Museums & heritage in Edinburgh

&Gallery

Edinburgh

A small contemporary art space in Edinburgh worth a quick look if you're passing with the pram.

Aberdour Castle and Gardens

Burntisland

A part-ruined, part-roofed medieval castle to explore, with terraced gardens and a walled garden alongside.

Bike parkingDog friendlyGift shopParking+3 more

Arniston House

Gorebridge · up to age 18

A guided tour round a stately home near Gorebridge, with Raeburn paintings, stucco ceilings and 6,000 acres of grounds to wander after.

Group bookings

Auld Reekie Tours

Edinburgh · ages 2+

Torch-lit walks through Edinburgh's sealed-up underground vaults, with a torture exhibition and ghost stories for kids old enough to handle the dark.

Booking required

Avon Aqueduct

Linlithgow

Boat trips along the canal to a Roman-era aqueduct, plus a canal museum, running weekend afternoons through spring and summer.

CaféIndoor seating

Balvaird Castle

Cupar

Climb one of Scotland's only two Irish-style round towers, then poke round the courtyard ruins below.

Booking required

Barnton Bunker

Edinburgh

A guided walk through a real Cold War nuclear bunker and the WWII RAF base above it, steep steps and all.

Toilets

Burleigh Castle

Kinross

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

Camera Obscura Edinburgh

Edinburgh · ages 0+

Five floors of illusions and mind-bending exhibits on the Royal Mile, topped off with a rooftop view over the city.

ToiletsGift shopBooking required

Castle Campbell

Dollar

A ridge-top ruin above Dollar Glen where kids scramble along a walkway between two ravines and take in views from the grass terrace.

Dog friendlyGift shopParkingPicnic area+1 more

Castlelaw Hill Fort

Penicuik

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

City Of The Dead Tours

Edinburgh · ages 12+

Guided ghost walks through Edinburgh's graveyards, ending with the Mackenzie Poltergeist stories that give the place its reputation.

Coburg House Art Studios

Edinburgh

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

Cockburn Geological Museum

Edinburgh

A minerals, rocks and fossils collection you view by arranging a visit with the curator, not a drop-in museum.

Booking required

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.

Craigmillar Castle

Edinburgh · ages 7-15

A ruined tower house south of the city where kids climb five levels of narrow stairs to see over Edinburgh.

ToiletsCaféGift shopParking

Dovecot Studios

Edinburgh

A working tapestry studio in Edinburgh where you can watch weavers at their looms, plus exhibitions on art, fashion and textiles.

Gift shopToilets

Dynamic Earth

Edinburgh

Edinburgh science centre by Holyrood - planetarium, earthquake sim and rainy-day galleries.

Booking requiredCaféGift shopGroup bookings+3 more

Edinburgh Bus Tours

Edinburgh

Hop-on hop-off buses round Edinburgh's big sights, with up to three kids going free per adult ticket.

Dog friendlyGroup bookingsWheelchair accessibleWi-Fi

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh

Crown Jewels, the Great Hall and the castle vaults up on the hilltop, with at least two hours of walking to see it all.

Bike parkingBooking requiredGift shop

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

Forth Boat Tours

South Queensferry · ages 0-15

Sail under all three Forth bridges on a 90 minute cruise, or push further out to Inchcolm Island or Blackness Castle.

Booking requiredDog friendlyToilets

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

Haggis Adventures

Edinburgh · adults only (18+)

Multi-day Highland coach tours from Edinburgh taking in Loch Ness, Glen Coe and the Jacobite steam train, but strictly over-18s only.

Dog friendlyGroup bookingsWheelchair accessible

Hailes Castle

East Linton

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

Heart of Scotland Tours

Edinburgh · ages 5+

Small-group bus tours out to Highland castles, distilleries and standing stones, departing from Edinburgh.

Highland Experience Tours

Edinburgh · ages 3-15

A day coach tour out of the city taking kids round Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle and The Kelpies with a driver-guide doing the talking.

Highland Explorer Tours

Edinburgh · ages 5+

A multi-day Highland tour that swings past Glenfinnan so the kids can ride the steam train from the Harry Potter films.

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.

John Knox House

Edinburgh · ages 7+

A wonky old High Street house turned trail of Scottish tales, from Greyfriars Bobby to the Gruffalo, with free art on the side.

ToiletsGift shop

Jupiter Artland

Edinburgh

A 120-acre woodland park where kids hunt down more than 30 site-specific sculptures hidden among the trees.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+12 more

Kinneil House

Bo'ness

A guided tour through 2,000 years of history, Roman times to the Industrial Revolution, with free grounds to wander outside.

Booking required

Lennoxlove House

Haddington

Guided tours through a historic house packed with paintings and antiques, plus grounds with White Park Cattle to spot on the way out.

