Family Activities in Edinburgh

Our Dynamic Earth

Earth Explorers get ready … as you are about to go traveling through time and across the planet on a rollercoaster journey of discovery! There’s so much to see and do! You can journey to the centre of the earth, become an astronaut and witness “outer space”, go time traveling back to the beginning of time, wander through a tropical rainforest, feel the chill of polar ice and even come face to face with your great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great ancestors! And that is only for starters!

Address:		112 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH1 1QB
Telephone:		0131 550 7800
Email:		enquiries@dynamicearth.co.uk
Website:		http://www.dynamicearth.co.uk/

Palace of Holyrood House

The Palace of Holyrood house, the official residence in Scotland of Her Majesty The Queen, stands at the end of Edinburgh's Royal Mile against the spectacular backdrop of Arthur's Seat.

The Palace is perhaps best known as the home of Mary, Queen of Scots, and as the setting for many of the dramatic episodes in her turbulent reign.

Address:		1 Parliament Square Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1RE
Telephone:		0131 556 5100
Website:		http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page580.asp

Scottish Parliament

Scotland's new Parliament sits at the foot of Edinburgh's famous Royal Mile in front of the spectacular Holyrood Park and Salisbury Crags. Constructed from a mixture of steel, oak, and granite, the complex building has been hailed as one of the most innovative designs in Britain today.

It’s a controversial building both historically and architecturally with the original cost estimated at £40 million and the final cost ending up at £431 million!

Address:		The Scottish Parliament Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Telephone:		0131 348 5000
Email:		sp.info@scottish.parliament.uk
Website:		http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/home.htm

Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle dominates the city of Edinburgh like no other castle in Scotland, and Edinburgh Castle is unequalled in the whole of the British Isles. Over one thousand years of history sit on top of the famous Edinburgh rock, and when you see Edinburgh Castle you will understand why over a million visitors a year visit Edinburgh Castle.

Address:		Castle Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2NG
Telephone:		0131 225 9846
Website:		http://www.edinburghcastle.biz/

3D Loch Ness Experience

History, Mystery, Hoaxes, Illusions, Eye-Witnesses and Facts!

The legend of Loch Ness is still the World's most famous mystery. Does Nessie really exist? You be the judge!

Address:		1 Parliament Square Royal Mile Edinburgh EH1 1RE
Telephone:		0131 225 2290
Email:		info@3dlochness.com
Website:		http://www.3dlochness.com/

Edinburgh Dungeons

The Edinburgh Dungeons invites you to a feast of fun with history’s horrible bits. Live actors, an eerie ride, shows and special effects transport you back to those black, bleak times. Are you brave enough? Enter the dark and terrifying labyrinth that stretches from beneath the castle, under the Royal Mile and away into the unknown. A drummer boy disappeared without trace in these very catacombs over a century ago.

Address:		31 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB
Telephone:		0131 240 1001
Website:		http://www.thedungeons.com/

Camera Obscura

Did you know it's actually a series of mirrors that reflect what is happening in the streets of Edinburgh onto a round screen located in the projection room. The views are awesome, and the exhibits are very interesting. There are several different galleries of illusions & visual oddities for all to explore.

Address:		Castle Hill The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 2ND
Telephone:		0131 226 3709
Email:		info@camera-obscura.co.uk
Website:		http://www.camera-obscura.co.uk/

The Royal Yacht Britannia

This magnificent ship has played host to some of the most famous people in the world. But, above all, she was home to Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family.

Be prepared for a few surprises at Britannia. Located at Ocean Terminal in Leith, you may not see her from the road, but we can assure you, she’s most definitely there.

Address:		Ocean Terminal, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6JJ
Telephone:		0131 555 5566
Email:		enquiries@tryb.co.uk
Website:		http://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/

Edinburgh Zoo

This popular zoo is set over 80 acres and houses more than 1,600 animals, many from threatened wildlife species. In just one day, you can meet over 1,000 wonderful animals, in beautiful parkland setting on the outskirts of Edinburgh.
Address: 134 Corstorphine Road,

Address:		134 Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh EH12 6TS
Telephone:		0131 334 9171
Email:		einfo@rzss.org.ukk
Website:		http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/

Deep Sea World

Deep Sea World is an experience like no other. Featuring the world's longest underwater viewing tunnel and a fascinating array of marine life, you'll be amazed at what you find. A vast underwater world is home to one of the world's largest collections of sand tiger sharks in Europe, stingrays, conger eels, plus thousands of other weird and wonderful creatures.

