1 Week Scotland Itinerary with Kids (Edinburgh and Highlands)

Scotland is one of the most magical destinations I've visited with my kids and one of the few places in the world I would return to again and again.

My daughter and I are both big Harry Potter fans. We've been reading the books together since she was little. Since it was her turn for a birthday trip this year, she chose Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands so we could see some of the iconic Harry Potter sights.

(For her first birthday trip we visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando!)

I was able to book our flights and hotel on points in order to make this birthday trip work. We spent a week exploring Edinburgh, riding the Jacobite Steam Train (aka the Hogwarts Express), and visiting the highlands on a group tour.

I'm going to share our Scotland Itinerary here in case you want to replicate this trip with your kids!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Scotland 1 Week Itinerary with Kids: Edinburgh, The Harry Potter Train, and the Highlands

First I'll share the itinerary overview, and then I'll get more into the details of each day of the trip.

Day 1: Fly into Edinburgh Airport, check into our hotel, and wander around Edinburgh to get the lay of the land.

Day 2: Visit Edinburgh Castle first thing in the morning, enjoy a Harry Potter-themed afternoon tea, visit Holyroodhouse, and watch sunset from Calton Hill.

Day 3: Walk the Royal Mile and see Victoria Street first thing in the morning before the crowds arrive, get coffee with a view, then take a free Harry Potter walking tour. 

Day 4: Take a day trip to ride the Jacobite Steam Train (aka the Hogwarts Express). 

Day 5: Check out of our hotel in Edinburgh, and join a 3-day group tour of the highlands. See the Kelpies, the Glenfinnan Viaduct, and Loch Ness before checking into a hotel in Inverness.

Day 6: Join the group tour to see the Isle of Skye.

Day 7: check out of our hotel in Inverness, join the group tour to see Culloden Moor, and drive back to Edinburgh. Check into a hotel in Edinburgh.

Day 8: fly home. 

Day 1: Arrival and Exploring Edinburgh

As I mentioned, we booked our flights to Edinburgh on points. I mainly use my Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards. There was a 20% transfer bonus from Chase to Virgin Atlantic, which means if you transfer 1000 Chase Points to Virgin Atlantic, you'll actually have 1,200 to use with Virgin Atlantic. 

I found a good reward redemption with Virgin Atlantic and made use of the transfer bonus to make sure I had enough points to book the round-trip flight. 

We arrived in Edinburgh at 11:00 a.m., and I arranged a ride from the airport to our hotel with Welcome Pickups, which ended up costing around $66. I've used Welcome Pickups twice now when traveling solo with one of my kids, and it's been a great experience both times. (The first time was in Belgium with my 3-year-old). 

We stayed at Hotel Indigo Edinburgh Princes Street for 4 nights. I signed up for both the personal and business IHG credit cards to earn enough points for this stay, and the 4th night was free for an award booking. 

We loved the location of Hotel Indigo Edinburgh Princes Street, as it was within walking distance of all the major sites we wanted to see. 

We checked into our hotel, and although we arrived before the normal check-in time, I wanted to see if we could at least drop off our bags.

To my surprise and delight, our room was already ready for us to check in, AND they gave us a small upgrade to a room with more space. We were able to set our bags down, and I took a quick shower to freshen up after the plane ride. 

One more note: I made a note on my reservation that we were celebrating my daughter's birthday, so they brought a small treat to our room with some chocolates for my daughter. It's the little things that make a big difference! 

After we freshend up in the room, we both realized we were hungry, and I was starting to get a caffeine headache, so we wandered out in search of a cafe. 

We chose a cafe on Cockburn Street called Edinburgh Press Club. It was small and cute, and we had a great view of the street from our table. One giante latte, hot chocolate, and croissant later, we were revitalized and ready to get back out into the city.

We wandered the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and the Grassmarket, stopping in a few souvenir shops along the way before getting dinner at a restaurant called Bread Meats Bread (a clever name, I thought). 

With stomachs full of cheese toasties (grilled cheese sandwiches), we made our way back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Double Decker Bus Tour

I'm going to put this activity under Day 1, because if I could change one thing about our time in Edinburgh, I would have done this on our first afternoon instead of our 3rd. 

We bought tickets for Edinburgh Bus Tours and it was the perfect way to get the layout of the city while also learning some great information about the history of Edinburgh at the same time. 

Day 2: Castles and Calton Hill Viewpoint

Edinburgh Castle

Our first stop of the day was Edinburgh Castle. It opens at 9:30 a.m. and we had reserved the first time slot of the day.

Tip: if you're planning to visit Edinburgh Castle, buy your tickets several weeks in advance. It's a popular tourist attraction and can sell out during certain times of year!

Since we didn't need to be at the castle until 9:30 we decided to stop at a cafe for breakfast and coffee. We chose City View Coffee and Bar, a food truck located at The Hub on the Royal Mile (right in front of Tolbooth Kirk). It's just about 2 blocks away from the castle so we could have a leisurely morning until it opened.

Once inside we purchased audio guides (they have both adult and kid options), and grabbed the "Into the Lion's Den" paper guide for kids which ended up being a little too young for my 11-year-old. 

Kids ages 0-6 get free admission, and with the kid-friendly guides and a quiz/scavenger hunt, I think Edinburgh Castle is a great place to visit no matter what age your kids are.

We saw the One O'Clock Gun (although we weren't there at the right time to see them fire it), the Edinburgh Castle Hospital, the National War Museum, the Scottish National War Memorial, the Royal Palace, the Dungeons, and the Scottish Crown Jewels. 

There is so much to see and do at the castle, you could easily spend half a day there. Plus there are many beautiful views of the city around the castle walls, so be sure to bring a camera and take lots of photos!

Note: we did not visit Camera Obscura, but it's just a block or 2 from Edinburgh Castle, so if you're there on a cold or rainy day, Camera Obscura is a very popular spot for families in Edinburgh and might be worth a visit! 

Magical Afternoon Tea

The next thing we had scheduled ahead of time for our day was a Harry Potter-themed Magical Afternoon Tea at the Department of Magic. 

We again booked the first time slot of the day, which was 12:30 p.m. for this activity. We had the place to ourselves! 

The afternoon tea comes with a tower of sandwiches, scones, and sweets, and each member of the party gets to choose one of the teas from the list. You then receive an instruction sheet with directions for making your own magic potion (tea).

You might have to crush or muddle ingredients or mix things counterclockwise a certain number of times. When you're ready, they bring out a bubbling and steaming clear kettle of tea that adds to the magic and pour it into your teacup. 

It's very interactive and fun for both kids and adults of all ages. Plus you get to take the extra food home in a to-go box!

You can also try other magic potions (beverages) beyond the tea. We made the Herbology 101 drink and tried non-alcoholic shooters of Felix Felices and Butterbeer, which came in a small treasure chest with steam spilling out of it. 

If you want to see a visual of what this magical afternoon tea looked like, check out this video I posted to Instagram!

Palace of Holyrood House

After we finished our tea experience, we took the short walk back to our hotel for a nap, since jet lag was hitting us hard!

While I was scrolling, I came across the Palace of Holyrood House, a castle located on the opposite end of the Royal Mile from Edinburgh Castle (I guess that's why it's called the Royal Mile). 

We noticed that the last admission time was 4:30 p.m., and at that time it was getting close to 4 p.m. We decided to hustle over to see if we could sneak in one more activity of the day. 

Thankfully we arrived with a few minutes to spare, because the Palace of Holyrood House ended up being one of our favorite things to do in Edinburgh. And visiting right at the end of the day seemed like the best time to go, since there were virtually no crowds, especially compared to Edinburgh Castle.

The Palace of Holyrood House is the official residence of the King when he's in Edinburgh, and it contains so much history, especially regarding Mary Queen of Scots.

Throughout the tour we learned about her life and her time spent at Holyrood House, as well as the murder of one of her close friends and advisors. The audio guide hints at the murder throughout the tour, and one of the last spots you visit is the place where they believe he was murdered. 

It kept my daughter intrigued the entire time, and she learned so much about Mary Queen of Scots on that tour! I would say we may have liked the tour even better than Edinburgh Castle. 

Dinner: The Canons' Gait 

As we walked back along the Royal Mile, we saw a cute pub that looked perfect for dinner called The Canon's Gait. I had the Beef and Ale Pie served with vegetables and mashed potatoes, while my daughter had the Mac 'n' Cheese. 

We both left satisfied, and it was probably the best meal I had eaten in Scotland.

Calton Hill

Our next stop (and last stop) of the day was Calton Hill. It was located near our hotel and has a few monuments and a city observatory there. 

It's a beautiful overlook with panoramic views of the Edinburgh skyline. We didn't quite stay until sunset, since the sun does not set until after 10 p.m. in summer in Edinburgh, but the lighting was still beautiful in the early evening. 

