Free things to do in Edinburgh with kids

Almondell & Calderwood Country Park

Broxburn

A free country park with waymarked walks, a toddler and junior play area, and room to cycle or ride horses.

Bike parkingBlue badge parkingFree parkingOutdoor play+3 more

Beecraigs Country Park

Linlithgow

Free woodland park with a play area, cycling trails and a skills loop for bikes, plus miles of walking to tire everyone out.

CaféDog friendlyFree parkingFood on site+7 more

Botanic Garden East Gate

Edinburgh

Free wander through Edinburgh's botanic garden, with paths, glasshouses and a café to fall back on if the weather turns.

Blue badge parkingCaféDog friendlyGift shop+5 more

Bridgend Farmhouse Cafe

Edinburgh

A community café and outdoor play space with woodland crafts, bug hunts and a proper cooked menu.

Blue badge parkingFood on siteVegetarian options

Burleigh Castle

Kinross

A free ruined tower house you can wander round for half an hour, open April to September only.

Castlelaw Hill Fort

Penicuik

Free ramble round the ditches and ramparts of an Iron Age hill fort cut into the hillside.

Coburg House Art Studios

Edinburgh

Wander round more than 50 working artist studios and a free gallery, open weekends only.

Collective Gallery

Edinburgh

Free art gallery and observatory site on Calton Hill, with two cafés and paths open to explore, no cars allowed anywhere near it.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingCafé+3 more

Corstorphine Dovecot

Edinburgh

A round stone dovecot you view from the outside, free to see and done in a few minutes.

Devilla Forest Red Squirrel trail

Alloa

A free forest trail where you look out for red squirrels and stop at four lochs with dragonflies and otters about.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingChanging PlacesParking+3 more

Edinburgh Open Workshop

Edinburgh · ages 14+

A members' workshop space in Edinburgh for woodworking, welding, textiles, CNC routing and laser cutting, with under-18s only allowed alongside a parent or carer.

ParkingWi-Fi

Edinburgh Printmakers

Edinburgh

Free galleries and a print studio in the city centre, with a café to fall back on if the art doesn't hold their attention.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingCafé+7 more

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

Edinburgh

Kids watch working sculptors, join drop-in family workshops in the outdoor studio, then eat at a toy-stocked cafe.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+9 more

Edinburgh Tool Library - Meadowbank Hub

Edinburgh

Borrow proper tools, get stuck into a repair café or bag a woodworking bench, all on a library membership rather than a big spend.

Group bookingsMembership scheme

Four Square Park Café

Edinburgh

Free outdoor play and a proper licensed café to go with it, with free parking on site.

Dog friendlyFree parkingOutdoor playParty rooms+4 more

Free Walking tour Edinburgh | GuruWalk

Edinburgh

Walking tours round Edinburgh's Old and New Town, with a Harry Potter trail and after-dark ghost walks on the list.

Fruitmarket Gallery

Edinburgh

Free contemporary art galleries right by Waverley Station, with a proper café for afterwards.

ToiletsCaféGift shopWheelchair accessible

Gallery TEN

Edinburgh

A free-to-visit art gallery near Haymarket, handy for a quick culture stop with the kids on the way past.

Gilded Balloon at the Museum

Edinburgh

A performance venue with a changing line-up of shows, free to walk into even if you're not booked in.

Accessible toiletCaféToiletsWheelchair accessible

Graystone Gallery

Edinburgh

Free contemporary Scottish art to wander round, with talks and private views if you catch the right date.

Dog friendlyToilets

Hailes Castle

East Linton

A free ruined riverside castle where kids can duck into old cellars and wander the east range above the Tyne.

Hermitage of Braid and Blackford Hill

Edinburgh

Free woodland walks, an orienteering course and a pond full of swans and geese below Blackford Hill.

Accessible toiletOutdoor playParkingToilets

Holyrood Park

Edinburgh

Big volcanic hills and crags to scramble over right in the city, free to wander any time of day or night.

ToiletsPicnic areaDog friendly

Inverkeithing Skatepark & Playpark

Inverkeithing

A free outdoor skatepark with a mini ramp, a bowled-out end, banked pump track and a quarter pipe to session.

Inverleith House

Edinburgh

Free, no-ticket wander round an art gallery inside the Botanic Garden, an easy add-on rather than a full day out.

Lauriston Farm

Edinburgh

A working city farm where kids can join a tour, help in the garden, or just tramp about the fields for free.

CaféOutdoor playToiletsParking

Leadburn Community Woodland

West Linton

Free woodland walking along old railway lines, past restored bogs and ponds, on the edge of West Linton.

Parking

Lomond Hills Regional Park

East Lomond

Free walking trails across nearly 6,500 hectares of hills, with geology and archaeology to hunt out along the way.