Address:		Battery Quarry North Queensferry Fife KY11 1JR
Telephone:		01383 411 880
Email:		info@deepseaworld.co.uk
Website:		http://www.deepseaworld.com/

Rosslyn Chapel

Rosslyn Chapel, or the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew as it was to have been, was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair, third and last St Clair Prince of Orkney. It is in fact only part of the choir of what was intended to be a larger cruciform building with a tower at its centre. A dorned with mysterious figures, the chapel has long been the subject speculation regarding its possible connection to Freemasonry, the Knights Templar, and the Holy Grail. Some carvings even seem to depict American plants such as maize and aloe vera, carved fifty years before Columbus's voyages, while others have thus far defied interpretation. The mysteries of Rosslyn Chapel were brought to the attention of a much wider audience by Dan Brown's bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code.

Address:		Roslin Midlothian EH25 9PU
Telephone:		0131 440 2159
Email:		mail@rosslynchapel.co.uk
Website:		http://www.rosslynchapel.org.uk/

Greyfriar’s Bobby

Bobby belonged to John Gray, who worked for the Edinburgh Police Department (EPD) as a night watchman, and the two were inseparable for approximately two years. John Gray died in 1858 and was buried in Greyfriars Churchyard. Bobby, who survived John Gray by 14 years, is said to have spent the rest of his life sitting on his master's grave only leaving for meals at a restaurant beside the graveyard.

Address:		George IV Bridge Outside of Greyfriar’s Bobby Pub
Website:		hhttp://greyfriarsbobby.co.uk/index1.html/

The Scottish Seabird Centre

The Scottish Seabird Centre has something for everyone – whether you're a nature lover or just wanting to escape to recharge your batteries! The Centre is set in a stunning location overlooking the islands of the Firth of Forth and the white sandy beaches of North Berwick. In our Discovery Centre, you can zoom in really close on the seabirds and marine wildlife in the area.No matter what time of year, there's always something new to see and do.

Address:		The Harbour North Berwick EH39 4SS
Telephone:		0162 089 0202
Email:		enquiries@dynamicearth.co.uk
Website:		http://www.seabird.org/

Butterfly & Insect World

Whatever the weather, Summer or Winter, stroll through the wonderful world of an exotic rainforest, a landscape of tropical plants surrounding splashing waterfalls and pools. Enjoy the great pleasure of watching hundreds of the worlds most spectacular and colourful butterflies flying all around you. You can also marvel at the industrious leaf-cutting ants, feed snakes and handle weird and wonderful minibeasts (if you dare!). Not to be handled, but fascinating to view, are a selection of deadly scorpions.

Address:		at Dobbies Garden World Lasswade, Midlothian EH18 1AZ
Telephone:		0131 663 4932
Email:		info@edinburgh-butterfly-world.co.uk
Website:		http://www.edinburgh-butterfly-world.co.uk/

Jelly Club

The Jelly Club is an imaginative and stimulating play and party centre where children can exercise and develop social skills in a safe, fun environment. It's physically and mentally challenging, and encourages children to be fit, alert and co-ordinated. This is more than a drop-in centre - it is a tourist attraction as well offering personalised parties, 'new' restaurant facility and disabled access.

Address:		10b King’s Haugh Peffermill Indutrial Estate, Peffermill Road Edinburgh EH16 5UY
Telephone:		0131 652 0212
Email:		info@jellyclub.co.uk
Website:		http://www.jellyclub.co.uk/

Dance Base

Dance Base encourages and celebrates the potential for dance in everyone. As Scotland's National Centre for Dance, we offer a vibrant and uplifting focal point which reaches out and inspires well-being and creativity, and cultivates a future for dance in local, national and international communities.

Address:		14-16 Grassmarket Edinburgh EH1 2JU
Telephone:		0131 225 5525
Email:		dance@dancebase.co.uk
Website:		http://www.dancebase.co.uk/