Region guide
Family days out in Highlands
Loch Ness, Inverness and a landscape big enough that journey times matter more than distance.
The Highlands are vast, so two places that look close together on a map can be an hour apart on single-track roads — check the drive time before you commit to a two-stop day rather than trusting the distance alone.
That said, it's the region with the most obvious drama for kids: monster-hunting at Loch Ness, castles on lochsides, and wildlife parks that make the most of all that space.
Read our guide: The Highlands with kids: a first-timer's guide
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Attraction
Loch Ness Centre
Interactive attraction exploring the mystery of the Loch Ness Monster.
Attraction
Landmark Forest Adventure Park
Large outdoor adventure park with tree-top trails and fun attractions.
Indoor Play
Frankie's Soft Play Inverness
Indoor soft play centre with toddler zones and cafe seating.
Castle
Urquhart Castle
Iconic castle overlooking Loch Ness with interactive exhibits and a visitor centre.
Attraction
Landmark Adventure Park Aviemore
Major Cairngorms family attraction with treetop trails, water slides, dinosaurs and adventure play areas.
Historic
Culloden Battlefield
Site of the 1746 battle with a visitor centre telling the story of the Jacobite rising.
Historic
Fort George
Vast 18th-century artillery fortification on the Moray Firth, still an working army base with museum displays.
Garden
Inverness Botanic Gardens
Free tropical glasshouse and gardens in the middle of Inverness, good for a rainy afternoon.
Attraction
Cairngorm Mountain
Funicular railway and mountain visitor centre with views across the Cairngorms.
Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Scotland's most photographed castle, on its own islet where three lochs meet.
Historic
Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct
Monument marking the raising of the Jacobite standard, with views of the famous railway viaduct.
Beach
Dores Beach, Loch Ness
Shingle beach on the shore of Loch Ness with a beer garden and Nessie-spotting views.
Park
Strathpeffer Square
Small Victorian spa village green with play area, cafes and short walks nearby.
Garden
Inverewe Garden
Sub-tropical garden on the shores of Loch Ewe, remarkable for what grows this far north.
Nature
Smoo Cave
Large sea cave near Durness combining a collapsed sinkhole with a waterfall inside.
Castle
Dunrobin Castle
Fairytale castle near Golspie with formal gardens and falconry displays.
Castle
Castle of Mey
The late Queen Mother's former Caithness home, with gardens and animal centre.
Attraction
John o' Groats
Iconic point at the north-east tip of the Scottish mainland, with harbour and craft shops.
Nature
Rogie Falls
Woodland waterfall walk near Strathpeffer with a suspension bridge over the falls.
Nature
Chanonry Point
One of the best places in Europe to see dolphins from the shore, on the Black Isle near Fortrose.
Nature
Fairy Glen, Rosemarkie
Wooded glen near Rosemarkie on the Black Isle, with waterfalls and an easy family walking trail.
Nature
Plodda Falls
Spectacular 46-metre waterfall near Glen Affric, viewed from a dramatic horseshoe-shaped platform.
Nature
Glen Affric
Widely regarded as one of Scotland's most beautiful glens, with free forest and loch walks near Cannich.
Beach
Nairn Beach
Long sandy beach at Nairn on the Moray Firth, popular for its Blue Flag status and gently shelving sand.
Park
Whin Park
Free riverside park in Inverness with a play area, model boating pond and miniature railway.
Nature
Falls of Foyers
Dramatic waterfall on the eastern shore of Loch Ness, reached by a woodland walk near the village of Foyers.