Dog friendlyOutdoor play

Lost Shore Surf Resort

Newbridge · ages 7+

Surf lessons and a wave pool that pumps out 1,000 waves an hour, in a man-made lagoon outside Edinburgh.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBlue badge parking+14 more

Milsey Bay Beach

North Berwick

A quiet stretch of sand with rock pools to poke about in, paddling, and even the odd toy boat set sailing.

Dog friendlyFree parkingToilets

Muiravonside Country Park

Whitecross

Free country park with a flying fox, farm-themed play tower, animals to spot and a river trail to walk.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféDog friendly+4 more

Museum of Scottish Fire Heritage

Edinburgh

Old fire engines and hands-on displays on Scottish firefighting history, free to get in.

Accessible toiletBaby changeDog friendlyPushchair friendly+3 more

Museum of Scottish Railways

Bo'ness

Climb aboard a vintage Glasgow Subway car and have a go at working the signals, all for free entry to the exhibition halls.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféFree parking+4 more

Museum on the Mound

Edinburgh

Free museum where kids can crack open a safe, handle a million pounds and see Scotland's oldest banknote.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingGroup bookings+5 more

National Library of Scotland

Edinburgh

Free exhibitions on Scotland's history plus a Discovery Room of toys and books for younger kids to dig into.

ToiletsCaféWheelchair accessible

Pentland Plants

Loanhead

A garden centre day out with craft sessions, story time and a proper café, free to just wander round.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+8 more

Pregnancy and Parents Centre

Edinburgh

Free classes and drop-in groups for expectant parents and new families, from pregnancy yoga to baby massage.

Accessible toiletBaby changePublic transport nearbyWheelchair accessible

Prestongrange Museum

Prestonpans

Wander a real Victorian colliery site with an engine shed full of locomotives and a free audio tour to guide you round.

CaféFree parkingGroup bookingsWi-Fi

Ravenscraig Castle

Kirkcaldy

Free medieval ruins by the sea to walk round, though you can't get inside and there are stairs and slopes to manage.

Free parking

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Free to wander, with acres of garden paths and glasshouses to explore without spending a penny on entry.

Blue badge parkingCaféGift shopToilets+1 more

Saughton Park & Gardens

Edinburgh

Free walled garden and park with a play park, a putting green, a teddy bear hunt and a bandstand to potter round.

Outdoor play

Scottish Poetry Library

Edinburgh

A quiet corner off the Royal Mile where kids can dig into a children's book collection and some toys, free to wander round.

Blue badge parkingWi-Fi

St Cecilia's Hall

Edinburgh

A hands-on instrument museum where kids get a digital guide to poke through 150-odd historic instruments, plus the odd mini concert.

Accessible toiletSensory friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

St Margarets Cave

Dunfermline

A free guided tour down into the underground cave where legend says Margaret used to pray, on fixed slots across the summer.

Booking requiredCaféParking

Starbank Park

Edinburgh

A free park with a children's nature trail, a tiny outdoor library and views over the Forth, no café to fall back on.

Dog friendlyOutdoor playPicnics allowed

Stills

Edinburgh

A free photography gallery with an analogue photobooth, a hefty library and exhibitions that change three times a year.

Gift shopWheelchair accessible

Stramash

Edinburgh

Free entry live music venue with bands on every night and a Wednesday ceilidh, open until 3am.

Summerhall

Edinburgh

A former veterinary college turned arts venue with contemporary art exhibitions, live events and workshops to wander round.

Accessible toilet

Talbot Rice Gallery

Edinburgh

Free contemporary art gallery with workshops, BSL tours and sensory-friendly sessions for families to try together.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingToilets+1 more

The Citadel Youth Centre

Edinburgh · ages 6-21

Free after-school clubs for 6 to 21 year olds, with everything from cooking and 3D printing to trips out for paintball and skating.

The Torrance Gallery

Edinburgh

A free-to-enter art gallery in Edinburgh, open six days a week for a quiet browse with the kids.

The Vennel Viewpoint Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

A steep set of steps up to a classic postcard view of Edinburgh Castle, free to visit any time of year.

Outdoor playPicnic area

Three Hares Community Woodland

Roslin

Free woodland walks with a musical shelter to bang about on and the odd campfire or egg-rolling day thrown in.

Picnics allowedToilets

Water of Leith Walkway and Visitor Centre

Edinburgh · ages 4-11

Free stainless steel models of waterwheels and flood defences to poke at, plus a wildlife sound wall, on the edge of the river.

Birthday partiesCaféDog friendlyGift shop+4 more

Wee Museum of Memory

Edinburgh

A free hands-on museum of everyday objects from the past, with weekly craft and reminiscence sessions.

Free parkingPublic transport nearbyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Wemyss Caves

Kirkcaldy

A guided walk into sea caves to see Pictish carvings over a thousand years old, plus the ruins of Macduff Castle.

Booking required

West End Fair ‘26. 3rd - 30th Aug ‘26

Edinburgh

A free churchyard arts and crafts market with over 120 makers spread across five levels, running through the Edinburgh Festival.