For our very first summer with baby, we chose to spend 10 days in Scotland, to avoid extreme heat, crowded destinations and also to go hiking in the Highlands while baby still wasn’t too heavy! In Scotland, even in August, temperatures were mild and the landscapes were green. For this first family trip to Scotland, we focused on the Highlands, especially Isle of Skye, and, on the city side, we visited Edinburgh and Glasgow. We loved visiting Scotland with baby, and our Ticoeur was an angel throughout this travelling holiday (as always, to be fair!). I hope to show you just how pleasant and easy this destination is, even for new parents. In this article, you’ll discover our itinerary, our favourites and our hikes.
Ticoeur’s age: 11 months Time of year: August (it was about 18 degrees and we only had one rainy day! Phew!) Duration: 10 days
Our 10-day itinerary in Scotland with baby:
We did a travelling circuit in the Highlands, moving from B&B to B&B with our travel cot. The distances between two stops are not long. At most, we drove 3 hours in a day, and Ticoeur used the time to have his nap. Once there, we did short hikes of one or two hours, carrying Ticoeur in the sling. Here are our stops:
- Arrival in Glasgow –> heading to Edinburgh
- Edinburgh (2 nights)
- Glencoe, for the hikes (3 nights)
- Isle of Skye (2 nights)
- Plockton (1 night)
- Crianlarich in Trossachs National Park (1 night)
- Glasgow (1 night)
- Return to Paris
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Step by step, it looked like this…
Edinburgh: 2 days discovering the Scottish capital
Two days is a little short for discovering Edinburgh, but it gave us a good overview of the atmosphere and beauty of the Scottish capital.
Day 1: We discovered the Old Town around the Royal Mile, the main street, with the charm of its cobbled streets, cathedral and medieval buildings. The whole centre was very lively because the Fringe theatre festival was on.
Day 2: We visited New Town, the part of Edinburgh dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. In Princes Street Gardens, we didn’t miss a stop in front of the Ross Fountain, where there is a playground! Then we went for a bucolic walk in the picturesque Dean Village area along the Water of Leith. After lunch, we climbed Arthur’s Seat, an old volcano overlooking the city. The views are very beautiful! Then we visited Rosslyn Chapel, an iconic location in the book The Da Vinci Code.
2026 edit: I went back to the Scottish capital, so you can find my full article for spending 3 days in Edinburgh. Indeed, if you can, 3 days seems to me the ideal length!
Good addresses in Edinburgh:
- Globetrotter Inn (youth hostel): tiny but inexpensive room, backpacker style, very beautiful building, very green setting, free shuttle to the city centre.
- Café Marlayne: restaurant mixing French and Scottish cuisine. Very good and inventive.
- Howies: an institution for trying Scottish cuisine.
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Leaving Edinburgh, we stopped in Stirling, a small historic town nicknamed “the gateway to the Highlands”. Then we drove through Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, stopping to walk up to the Rob Roy viewpoint in Aberfoyle, to stretch our legs. The rest of the route towards Glencoe offers superb panoramas over many “bens”!
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Glencoe: 3 days of short hikes with baby
The climb up the Pap of Glencoe ❤:
It took us two hours to climb to the top of the Pap of Glencoe, carrying Ticoeur in a sling. At the top, we had our picnic break (with a cold baby food jar for Ticoeur), then went back down. Papa Voyage carried baby on the way up and I carried him on the way down. We loved the magnificent landscapes over the mountains and lochs… We went back to the B&B to let baby have his nap!
The next day, we did two short hikes around Glencoe:
Lost Valley:
The climb to the “lost valley” took us 1 hr 30 and, perhaps because of its name, we did get a little lost! The light mist didn’t help. Let’s just say it put us in a lovely mysterious Scottish atmosphere! The trail is 4 km return, with about 300 m of elevation gain (allow around 3 hours for the return trip).
Lochan Trail:
This is a very short, easy walk around Lochan lake, through the forest. 1.6 km – about 45 minutes.
Good addresses in Glencoe:
- Kate and Alan Ward – Saint Brides Old Rectory (B&B): very warm welcome, well located near the loch and not far from the hike starting points / North Ballachulish
- Lochleven Seafood Café: by far the best restaurant we ate at in Scotland (we ate there 3 evenings in a row!). Delicious seafood at affordable prices and with inventive recipes.
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On the way between Glencoe and the Isle of Skye, we stopped in Fort William to do a few baby-related purchases.
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Isle of Skye with baby: 2 days on our favourite island!
Isle of Skye was the favourite stop of our Scotland road trip! Everything is beautiful on this island! You want to photograph every stone, every cliff, every sea view! Warning: the roads are winding! But fortunately, Scots are very polite and drive very courteously!
Just before Isle of Skye, you first come across the famous Eilean Donan Castle ❤ , one of the most photogenic castles in Scotland! We visited it, but our favourite part was more the exterior.
