some fresh air. There's no parking: arrive by train at Waverley or on the airport tram to Princes Street and walk up.
- **The Witchery by the Castle, suites**: Nine suites above a candlelit restaurant
Above the dining rooms of The Witchery, in the 16th-century houses of Castlehill, there are nine suites, each with its own name and décor. All are designed for two adults, with a king-size bed, and all follow the same idea: velvet, tapestries, dark wood, four-poster beds and freestanding baths, sometimes for two. It's the place for an anniversary, a honeymoon or a night you want to remember, a few steps from the castle esplanade.
Choosing a suite
Size and views vary. The Old Rectory is the largest, with seven windows onto the Royal Mile. The Vestry is reached by a stone spiral staircase and has three windows over the street. The Library hides a secret door in a book-lined bathroom. The Heriot looks out over the Old Town towards George Heriot's School, the turreted school that, according to the hotel itself, is believed to have inspired Hogwarts: it's the suite for a couple of Harry Potter fans. The others are The Sempill, The Inner Sanctum, The Guardroom, The Armoury and The Turret.
Breakfast, bookings and what there isn't
Breakfast is for residents only and you can have it in the Original Dining Room or ask for it to be brought up to your suite in a hamper. If you book on their website, there's a bottle of champagne in the room every night. Children are admitted from age 10 sharing a suite with an adult, but there are no extra beds, so it isn't family accommodation. Dogs aren't allowed, the building isn't adapted and there's no parking; the nearest is the NCP on Castle Terrace. If you want to dine downstairs, book a table too: the restaurant recommends doing so well in advance.