Edinburgh for Kids: An A to Z

A is for Arthur’s Seat
Edinburgh’s very own city centre mountain (legally speaking it’s a hill), it’s an excellent first climb for small legs and offers spectacular views from the summit. 

B is for Beaches
Head to Portobello on the bike routes or by bus, swim in the sea (at the Joppa end), grab an ice cream or a pizza slice.

C is for Castles
We’ve got a load of them. Edinburgh’s the obvious choice, but you can avoid the crowds at Craigmillar, Blackness or Tantallon. 

D is for Dynamic Earth
Learn about the story of our planet in the city’s world-class science centre and planetarium. 

E is for Engineering
And what better feat of engineering to gaze upon than the Forth Rail Bridge in South Queensferry?

F is for Fish and Chips
You’ll find some of the best in the world at Newhaven Fishmarket, L’Alba D’oro or Portobello’s St Andrews Fish and Chip Shop.

G is for Greyfriars Bobby
This tragic tale of a very loyal dog is a firm family favourite – you can visit his tombstone and leave a stick. [Photo by Jamie Wheeler via Unsplash]

H is for Haha!
Which is the noise you will make at one of the very funny comedy shows for kids in this year’s Fringe programme. 

I is for Ice Cream
You’ll find excellent options at Mary’s Milk Bar, Joelato, Crolla's, Luca's and Alandas – the city’s gelato renaissance means you can’t really go wrong. 

J is for Jupiter Artland
A magical sculpture park just outside the city, this year featuring a new family of goats alongside the work by internationally-renowned artists. 

K is for Kidzone
Pleasance have a dedicated kids crafting space – you’ll find other drop-in creative play spaces at galleries including Collect and Modern One. 

L is for Licensing
Real talk: it's best to check the rules around children before you sit down in the pub, as the licensing varies wildly between hospitality venues. 

M is for Meadows
A massive central green space criss-crossed by cherry trees, great for a picnic and a run-around. 

N is for Newhailes
Between Portobello and Musselburgh, a National Trust house with an attached adventure playground, called Wee Hailes. 

O is for Ornithology
Word is there’s a peregrine falcon nesting on the Salisbury Crags. You’ll find families of swans, moorhens and coots in ponds across the city, and the very lucky may spot the Water of Leith kingfishers. 

P is for Playparks
The best can be found in the Meadows, Leith Links, Saughton, Inverleith and Princes St Gardens. 

Q is for Queen, as in Mary Queen of Scots
You can view the bloodstain of her murdered servant Rizzio in her former home of Holyrood Palace. 

R is for Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Vast, beautiful gardens, a bus or walk from the city centre, home to world-leading scientific enquiry and many squirrels. 

S is for Swimming
Edinburgh has many Victorian baths with family sessions, a Turkish bath at Portobello and the Commonwealth Pool for those who like their swimming pools to be less than 100 years old. 

T is for (Edinburgh) Treasure Trail
A self-guided tour through the city’s old town filled with clues and historical facts, downloadable from the Visit Scotland website. 

U is for Underwater Exploration
Something you can do at Deep Sea World by taking the train over the Forth Road Bridge to North Queensferry. 

V is for Vaults
Edinburgh is full of spooky vaults that you can explore with a ghost tour. Head to Mary King’s Close to see the real subterranean vaulty city. 

W is for Water of Leith
You can cycle the leafy walkway from Colinton Dell to Leith, stopping to explore Saughton Park, the National Galleries’ Modern site and Dean Village on the way. 

X is for Xylophone
There’s one in the National Museum of Scotland playroom – probably. 

Y is for Y did I decide to do an A to Z

Z is for Zoo
Edinburgh Zoo! It’s got giraffes, red pandas, predatory seagulls and much more besides.