We didn't stay for very much time since we had a long day of exploring and were ready for bed. 

Day 3: A Free Harry Potter Walking Tour!

We had nothing scheduled for the morning, so we decided to hit some of the popular spots early in the morning before the crowds. That wasn't hard to do since things don't really get going until around 9 a.m. in Edinburgh.

Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and Vennel Viewpoint

We left our hotel shortly before 8 a.m. to get photos and videos of the Royal Mile, Victoria Street, and Vennel Viewpoint. 

Victoria Street is one of the most popular thoroughfares in Edinburgh with its colorful shops lining the curved cobblestone road. It is said to be the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter books.

Nothing was open at 8 a.m., but we got some of my favorite photos from the trip at this time, and I didn't have to crop anyone out of the background!

I would also recommend walking through the Grassmarket to Vennel Viewpoint, a staircase with an excellent view of Edinburgh Castle. 

Coffee at Waterstones Bookstore

As 9 a.m. drew nearer - that's when all of the cafes opened - we made our way back toward Princes Street. We decided to cut through Princes Street Gardens, a lovely green space in the middle of the city. It's also where the iconic Scott Monument is located.

Once we were back on Princes Street, we stopped at Waterstones Bookstore. I had read that there was a cafe on the 3rd floor of the bookstore with floor-to-ceiling windows and a magnificent view of Edinburgh Castle. 

We ordered coffee, hot chocolate, and pastries here, and enjoyed them overlooking a beautiful view. I loved all of the slow cafe moments I got to have with my daughter where we just got to chat and enjoy each other's company.

Writers' Museum

That afternoon we made a quick stop at the Writers' Museum, a free museum dedicated to the three most famous Scottish authors: Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson.

I enjoyed the museum as someone who has always been fond of literature, but my daughter was somewhat unimpressed. It's a small museum, and maybe not worth a visit with young children. 

Free Harry Potter Walking Tour

Another activity we scheduled in advance was a free Harry Potter walking tour through Edinburgh! The tour shows you places where JK Rowling wrote her books, spots around the city that inspired people and places in the books, and lots of fun facts about the author and the series along the way.

While the tour is free, you do need to book a time slot in advance so they know how many people to expect for each tour. You also have the option to tip your guide at the end, which I would recommend doing if you can afford it. They work very hard and our guide did an amazing job keeping us informed and entertained.

We met at Bobby's Sandwich Shop near Greyfriars Bobby, so we had just enough time to grab a coffee and hot chocolate to go enjoy on our tour.

The tour took us through Greyfriars Kirkyard, a cemetery JK Rowling used to walk through where she found inspiration for some of the names of characters in her books such as Mad-Eye Moody, Tom Riddle, and Professor McGonagall. 

The tour ends on Victoria Street where you have the opportunity to visit Museum Context, a store that sells official Harry Potter merchandise, and Elephant House, a restaurant where you can get butterbeer to go. 

Our guide also told us where to find JK Rowling's handprints, which my daughter and I promptly did after the tour. 

Double Decker Bus Tour

We finished the day by taking a double-decker bus tour with the Edinburgh Bus Tour. I already mentioned this on day 1, but this would have been the perfect thing to do on our first day in Edinburgh, not our last evening. 

Day 4: Day Trip to Ride the Jacobite Steam Train (Hogwarts Express)

So much of our trip was planned around seeing the Harry Potter sights, but we almost missed out on riding the Jacobite Steam Train! Not only is it one of the most scenic railroad journeys in the world, but it's also the train used in the Harry Potter films for the Hogwarts Express, which means it's a very popular route for tourists.

We had some issues booking a seat on the Jacobite Steam Train since they were undergoing some changes in the months leading up to our trip. In fact, the train route was even shut down until a few weeks before our trip!

When it finally opened back up, I couldn't find any availability for our dates. Luckily, I was able to find 2 seats through a small group guided tour with Highland Explorer Tours (which we booked through GetYourGuide). 

I booked the "From Edinburgh: Hogwarts Express and Scottish Highlands Tour" and it's a full-day tour starting and ending in Edinburgh. It's definitely a whirlwind day, but there's also a lot of downtime on the bus and train, so I'm not sure if this is the best way to do it if you have very young kids (babies and toddlers). In fact, kids ages 5 and under are not permitted on this tour. This worked really well for an elementary-age kid who can read or chat with you during those long stretches in a vehicle.

To give you an idea of how the day looked, I'll share our itinerary:

• Meet at Highland Explorer Tours before 7:00 a.m. to check-in. 

