We weren’t sure the Scottish Highlands would work with kids. Too remote, too wet, too much driving. That was the worry, anyway. Turns out it was one of the best trips we’ve done as a family. Properly memorable. The kind of holiday where the children talk about it for months and you catch yourself scrolling back through photos on a Tuesday evening, wishing you were still there.
The Highlands are vast and wild and slightly absurd in their beauty. Huge mountains dropping into black lochs. Castles on every other hillside. Single-track roads winding through valleys with no one else on them. It’s not a theme park holiday. It’s better than that.
Getting There
Fly to Inverness from London and you’re there in about an hour and a half. EasyJet and BA run regular flights. It’s surprisingly quick — shorter than driving to Cornwall, for perspective.
From Edinburgh, the drive takes three to four hours depending on your route and how many times you stop for snacks and toilets. The A9 is mostly dual carriageway now and fairly straightforward.
But if you’ve got the time, the train is something else. The Scotrail service from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Inverness runs through the Cairngorms and it’s gorgeous. Four hours of mountains, rivers, and pine forests sliding past the window. The kids loved it. Far better than staring at the back of a headrest on a plane.
Why the Highlands
Because it’s like nowhere else in Britain. The scenery is dramatic without trying to be. You round a corner and there’s a mountain. Then a loch. Then a ruined castle. Then a Highland cow standing in the middle of the road looking entirely unbothered.
There are castles everywhere. Loch Ness, obviously. Eagles overhead. Deer on the hillsides. Outdoor adventures that range from gentle walks to full-on scrambles. And the roads are quiet. Blissfully quiet. No motorway jams, no roundabout queues. Just you and the sheep.
The children get to be properly outdoors. Not in a manicured park or a paid-for adventure centre, but genuinely outside, in landscape that feels ancient and enormous and a bit thrilling.
Fair warning: midges exist. More on that later. But don’t let them put you off.
Loch Ness
You have to do it. The kids will insist. And honestly, it’s genuinely impressive — twenty-three miles long, deeper than the North Sea in places, and surrounded by dark forests and brooding hills. Even without the monster, it’d be worth visiting.
Urquhart Castle sits right on the loch shore and it’s a cracker. Ruined enough to feel atmospheric, intact enough to clamber around. There’s a good visitor centre with a short film about the castle’s history. Adults £14, children £8.40. Our lot spent most of their time on the tower pretending to defend against invaders. Standard.
Nessie hunter boat trips run from Drumnadrochit and Fort Augustus. From about £15 per person, you cruise the loch with sonar equipment and a guide who tells stories about sightings. The children were glued to the water the entire time, convinced they’d spot something. They didn’t. Manage expectations on that front — they won’t see Nessie, but they’ll have a brilliant time looking.
The Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit is worth an hour. It’s been recently revamped and takes a proper scientific approach to the monster legend rather than the old tacky exhibition. Adults £9.95, children £7.95. Older kids who are into mysteries and investigation will get the most from it.
Eilean Donan Castle
One of the most photographed castles in Scotland, and once you see it you’ll understand why. It sits on a small island where three lochs meet, connected by a stone bridge, with mountains behind it. Ridiculous. Like a film set.
It’s compact inside, which actually works in its favour with children. You’re not trudging through forty rooms of furniture and portraits. An hour is plenty, and the displays are interesting without being overwhelming. Adults £10, children £6. There’s a good gift shop if you need to buy off a grumpy child.
It’s on the road to the Isle of Skye, so time it as a stop on the way. We arrived mid-morning and had it almost to ourselves. By lunchtime it was busy.
Isle of Skye
Skye is extraordinary. There’s no other word for it. The landscape looks like it belongs in a fantasy film — jagged mountains, sea cliffs, waterfalls tumbling into rock pools. Our teenagers, who had spent the first two days of the trip calling everything “fine,” actually put their phones away. That’s how you know a place is good.
The Fairy Pools are free and spectacular. A series of crystal-clear pools and waterfalls at the foot of the Black Cuillins. The walk in takes about twenty minutes from the car park. If your kids are brave — or daft — they can swim. The water is freezing. Properly, gasping, can’t-breathe cold. Ours went in up to their knees and came out shrieking. Totally worth it.
The Old Man of Storr is a brilliant hike for children aged five and up. About two hours round trip with a decent path, though it gets steep near the top. The rock formations are bizarre and wonderful — like something from another planet. Even reluctant walkers tend to be won over.
Portree is Skye’s main town and it’s lovely. The harbour is lined with colourful buildings, there are decent fish and chips, and it makes a good base for exploring.
One thing: roads on Skye get genuinely busy in summer. Parking at the popular spots fills up by mid-morning. Go early or go late. The light at 9pm in a Scottish summer is magic anyway.
Glen Coe
Glen Coe might be the most dramatic valley in Britain. Steep mountains on both sides, waterfalls everywhere, clouds rolling through. It feels like the landscape is showing off.
The Three Sisters viewpoint is a pull-off on the A82 and it’s worth stopping at even if you do nothing else. Three huge ridges dropping down to the valley floor. The kids will want photos. You’ll want photos. Everyone wants photos.
The National Trust visitor centre is good for context — the history of the Massacre of Glencoe is dark and gripping and older children will find it fascinating. Adults £7, children £3.50. There are walks from the centre too, ranging from gentle strolls to proper hikes.