During our two days on the island, we visited the most beautiful places on Isle of Skye:
Neist Point
This is where the film Breaking the Waves was shot. We walked to the lighthouse.
Quiraing hike ❤
Superb 1 hr 30 hike! Breathtaking scenery! It was our favourite hike!
Kilt Rock
Then we stopped at Kilt Rock, a waterfall that drops into the sea.
Old Man of Storr ❤
This is truly the island’s unmissable hike, to admire the Old Man of Storr, which is a kind of giant menhir. It took us 1 hr 30 for the 5 km (with 340 m of elevation gain).
After this hike, we stopped at Café Arriba in Portree, the island’s pretty little capital. It was good and friendly.
Hike at Talisker
We walked in Talisker Bay, along the cliffs. It is magnificent! After this walk, we tried to visit the famous Talisker whisky distillery, but they don’t accept children.
Accommodation on Isle of Skye:
On Isle of Skye, we spent one night in Dunvegan and one night in Flodigarry.
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Plockton: 1 day
We continued our road trip towards Plockton, located just after leaving the Isle of Skye. It is less spectacular than Isle of Skye, but the seaside landscape is very restful, very beautiful. In short, we really liked the little town of Plockton.
Good addresses in Plockton:
Seafood Shore Restaurant: very good seafood dishes.
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The Trossachs National Park: 1 day
Then we drove back down into Trossachs National Park, passing through Crianlarich. There, we walked along the shores of Loch Lomond and admired Ben Lomond.
Very good dinner at the pub The Village Inn in Arrochar, right next to Loch Lomond. We tried their famous haggis, that slightly unusual Scottish speciality. The fish & chips is very good too.
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Glasgow: 1 day
Our stay in Glasgow was too quick: we only spent one night and one day there, with the programme including: a walk in the West End (a very nice neighbourhood) and a visit to the Burrell Collection in Pollok Park (8,000 works of art from all periods).
On the road between Loch Lomond and Glasgow, don’t miss a detour to this superb natural site, The Devil’s Pulpit but be careful because the descent is not secured and the path could be slippery after rain.
Good addresses in Glasgow:
- The Kelvin Hotel West End : very warm family welcome in this small hotel located in a beautiful old house, in a pleasant neighbourhood.
- Kember & Jones: for a quality snack in a lovely deli.
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Scotland with baby: practical information
The “baby pros” in Scotland:
- a pleasant climate, neither too hot nor too cold in August. Do bring a small rain jacket, cardigan and hat for baby.
- a very calm environment, as nature is everywhere and the region is not densely populated
- perfect for hikes with baby because you can still carry them (it’s practical when baby is not walking yet)
- Ticoeur had no trouble sleeping through the night; he fell asleep in less than a minute as soon as we put him in his bed. The time difference of only one hour was easy to manage.
- in all the restaurants, we found high chairs, changing tables… And we often saw a children’s play corner in pubs!
The “baby cons” in Scotland:
- you need to protect baby against midges bites (small harmless but unpleasant mosquitoes… use mosquito repellent or products against midges sold locally). We came across a cloud of midges once after a hike. We quickly got back in the car. Also watch out for ticks!
- the risk of rain 🙂
Other practical information:
- Budget: similar to France
- Flight: we took a return Paris-Glasgow flight. Ticoeur slept the whole way, which earned him compliments from the other passengers, so happy not to endure children crying for an hour! We had brought the car seat and the travel cot because with EasyJet (and many airlines), any baby accessory can travel free of charge in the hold.
- Car hire: we picked up our hire car at Glasgow airport. Then we had to drive on the left!
- ETA: travel authorisation required, in addition to a passport, to enter the United Kingdom. Apply about 3 days before. Cost: £20 per person from 8 April 2026 – valid for 2 years.
- Hikes: to find hikes suitable for a trip to Scotland with children (so hikes that are neither too difficult nor too long), I used a very well-designed site -> https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/
- Baby equipment: baby sling, car seat and travel cot. Baby food jars and nappies bought locally. Don’t forget sun cream because you are very exposed in the mountains. For hiking, we really found that carrying baby in a sling was very practical and not too tiring.
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On our list for a future trip to Scotland with children:
- More islands!: Arran, Jura and Mull really appeal to us for their end-of-the-world feel.
- Visit more castles (especially haunted ones!): particularly in the eastern part of Scotland: Ballindalloch Castle, Castle Fraser…
- Follow in Harry Potter’s footsteps: after visiting the Harry Potter Studios in London, we also want to see some of the filming locations from the films, such as the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Loch Arkaig.
- Edit: we took a second trip to Scotland, one week as a family in the southern Highlands, discovering Oban, the Isle of Kerrera, Kilchurn Castle and Inveraray. That way, you can mix our two trips to Scotland to build the ideal stay that matches your wishes!
And you? Fancy discovering Scotland as a family?
Also in Scotland:
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