• Bus leaves at 7:15 a.m.

• Stop in Pitlochry around 9 a.m. for coffee and a bathroom break.

• Around 2.5 hours on the bus - bring a book or tablet! And snacks.

• Photo stop at Glenfinnan Viaduct - the iconic bridge from the Harry Potter movies. You will not time it right to see the train pass over the viaduct, but it's still a beautiful view! 

• 45 more minutes on the bus.

• Stop in Mallaig - a small fishing town where you'll board the Jacobite Steam Train for the return journey only! (You are not riding the Jacobite Steam Train round trip on this tour).

• You have just over an hour to eat lunch in Mallaig.

• Board the Jacobite Steam Train. Your guide will make sure everyone is on board and in the correct seats. They will then leave you to drive the bus to meet the group in Fort William. 

• Ride the train for about an hour and 45 minutes. You can have butterscotch hot chocolate (butterbeer) and chocolate frogs, and you can take pictures and videos of the beautiful countryside! If you're facing forward, you'll want to sit on the right side of the train to get the best views out the window of crossing over the Viaduct. 

• Your guide will pick you up at the train station in Fort William. You'll then have a long drive home with stops in Glencoe (absolutely breathtaking - bring a camera!) and Tyndrum. 

Our guide's name was Alistair and he was the perfect guide for the day. He was jovial, personable, and incredibly knowledgeable about both the Highlands and Harry Potter trivia.  I always had my camera, GoPro, and phone out to capture the experience, so every time we disembarked the bus he would nod and say, "Cameras at the ready." (This a nice tie-in to Harry Potter when professors are always advising the students "Wands at the ready.")

I would highly recommend this tour if you are short on time but still want to see the Jacobite Steam Train. 

You could also take the train from Edinburgh to Fort William and stay overnight in Fort William, then take the Jacobite Steam Train round trip. This would add an extra 2 nights to your itinerary. 

However, we wanted to see more of the Highlands than just Glencoe and the Glenfinnan Viaduct, so we actually booked this day trip in addition to a 2-night group tour of the Highlands (see the. next few days). 

This tour was so much fun! Check it out here!

Day 5: 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour

​As a mom traveling solo with one of her kids, I decided against renting a car and driving through the Highlands on my own. Not only would I have to drive on the opposite side of the road, but I didn't want to risk getting lost or having car trouble alone in the middle of the Highlands. 

For this reason, we decided to book the 3-Day Isle of Skye and The Highlands Tour with the Hairy Coo (also booked on GetYourGuide). 

This tour would leave from Edinburgh, and spend 2 nights in Inverness with stops all around the Highlands and the Isle of Skye. It's for kids ages 7 and up, which makes sense because you're spending large chunks of time on a bus with strangers. 

Honestly, if you're traveling as a family with both parents and young children, I think it's a much better idea to rent a car. In fact, I'd love to take a family vacation to Scotland to slowly road trip through the Highlands. But this time a group tour was the best option for us. 

Here's what we did on Day 1 of the tour (which was Day 5 of our trip):

• Check out of our hotel and meet the tour bus just off the Royal Mile. (Tour departs at 8:30)

• Stop at the Kelpies (giant horse head statues)

• Stop in Pitlochry (coffee and bathroom break)

• Glenfinnan Viaduct - this should be timed just right to watch the train cross over the Viaduct! Even though we already experienced this stop, it was extra special to see the train cross over. 

• Drive through Glencoe and stop for some incredible photos.

• See Stirling Castle (we didn't stop and go inside, though)

• Optional boat trip on Loch Ness. We chose to stay in Fort Augustus to eat fresh fish and chips.

• Check into the hotel in Inverness. We stayed at Columba Hotel Inverness 

Day 6: Isle of Skye

​This was one of my favorite days of our Scotland trip! I was so eager to see the Isle of Skye, and it did not disappoint! Of course, as part of a group tour, the challenge is that you are following the group's schedule. That means if you want to spend extra time at a beautiful spot, you can't. If the weather's not great, you can't just come back and try again later that day. 

However, I'm still glad I chose to visit on a group trip! It just gave me more motivation to come back with the whole family another time.

On our Isle of Skye day we started in Inverness, and here are the stops we hit throughout the day:

• Kyle of Lochalsh

• Cross the Skye Bridge

• Portree - this is the colorful port town on the Isle of Skye with pastel-colored houses in the harbor. We got some lunch at a cafe here, then wandered down by the harbor and took some pictures!

