Having seen the first interesting stops, we continue with the second part of our Edinburgh travel guide with children. If something has the Scottish city is that it does not need more than its own streets, its neighborhoods and its hills to become a charming city, worthy of traveling and savoring living its environment, contemplating its physiognomy from different angles.
The gardens of Princess Street
A great family trip is what we do at this point of our travel guide to Edinburgh with children. We go through two outdoor places, for recreation: the gardens of Princess Street.
With Princes Street we will cross multiple occasions in our city walks, as they are located in the center, at the foot of the castle, next to the Walter Scott Monument, on both sides of the National Gallery.
After the Museum ... to run! Built in the bed of an old lagoon, this park is an ideal recreational space for children, where the inhabitants of Edinburgh also come with good weather to enjoy the surroundings. Here we can rest on a bench or on the grass, walk among sculptures and trees, observe his famous floral clock (on our visit they had removed it, but we hope it will shine again soon), have a snack, an ice cream ... With luck, We will contemplate some outdoor performance or concert.
To relax or to "run for a while," which always works well on trips with children, These gardens are a great option when we leave to visit the National Gallery. The next step may be to continue on Princess Street until you reach another outdoor space from which to see the city with a new perspective.
Edinburgh from Calton Hill Trip to Edinburgh with children: Calton Hill
If we continue our walk on Princes Street to the east, at the end of it we arrive at the foot of the hill we will climb to see Edinburgh at our feet, Calton Hill. A place where different monuments that make up an eclectic but interesting ensemble come together. Calton Hill, which takes us to classical Athens (or something similar).
A space where children can run, rest in the grass, climb a large monument that mimics the Parthenon of Athens (the National Monument of Scotland), a canyon that points to the city or at the top of the tower that is The Nelson Monument. In this mound there is also the Observatory and the monument to the Scottish philosopher Dugald Stewart.
In spring with the flowers splashing the grass, it is a very photogenic place in itself and not only towards the city. The hill is an exceptional viewpoint, from here we see Edinburgh and to the sea and it is a great place to stop, picnic or start another walk away from the city to another of its hills.
As you can see, today in our trip to Edinburgh with children We have opted for outdoor places, free of course, where children can move freely, without traffic hazards. The gardens and the hill are great options to combine with visits to museums or other more “serious” spaces and continue to know the city.
Edinburgh with children: kings and princesses in the Castle
Edinburgh Castle It is the most emblematic building in the city, a historic space that attracts children and adults for its greatness, which dominates the city from the top of a hill, and for its legend. We will live stories of knights and princesses, of battles and coronations.
Just approaching its doors, always busy, is worth it. At the end of the Royal Mile stands this building on Castle Hill, an extensive site whose visit will take several hours and that has become the most visited payment attraction in Scotland. Let's see why.
Here are the jewels of the Scottish Crown ("Honors of Scotland", "Honors of Scotland"), composed of the Crown, the Sword of the State and the Scepter, in a vault next to the legendary Stone of Destiny, where He has crowned all Scottish kings.
Maybe what causes more expectation is the firing of the cannon of World War II, the One O'Clock Gun, which, in effect, takes place at 1 pm each day. In the beginning, this shot indicated the time to the sailors and the townspeople, so that they could synchronize their clocks.
Other Interesting stops at Edinburgh Castle they are: the Romanesque chapel of Santa Margarita (the oldest building in Edinburgh, 12th century), the recreation of the prison in the basement of the castle, the dog cemetery, the War Museum (National War Museum of Scotland), the rooms of the Royal Palace, the huge medieval cannon Mons Meg cannon…
But if we leave the interior of the fortress and look at its walls, we will discover an unbeatable view of the city. The Old Town and the New Town at our feet, with many of the places we already know, Princes Street, Calton Hill ... and even seeing the harbor and the sea.
By the way, we can't stop telling children the legend of the only permanent inhabitant of the castle: the lonely piper or "Lone Piper". It is said that sometimes it is possible to hear the ghostly sound of your bagpipe in the most remote corners of the castle ... This is just one of the many curiosities and mysteries that surround the castle.
Being one of the must-see tours, it is recommended not to do it in high season or on weekends, when we can find too much concurrence. Better to choose first hours (open at 9:30) for our visit in order not to coincide with the moments of greatest influx of public (attention, close at 6 pm and 5 pm in winter and the last admission is one hour before).
The visit to Edinburgh Castle with children It costs £ 16.50 for adults and £ 9.90 for children five to 15 years. You will really enjoy this visit if we go with time and better if you know something about the history of the fortress and we are telling you curiosities and legends ... There is the option of Spanish audio guides for children for 1'50 pounds.
A World of Illusion in the Dark Chamber
One step away from the castle we move to the "Camera Obscura", one of the most visited attractions in the city. At the door of the Dark Chamber some fair mirrors call our attention. There we are reflected, deformed, taking unusual silhouettes. But inside the Dark Chamber we expect many surprises and optical illusions ...
Among them, the one that gives the place its name: being able to see the illusion of the city of Edinburgh in motion, in a dark room, thanks to a simple set of mirrors, lenses and daylight (to cross your fingers to Do not leave a rainy day!).
The dark chamber show It is a fascinating way to see the city and learn about its history. From inside this mysterious Victorian rooftop camera, you see live moving images, projected onto a concave surface through a giant periscope.
This ingenuity was years ago in Calton Hill, although it was moved at the end of the 19th century next to Edinburgh Castle, to the "Outlook Tower", where it remains today.
But here the world of illusion does not end. The little ones will also be able to see their skeletons in motion, grow bigger than dad and mom in an incredible game of perspectives, become monkeys, tarantulas or babies thanks to technology, shake hands with a ghost, touch a plasma sphere, see paintings that change with our movement, go through a multicolored tunnel, or they can be the banquet that is served on a tray.
The magic, holograms, 3D images, wonderful mirrors, contemporary art that has made use of optical illusions follow each other on the five floors of the building… In addition, the terrace offers a wonderful panoramic view of the city center. In the video we have below you can see a sample of what we found in this visit.
The building with the tower that houses the Camera Obscura is located on Castle Hill, at the end of The Royal Mille, a few meters from the entrance to the Castle.
If you go to travel to Edinburgh with children, the Dark Chamber is a highly recommended stop. Of course, it is not a free visit. Entrance to the Edinburgh Dark Chamber costs £ 13.95 for adults and 9.95 for children. We hope that the whole family enjoys this world of illusion!
The National Galleries of Scotland, with lots of art
We finish our travel guide to Edinburgh with children with a visit with a lot of art: the one we found in abundance in National Galleries of Scotland, which comprise several free admission museums.
We visit two of its museums, the National Gallery that is in the center of the city and the National Gallery of Modern Art, further away but which we can access thanks to the free transport that connects both museums (to be exact, the driver kindly asks one pound donation).
- The National Gallery of Scotland (National Gallery of Scotland) is located on the hill known as The Mound, next to Princes Street, in two neoclassical buildings designed by architect William Henry Playfair: the National Gallery and the Royal Scottish Academy Building. The museum, opened in 1859, exhibits works of art from the Western painting from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism. It is divided into three floors in which valuable works of art are shown, especially painting and sculpture, which we can see in front of the walls of striking colors.
Some of the featured artists They are Tiziano, El Greco, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Rubens, Van Gogh, Monet, Cezanne, Gauguin, Boticcelli, Rafael… Most of them are found on the ground floor and the upper floor of the southern zone. The collections of Italian painters and the Netherlands before 1530 are exhibited on the upper floor (north zone). In the basement there is the Scottish art collection, as well as some temporary exhibitions.
The Museum offers plans to be placed on our tours (in exchange for a donation) but on its website we can see these plans, as well as temporary exhibitions or activities for families and children who regularly program. The National Gallery has a shop, restaurant and a tour with many seating to rest and toilets, which never hurts especially if we go with children.
- Scotish National Gallery of Modern Art. If you like modern art, you can not miss the opportunity to approach this museum that is also free admission, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. This houses the national collection of modern and contemporary art. It consists of two buildings, the Dean Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art. We visited it on a different day than the National Gallery, as it seemed "too much art" for the same day with little girls. If you have time in the city, I recommend this visit.
The Museum is not located in the center of the city, but next to the National Gallery there is a mini bus that picks up at times (ask at the entrance and they will inform you kindly) to visitors who want to approach the Art Gallery Modern (75 Belford Road) in exchange for a pound donation. In ten-fifteen minutes, we are there and the same thing on the way back to the center.
The imposing Renaissance building of the Gallery of Modern Art contains works dating from 1900 to the present, in addition to some special exhibitions. From Andy Warhol to Miró, art happens. In front of the main building, the beautiful gardens, dotted with sculptures, with a lagoon and an artificial hill that children do not resist exploring. The first floor houses the special and temporary exhibitions, where we were lucky to contemplate the work of Roy Lichtenstein, with iconic works of modern art (can be seen until January 2016).
On the second floor is where you can see some works of Russian and French art of the early twentieth century, modern and expressionist British art, Scottish modern art, cubist, futuristic works ... Pictorial art predominates but we also find sculptures or audiovisual montages that " they hypnotize the children.
The Dean Gallery, more reduced, it exposes its collection of surrealist and Dadaist art, where some works by masters such as Dalí, Miró, Magritte, Breton, Picasso stand out ... I who am passionate about this art can imagine what I enjoyed. We also see the study of the sculptor Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, works that play with optical illusions and even an impressive "robot" that dominates the cafeteria. This building is across a street.
The visit to the museums of modern art is also accessible, we find a shop and restaurant and the gardens offer a recreational space for children to also enjoy the outdoors (park visits to the different buildings) and have a good photo session.
Certainly the visit to the National Galleries of Scotland with children It is highly recommended. I would say that you must visit the National Gallery of Classical Art, next to the Princes Street gardens, very central and taking advantage of it is free. A fabulous opportunity to bring children closer to classical art, with important names in universal painting that you will see later in the books.
We finish here our Edinburgh travel guide with children, with some essential stops that we have told you. But there are many unforgettable corners, curious walks, gastronomy to discover ... I really recommend you to travel to the city as a family, I am sure you will enjoy this wonderful destination.
Photos | Eva Paris and Connie Ma in Flickr-CC (castle), Nigel Wade in Flickr-CC (Dark Camera)
In Traveler's Diary | Ten free things to do in Edinburgh
In Babies and more | Edinburgh travel guide with children