Harry Potter fans: this is where they filmed the Hagrid’s hut scenes. The exact spot is near the Clachaig Inn. It’s not signposted or anything — just a patch of boggy ground — but if your children are Potter obsessed, they’ll lose their minds.
Cairngorms National Park
The Cairngorms are different from the west coast Highlands. Less jagged, more rolling. Pine forests, heather moorland, reindeer. Yes, reindeer.
The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd is a must with children. You hike up to the free-ranging herd on the mountainside and feed them by hand. Adults £17, children £8.50. Book ahead — it’s popular and numbers are limited. Our kids talked about it for weeks. There’s something special about standing on a Scottish hillside with a reindeer eating out of your palm.
The Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie is run by the Royal Zoological Society and it’s brilliant. Polar bears, snow leopards, red pandas, Scottish wildcats. It’s like a zoo but set in the Highlands, so the enclosures are huge and the setting is stunning. Adults £20.50, children £14.95. Allow at least half a day.
Aviemore is the main town and it’s full of adventure sports. Mountain biking, tree-top assault courses, quad biking, zip wires. In winter there’s skiing at CairnGorm Mountain. It’s not the Alps, but it’s proper snow and the kids won’t care about the difference.
Fort William and Ben Nevis
Fort William sits at the foot of Ben Nevis — the highest mountain in the UK — and it’s a solid base for the area. The town itself is functional rather than pretty, but you’re not here for the high street.
The Jacobite Steam Train is the big one. This is the actual train they used as the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter films. It runs from Fort William to Mallaig, crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct — that curved bridge you’ve seen in every film. Adults £44.95, children £26.95. Book months ahead. We mean months. It sells out completely in peak season and you’ll be gutted if you miss it. The journey takes about two hours each way and it’s gorgeous.
The Nevis Range gondola takes you up Aonach Mor for mountain views. Adults £18, children £11.50. On a clear day, you can see all the way to the coast. There are walking trails at the top and a cafe. In winter it’s a ski resort. In summer it’s mountain biking territory — the World Cup downhill course runs here, which is fun to watch even if you’re not riding.
Wildlife
The Highlands are teeming with it. Red deer are everywhere — we spotted them most days without even trying. Seals pop up along the coast, particularly around Skye and the west. Golden eagles circle overhead in Glen Coe and Torridon.
Puffins can be seen on boat trips to islands off the coast, usually between April and August. Various operators run from Skye and the mainland — look for trips to the Shiant Isles or Handa Island.
And Highland cows. The kids became obsessed. Every sighting was met with screaming from the back seat. They’re everywhere in the Highlands — big, ginger, shaggy, and completely photogenic. We have approximately four hundred photos of Highland cows on my phone. No regrets.
Midges
Right. The midges. Tiny biting insects that appear from May through September and reach peak annoyance between June and August. They’re the number one complaint from families visiting the Highlands and for good reason. They swarm in clouds around your head, they bite exposed skin, and they can turn a peaceful evening picnic into a miserable retreat to the car.
They’re worst in still, damp conditions. Evenings by lochs. Sheltered glens. Calm days with no breeze. Wind and movement help — they can’t fly well in anything more than a light breeze, so coastlines and hilltops are usually fine.
Bring Smidge repellent. It’s the one that works. You can buy it in most Highland shops but bring your own rather than banking on finding it. Reapply often. Midge head nets exist and they’re ugly but effective for bad days.
Don’t let midges put you off the Highlands entirely. But don’t pretend they’re not a thing either. Plan for them. Avoid still evenings near water. Keep moving. You’ll be fine.
Where to Stay
Inverness is the natural base for Loch Ness and the eastern Highlands. It’s a proper city with supermarkets, restaurants, and all the amenities. Good for a first night or a rest day.
Fort William works for Glen Coe, Ben Nevis, and the Jacobite train. More of a town than a city, but everything you need is here.
Portree is the base for Skye. Small, charming, and gets booked up fast in summer. Reserve early.
Self-catering cottages and lodges are the best option for families. Hotels in the Highlands tend to be either expensive country houses or basic B&Bs. A cottage gives you space, a kitchen for feeding fussy eaters, and a garden for burning off energy. Sykes Holiday Cottages and VisitScotland’s website both have good listings. Book well in advance for summer — the best places go quickly.
Practical Bits
A car is not optional. Public transport in the Highlands is limited and infrequent. You need your own wheels.
Many roads are single-track with passing places. This sounds terrifying. It’s actually fine. You pull into a passing place when you see another car coming. Everyone does it. The kids will find it hilarious. Just don’t try to rush — these roads demand patience, and honestly, you won’t want to rush. The scenery’s too good.
Petrol stations are sparse outside the main towns. Keep your tank at least half full. We learned this the hard way on Skye when the nearest pump was thirty miles away and the fuel light was blinking.
Weather changes fast. Properly fast. Sunshine to sideways rain in fifteen minutes. Pack waterproofs every single day regardless of the forecast. Layers work best — mornings can be cold, afternoons warm, evenings cold again. Good waterproof jackets for the whole family are non-negotiable.
Phone signal is patchy. Download offline maps before you go. Google Maps lets you save areas for offline use, and it’s saved us more than once on a remote Highland road.
The Scottish Highlands with kids is one of those trips that reminds you why you bother with family holidays at all. Not because everything goes smoothly — it won’t — but because the place itself is so staggeringly beautiful that even the grumpy moments get outweighed. Pack the waterproofs. Pack the Smidge. Go.