Booking required

Little Fish Tours

Edinburgh

Walking tours through Edinburgh's Old Town and Castle, on foot and standing for up to two hours at a stretch.

Lochleven Castle

Kinross · ages 7-15

A boat ride out to a ruined island castle, with towers and old stairs to explore once you land.

Baby changeBooking requiredGift shopParking+3 more

Lochrin Belle - Re-Union Canal Boats

Edinburgh

A private-hire canal boat cruising the Union Canal from Edinburgh, good for birthday parties with the boat to yourselves.

Accessible toiletBike parkingBlue badge parkingDog friendly+5 more

Maid of the Forth

South Queensferry

Boat trips out from South Queensferry, under all three Forth Bridges and, if you pick the longer one, onto Inchcolm Island's ruined abbey.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféDog friendly+3 more

Mercat Tours

Edinburgh · ages 5+

A guided walk down into Edinburgh's old underground vaults, mixing real history with a few deliberate ghost-story chills.

Booking requiredGift shopGroup bookingsParking+1 more

Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft Ltd

Edinburgh · up to age 18

A small, odd museum of witchcraft artefacts, including a mummified cat and the world's oldest Ouija board, plus a walking tour of the city's witch trial sites.

Gift shop

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 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

National Mining Museum Scotland

Newtongrange

A real ex-colliery where former miners take you down into the pit's history, with an audio option too.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+13 more

Nessiehunters Tours

Edinburgh

Day and multi-day coach trips out of Edinburgh to Loch Ness, Glencoe, Stirling Castle and Skye, built around the drive and the views.

North Edinburgh Arts

Edinburgh

A community arts venue with creative sessions for under-fives, dance classes and film screenings, plus a café to fall into afterwards.

CaféFood on site

One O’Clock Gun

Edinburgh

Crown Jewels, the Great Hall and a daily cannon blast at 1pm, all up a very steep hill in the middle of Edinburgh.

Bike parkingBooking requiredGift shopFood on site+3 more

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

Rabbie's Tours Edinburgh Departure Point

Edinburgh

Coach tours out of Edinburgh to the wider Scottish countryside, booked online and paid in full up front.

Booking required

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

Royal Highland Centre

Newbridge

A big Newbridge showground that hosts different exhibitions and events, so what's on changes visit to visit.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingChanging Places+2 more

Scottish Seabird Centre

North Berwick · ages 4+

Live camera feeds of seabird islands, daily talks and boat trips to Bass Rock, with rockpooling on the shore below.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBlue badge parking+18 more

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

Stills

Edinburgh

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

Gift shopWheelchair accessible

Surgeons Hall Museum

Edinburgh · ages 10+

Five hundred years of surgical history told through anatomical specimens and pathology displays, best saved for older kids.

Accessible toiletBaby changeToiletsWheelchair accessible

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 Caves

Edinburgh

An underground vault space hosting live music and comedy nights beneath Edinburgh's streets.

Group bookingsFood on siteParty rooms

The Chocolatarium

Edinburgh · ages 6+

A guided chocolate tour where kids make their own bar and taste their way through 40 flavours, best from age six up.

Birthday partiesBooking requiredGift shopGroup bookings+3 more

The Edinburgh Dungeon

Edinburgh · ages 8-15

Live actors march you through 75 minutes of Edinburgh's grislier history, from courtroom trials to Burke and Hare.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCard onlyGift shop+3 more

The Hairy Coo - Scotland Tours

Edinburgh · ages 7+

Full-day coach tours round Scotland's scenery and castles, aimed at kids seven and up rather than toddlers.

The Open Eye Gallery

Edinburgh

A small Edinburgh gallery of contemporary Scottish art and photography, a quiet stop if your kids can manage a calm look round.

The Out of the Blue Drill Hall

Edinburgh

A community arts hall with toddler dance classes, baby sensory sessions and aerial trapeze for older kids, plus a proper café.

Accessible toiletCaféToiletsWheelchair accessible

The Red Door Gallery

Edinburgh

A small Edinburgh gallery and gift shop for a quiet browse of prints and quirky bits, open every day from 10 till 6.

The Scotch Whisky Experience

Edinburgh

A whisky tour and tasting experience in the Old Town, more suited to curious teens than young kids.

Dog friendlyGift shopRestaurantWheelchair accessible

The Torrance Gallery

Edinburgh

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

Thirlestane Castle

Lauder · ages 0-5

A guided tour through 400 years of history, a small playground for under-fives, and afternoon tea in a Victorian kitchen.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBooking required+8 more

Traquair House

Innerleithen

A rambling old house with a maze, willow tunnels and pygmy goats to hunt down in the grounds.

Accessible toiletBirthday partiesCaféDog friendly+6 more

Union Canal

Edinburgh

A towpath that strings together boat trips, cycling, canoeing and the Falkirk Wheel for a whole day outdoors.

Café

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.