• Old Man of Storr - I was so excited to see this rock formation that I had read about before the trip, but unfortunately it was very cloudy and foggy, so we were unable to see it. We also just pulled over on the side of the road to catch a glimpse. If you really want to see Old Man of Storr, you should visit on your own and do the hike! (Or at least that's what I read, and that's what I plan to do when I return)!

• Kiltrock - a stunning waterfall on the side of a cliff. It was SO windy when we visited, and my daughter didn't even get off the bus, but I needed to stretch my legs, so I grabbed a few photos and videos, and I'm glad I did!

• Quiraing - this is one of the best places we stopped on the Isle of Skye. The fog had cleared a little so we got to see the dramatic cliffs and rock formations set against the impossibly green rolling hills. I think we overuse the word "breathtaking" as travel bloggers, but this was truly one of those places that stopped me in my tracks. 

• Eileen Donan Castle

• Back to Inverness for one more night.

Day 7: Last Day of Our Highlands Tour (Cullodon, Clava Cairns, Cairngorms)

​At this point in our 3-day tour, we had a touch of cabin fever from being on a bus for so long, but the stops were wonderful. While on the bus I dedicated myself to finishing Book 5 of the Harry Potter series. 

Here are the stops we made on the tour:

• Clava Cairns - a historic landmark dating back to the Bronze Age. A series of burial sites, ring cairns, kerb cairns, and standing stones. We were fascinated!

• Culloden Visitor Center and Battlefield - if you've ever watched Outlander, you know that Culloden is the site of the last Jacobite uprising against the British. The Jacobites, led by Charles Edward Stuart, were defeated in a short battle that effectively changed the Highlander way of life forever. There's a short museum with a guide for kids, and my daughter enjoyed learning about the Jacobite uprising and the battle. After exploring the museum we headed out to the battlefield to see the stone memorials to each clan that was represented in the battle. It's a somber place, so be sure to prepare young kids ahead of time. There is a cafe in the museum, so we grabbed a coffee, a hot chocolate, and my favorite Scottish dessert, Millionaire Shortbread, to enjoy on the bus.

• Scenic drive through Cairngorms National Park.

• Back to Edinburgh.

We checked into Holiday Inn Express Edinburgh - Royal Mile, which I also booked on points through IHG. We only needed one night here since our flight left the next day. We chose this place because it had free breakfast and the location was great. We ordered a pizza from the hotel bar/restaurant for dinner, repacked for our journey the next day, and slept very well.

Day 8: Journey Home

The only note I'll make about our last day in Scotland is that we took the Airport Link bus this time since it was a little cheaper than the Welcome Pickups, AND we knew our way around the city a bit better. It was very easy to navigate and very affordable. 

Thoughts on visiting Scotland with Kids:

• I would highly recommend visiting during the summer months for the best chance at good weather! Our trip was the last week in June, and the weather was still pretty chilly in the 60s. 

• Pack layers! And be sure to bring a good raincoat. I had mine, but we forgot my daughter's and for the one day she really needed it she was pretty miserable. My old college roommate who married a Scottish man and lived in Scotland for a while advised against using an umbrella due to the high winds. She said to just invest in a good raincoat. 

• If you don't want to get a rental car and drive on the opposite side of the road, but you still want to road trip through the highlands at your own pace, consider hiring a private guide to drive you around!

• I felt very safe and comfortable visiting Scotland alone with one of my children. The main tourist area of Edinburgh is very safe and walkable.

• Note: if you're visiting with babies and toddlers, you might have a tough time getting around Edinburgh with a stroller. It's possible, but there are many steep hills and cobblestones. And you won't be able to use the "close" passageways (the small alleyways with stairs that act as a shortcut). Consider bringing a comfortable baby carrier, or a stroller that sets up and collapses easily with one hand.

• Scotland would make an excellent first international trip with kids for families from the United States. The people are so friendly, they speak the same language, and Edinburgh is very walkable and easy to navigate. There are historic landmarks, castles, beautiful scenery, and the cutest highland cows. 

These are just some of the best things to do in Scotland, but it's just the tip of the iceberg! There is so much to see and do in this magical country, and it's a place I would happily return to over and over.

DON’T FORGET IT! PIN IT!

Emily Krause is a Wisconsin-based travel content creator who writes about exploring the world with kids.

On A Mom Explores you’ll find the best family travel destinations, Disney World tips, and how to make travel with babies and toddlers a little easier.

Emily believes that exploring starts in our own backyards, and adventure can happen anywhere with the right mindset.