Now that all the bustle of Christmas is finally out of the way, you can sit back and relax and as the New Year draws in, why not find a little time to think about planning your family holiday to the Highlands in 2017. Enjoy the comforts at the new Dunalastair Hotel Suites.in Kinloch Rannoch. With a choice of luxury suites with comfy seating areas with sofa beds – ideal for the children, mini kitchens – most convenient for the kids demands, king sized beds, sumptuous furnishings and interconnecting rooms for those who fancy a little more privacy. So why not book an early bird rate and start saving both the pounds and the dates.
Plan Your Itinerary
To help you do just that, we have put together the following guide, containing our pick of the top five family days out in Scotland, all within accessible driving distance of our boutique hotel in Perthshire.
Highland Safaris
Aberfeldy, Perthshire PH15 2JQ
Less than a 35 minute drive from the Dunalastair Hotel Suites to Aberfeldy, no family holiday in Scotland is complete without experiencing the excitement of the award-winning Highland Safaris.
Voted Best Visitor Experience in Scotland by the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA) and declared a five star visitor attraction by the Scottish Tourist Board, Highland Safaris offer a unique opportunity to explore the natural wonders of Perthshire’s majestic mountains and moors. It also provides a rare chance to get up close and personal with some truly beautiful creatures that inhabit the land.
The highlight of any visit is the recently developed Red Deer Centre, where you’ll find yourself face to face with the UK’s largest native land mammal. From there, we recommend taking the incredible Land Rover Safari before enjoying the hands-on demonstration with the magnificent barn owl.
The Aberfeldy attraction runs several safari tours specifically aimed at families, with a children’s play area, cafe, and gift shop also on sight.
Explore Aberfeldy
Aberfeldy, PH15 2BG
https://www.visitaberfeldy.co.uk/
After a day of excitement and adventure at Aberfeldy famous Highland Safaris, you may be hoping to enjoy a family day out that offers you something a little more relaxing.
Fortunately, there’s wealth of nearby attractions that are perfectly suited to those laid-back days when all you and your family feel like doing is taking it easy.
The Aberfeldy Watermill, less than half-an-hour away from Loch Rannoch, is an award-winning bookshop, gallery, and homeware shop with regular children’s storytelling sessions. Elsewhere, the Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve serves as the ideal place for some family bonding as you hike your way among ancient rocks, breath taking mountains and enchanting loch lands.
Nae Limits Outdoor Activity Centre and Wee Limits
Ballinluig, Perthshire, PH9 0LG
Based just 45 minutes away from our boutique hotel in Perthshire via the A9, Nae Limits Outdoor Activity Centre is the perfect place for kids and big kids alike to really blow off some steam and experience an adrenalin-charged adventure like no other.
For adults and older children, Nae Limits offers a wide range of physical activities, including paintballing, quad biking, gorge walking, and a variety of water sports.
For younger children under 12,The Wee Limits Adventure Academy run regular holiday programmes which include zip lining, forest games, rafting, den building, and more.
Explorers Garden
Port-Na-Craig, Pitlochry, PH16 5DR
Though we looked in-depth at the Explorers Garden last month, no list of family days out in Scotland would be quite complete without it.
Along with beautiful scenery, guided tours, and live theatre shows, this acclaimed attraction offers a fascinating look at the history of the Scottish Plant Hunters. Many years ago, these brave men scoured the globe, discovering, cultivating, and cataloguing flora and fauna in a way which would ultimately change the world we live in. Come see for yourselves and be inspired by their story.
Today, many of the world’s rarest plants and flowers can be seen in the Explorers Garden, where you’ll also find wildlife, a children’s play area, and an opportunity to take home some of those unique plants for yourself, courtesy of the Explorers Garden Shop & Nursery.
To find out more, see our recent post: Five Reasons Why You Absolutely Must Visit the Explorers Gardens on Your Next Scottish Holiday.
Blair Castle Trekking Centre
Atholl Estates, Blair Atholl, PH18 5TH
http://www.blaircastletrekking.co.uk/
Though you could quite easily enjoy a whole day exploring the incredible surroundings of Blair Castle and Gardens itself, families with younger children may prefer to make a booking at the historic venue’s pony trekking centre.
The centre reopens for 2017 just one week before our own grand opening on April 10th, Book early now to get the best rats and choice of suites.
Families or groups of up to six can book an entire day of trekking through the beautiful forest tracks and rivers on a Highland-pony. Shorter treks for both beginners and advanced riders are also available for up to two hours, giving you plenty of time to still explore the castle and grounds.
Blair Atholl is based a little over a 30 minute drive away from the Dunalastair Hotel Suites near Pitlochry.
Experience the magic of Highland Perthshire on your next Scottish family holiday with the Dunalastair Hotel Suites, Loch Rannoch. Book your stay online today, or call to speak to our team now on +44 (0)1882 580444.