Events & What’s Happening
Scotland's national agricultural show held at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, featuring livestock competitions, food, craft, and rural activities.
💡Children love the animals, petting areas, and tractor displays — wear wellies as the ground can get muddy and allow a full day for the site.
The world's largest arts festival featuring thousands of performances across comedy, theatre, dance, and family shows throughout the city.
💡Look for free shows on the Royal Mile and dedicated children's programmes — book family shows well in advance as they sell out fast.
The world's largest public literary festival held in Charlotte Square Gardens, featuring author talks, readings, and a dedicated children's and families programme.
💡The dedicated children's events with favourite authors and illustrators are wonderful — book early and combine with a picnic in Charlotte Square.
A city-wide winter celebration featuring a German-style Christmas market on Princes Street, fairground rides, ice skating, and festive light installations.
💡The ice rink and carousel in St Andrew Square are great for young children — visit on a weekday morning to avoid weekend crowds.
One of the world's greatest New Year celebrations featuring street parties, live music, torchlight processions, and a spectacular fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle.
💡The torchlight procession on 30 December is ideal for families with children and is free to watch along the route.
Europe's first public science festival with hands-on exhibitions, shows, and workshops designed to engage all ages in science and discovery.
💡Many events are specifically designed for children aged 3–12 and sell out quickly — book online as soon as the programme launches.
A spectacular ancient Celtic fire festival held on Calton Hill on the eve of May Day, featuring performers, fire, and dramatic storytelling.
💡Best suited for older children (8+) due to the late-night start and fire elements — dress warmly as Calton Hill gets very cold at night.
A beloved weekly market on Castle Terrace selling fresh Scottish produce, artisan foods, and handmade crafts from local producers.
💡Grab a freshly made crepe or hot snack and let kids browse the stalls — arrives earlier to get the best selection of baked goods.
A charming neighbourhood market in the Stockbridge area featuring artisan food, vintage finds, crafts, and street food in a family-friendly village atmosphere.
💡The surrounding streets and the Water of Leith walkway nearby make for a lovely post-market stroll with a buggy or young children.
Free drop-in family activities and workshops at the National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street, covering science, history, and culture for children of all ages.
💡The Grand Gallery is a favourite with young children — pick up a free explorer backpack at the entrance to turn the visit into an adventure.
Seasonal family walks, explorer trails, and nature activities in the stunning 70-acre Royal Botanic Garden just north of the city centre.
💡The garden is free to enter and the outdoor space is ideal for children to run freely — the glasshouses provide a warm backup on rainy days.
Free weekly storytime and rhyme-time sessions for babies, toddlers, and young children held across Edinburgh's public libraries including Central Library on George IV Bridge.
💡Check the Edinburgh Libraries website for the session nearest to you — sessions for babies and toddlers are separate and fill up quickly.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The One O'Clock Gun at Edinburgh Castle fires every day except Sunday at precisely 1pm — position your family on the Princes Street Gardens side for the best view and to avoid being directly under it, which can be frightening for very young children.
- 💡The Scottish National Museum on Chambers Street is completely free and has a dedicated early years area on the ground floor for under-5s — it's also one of the only indoor spaces large enough to genuinely entertain kids for a full rainy day without spending anything beyond a café snack.
- 💡Arthur's Seat is absolutely doable with children aged 6 and up — the most family-friendly route starts from the Dunsapie Loch car park (off Queen's Drive), which cuts the ascent to about 20–25 minutes and is considerably less steep than routes from Holyrood Palace.
- 💡Lothian Buses offer an all-day family ticket called the Day Ticket for around £4.50 per adult with under-5s travelling free — buy directly from the driver with exact change or use the Lothian Buses app to avoid the cash-only issue at bus stops.
- 💡The Mosque Kitchen on Nicolson Street, a 10-minute walk from the National Museum, serves enormous portions of curry, rice, and naan for around £6–7 per person — it is outdoor and canteen-style but consistently one of the best-value hot meals in the city centre, popular with students and families alike.
- 💡Camera Obscura on Castlehill, at the top of the Royal Mile, often has shorter queues than Edinburgh Castle directly across the street — it's significantly cheaper (around £19 for adults, £14 for children) and the five floors of optical illusions and hands-on exhibits are ideal for ages 5 and up.
- 💡The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh on Inverleith Row is free to enter and opens at 10am year-round — the glasshouses (small entry fee) are a brilliant wet-weather backup, and the café inside the garden is notably less expensive than anything on the Royal Mile.
- 💡If visiting in December, the Christmas market stalls on East Princes Street Gardens run until around 10pm but are far less crowded on weekday mornings before noon — the ice rink beside the Scott Monument books up quickly so reserve online before your trip.
- 💡Greyfriars Kirkyard, the graveyard behind the Royal Mile near the Scottish National Museum, is free to walk through and contains the grave of John Gray (owner of Greyfriars Bobby) — the small bronze statue of the Skye terrier on Candlemaker Row just outside is a reliable toddler magnet and makes for an easy free stop between the museum and the Old Town.