walkhighlands

This forum is for general discussion about walking and scrambling... If writing a report or sharing your experiences from a route, please use the other boards.

Summer holiday with kids

Summer holiday with kids


Postby kweetni01 » Tue Oct 25, 2016 12:27 am

Hello,

We are planning a trip to Scotland next July. We've got two kids aged 7 and 9. They are still young, but are used to hiking and love climbing and adventure.
Has anybody got suggestions on where we could go?
It would be great if there where a few adventurous walks. Not to much distance, but with some scrambling or climbing.

We would be staying about two weeks, so it might be interesting to stay a week in one place and another week in another place. Maybe the combination of a cottage and a hotel.

Can somebody give us advice?

Thanks,

James
User avatar
kweetni01
Scrambler
 
Posts: 15
Munros:4   
Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Location: Mechelen (Belgium)

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby jmarkb » Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:36 am

I'd recommend the Ullapool area for at least one week, lots of interesting smaller hills and great beaches/coast walks - http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/ullapool/assynt.shtml
Torridon would be another good option, the bigger hills will be a bit too much but there are some good shorter options.
Maybe also the Aviemore area for a bit of contrast, especially if the kids are into mountain biking.
User avatar
jmarkb
Mountaineer
 
Posts: 5857
Munros:246   Corbetts:105
Fionas:91   Donalds:32
Sub 2000:46   
Joined: Oct 28, 2011
Location: Edinburgh

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby Caberfeidh » Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:09 am

Fort William makes a great base, as it is a short trip to many excellent areas such as Glen Coe,Oban, Loch Ness, Ben Nevis, Nevis Ranges ski gondola (which runs outside the ski season), Mallaig for the ferry to Skye, etc. There is a sea-life centre down the coast road towards Oban which makes an interesting bad-weather alternative day out.
The Linnhe-Lochside Holiday Park has brilliant self-catering cabins, chalets and static caravans: http://www.linnhe-lochside-holidays.co.uk/
User avatar
Caberfeidh
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 8367
Joined: Feb 5, 2009

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby Sgurr » Tue Oct 25, 2016 10:45 am

Or The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle. I think there are cabins. There is Ben A'an, Ben Ledi and Ben Venue within easy reach and a Go Ape Treetop thingy. Also red squirrels

http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/forest-parks/queen-elizabeth-forest-park/strathyre-cabins
User avatar
Sgurr
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 5679
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:569   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:58
Joined: Nov 15, 2010
Location: Fife

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby Caberfeidh » Tue Oct 25, 2016 5:59 pm

Sgurr wrote:Or The Queen Elizabeth Forest Park near Aberfoyle. I think there are cabins. There is Ben A'an, Ben Ledi and Ben Venue within easy reach and a Go Ape Treetop thingy. Also red squirrels


You are not allowed to eat the red squirrels, apparently. :(
User avatar
Caberfeidh
Stravaiging
 
Posts: 8367
Joined: Feb 5, 2009

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby Giant Stoneater » Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:24 pm

We took our 5 year old grandson to Assynt and he loved the variety of low level walks and some hills and also the lovely beaches,we camped at Clachtoll just outside Lochinver.

Another since you have 2 weeks would be to go from Barra to Lewis travelling through the different islands which throws up lots of different things to do and you would not be bored,which I can recommend.
Giant Stoneater
Scrambler
 
Posts: 916
Joined: Aug 2, 2014

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby Michelle » Fri Oct 28, 2016 5:18 pm

I thought Ft William/Glencoe was great for the kids, as Caberfeidh mentioned. We took our boys there a few years ago, they were 8 and 10, and we had a few great and mildly scrambly walks.

We went up the gondola and hiked around up there, took them to Nevis Gorge/Steall Falls and the wire bridge, and up into Coire Gabhail/Lost Valley and they loved playing on the boulders.

Check those out and see if they're the sort of thing your kids would be up for- mine did fine at that age, but there's nothing they love more than a nice bit of rock... wonder where they get that from :lol:
User avatar
Michelle
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 208
Munros:25   Corbetts:9
Fionas:5   
Sub 2000:4   
Islands:14
Joined: Jan 21, 2009
Location: Washington DC

Re: Summer holiday with kids

Postby kweetni01 » Sat Oct 29, 2016 7:04 am

Thanks a lot for all the ideas. I'm going to check them all out and organize a great holiday.

James
User avatar
kweetni01
Scrambler
 
Posts: 15
Munros:4   
Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Location: Mechelen (Belgium)




Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to General discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests