by Elizabeth McQuillan
Kids are fickle little blighters, and will be looking to the impending school holidays in anticipation of being able to both free-range with their friends and be entertained and amused by mum, dad and grandparents.
Parents failing in this task can look forward to long (and possibly wet) weeks of whining sprogs, accompanied by a house brimming with adoptive feral youngsters from the neighbourhood.
It’s a strange fact – if you’re at home and choose not to "do stuff" with your offspring, expect to find all the local waifs, strays and latchkey kids parked in front of your TV with muddy trainers, eating crisps and spilling juice.
Good ideas can prove elusive when faced with petulant and bored weans, so here are suggestions for seven days' worth of healthy activities and day trips to get you started:
1 – High-wire act
A few hours spent at one of the Go Ape! Tree Top Adventure sites will definitely shut them up. Aside from the odd shriek, expect the kids to be very much focused on their own survival.
Thrill-seeking kids over 10 years old (with the requisite accompanying adult) can enjoy an adrenaline-fuelled high on Britain’s biggest zip wires, stretching over 400 metres long and almost 50 metres above the ground.
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After a 30-minute safety briefing/training session, the family gets kitted out with harnesses, pulleys and karabiners before being let loose into the forest canopy. A three-hour adventure across walkways, bridges, cargo nets and tunnels, high in the trees, will leave your kids suitably impressed at your bravery (as an old person) and completely knackered. Perfect really, as they will sleep like babes when you get home, and you can open that bottle of red. Go Ape! has courses near Aberfoyle, at Beecraigs in West Lothian and at Crathes in Aberdeenshire. Cost? £20–£30 per person. 2 – Get your skates on Try to keep pace with the blighters and avoid being an embarrassing parent where possible. With the popularity of Dancing on Ice, there are bound to be some keen members of the family who would love to give it a try. Murrayfield Ice Rink in Edinburgh is a good venue, and remains just as you remember it from your childhood. For the best family skating, they suggest Saturday morning, or Tuesday and Thursday evenings. For absolute beginners, Sunday afternoons has dedicated group tuition from resident coaches, with time to then go and play on the ice and practice the new skills. For the older kids (who hate you and wish you would just go away), drop them off at the skating disco on Friday/Saturday evenings, 7:30–10:30pm, and let them skate, pout, pose and flirt to their hearts' content. You could even go out for a nice dinner. Cost? Between £5 and £8, including hire of skates. 3 – Suck in some sea air Kids just love the beach, in all weathers, and adults will always benefit from a blustery coastal walk followed by tea and scones in some local café. Try Yellowcraigs beach at Dirleton, the Secret Beach near Achmelvich, the Sands of Morar near Mallaig, or Killantringan Bay near Portpatrick, to name but a few cracking spots. For clifftop adventures (on a non-windy days unless you really do want to lose a child), try heading to the quaint fishing village of St Abbs where the walk extends from Eyemouth in one direction to Berwick-upon-Tweed in the other. Teeter along the sandstone cliffs, which reach a precipitous 150 metres in places, and enjoy the vertigo. For those wanting something less challenging, how about pottering around a historic Scottish seaport such as Cromarty? Young kids will love the harbour and the "pirate graveyard" – lots of skulls and crossbones on the gravestones. For big kids, there are some worthy 18th-century buildings – including the oldest Protestant church in Scotland – and the history surrounding many Highlanders having started their journey to faraway lands from here during the Clearances. The narrow lanes and vennels of Fishertown offer a leisurely stroll. 4 – The Cairngorms and Rothiemurchus It’s hard to beat the Cairngorms for a visit – it's a beautiful area bursting with outdoor activities and pursuits for adults and kids. Rothiemurchus estate, near Aviemore, caters brilliantly for visiting families, with super picnic spots and wonderfully maintained tracks. Wander around scenic Loch an Eilein and see the haunting castle in the middle of the loch. If you shout, there is a triple echo as the sound-waves bounce from the castle walls to the surrounding hillsides. The remnants of the native Caledonian pine forest are home to red squirrels and pine martins, with ospreys frequently spotted fishing the loch. For grumpy teens who bore easily, there is potentially an activity to fill each day and keep them quiet (and out of your hair): clay pigeon shooting, pony trekking, jeep safaris, river kayaking, gorge walking, whitewater rafting and wildlife photography. Parents will appreciate the homemade and locally sourced nosh at the Ord Ban Restaurant Café. Obstreperous offspring can sit outside and sulk with an ice-cream from the farm shop. 5 – On yer bike There is certainly no shortage of tracks and cycle routes in Scotland to take the kids biking – but for something a little more interesting, why not head to Glentress forest in the Scottish Borders? Trailquest is a type of orienteering by bike using checkpoints to keep you on the right trail. It's popular with families and is a really fun way to learn more about the forest and surrounding area. Glentress has a number of different Trailquest routes, ranging from about one-and-a-half miles to four miles. Described as "tough, steep, technical, long but loads of fun", there is also a 19-mile graded black trail that offers excitement and a challenge for competent older teenagers – but this is not for the faint-hearted. Red and green graded trails do bridge the gap in abilities, but some basic technical ability on a bike is recommended to avoid tears, snotters and grazed knees. 6 – Climb every mountain It was a normal holiday activity during my childhood to be marched across the Pentlands, from Bonaly to Flotterstone. Which, in the absence of "technical gear", meant wearing wellies, corduroy trousers (that soaked up the rain) and a mackintosh which channelled the drips of rain on to said cords. Good character-building stuff. Sadly, now most kids can barely walk the length of themselves without getting out of puff. Take the opportunity to find some local hills, and go for a bit of a hike and a picnic. Obviously, don’t take small children up Ben Nevis in a pac-a-mac, but go for something smaller and achievable. Arthur’s Seat, the Whangie, Dumgoyne, the Pentlands and the Ochils have routes suitable for all the family. If the weather is bad, take it indoors and challenge the litter to a clamber up a climbing wall or attempt an aerial assault course. Parents have to do it too. The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena can oblige, and is well worth a visit. 7 – Combine good grub with adventure This one is for the parents, and basically means incorporating fun stuff for the kids with some adult favourites. It might be a great eatery, tearoom or pub. The aim then is to plan a day trip around the chosen adult pit-stops. Here is an example in the Stirlingshire area: come off the M9 at junction 10 and head to historic Doune, where there is a fabulous and partially ruined 14th-century castle, with grounds, where the kids can run riot. Nearby, the Scottish Antique and Arts Centre is a barn of a place filled with such bizarre gear that both you and the kids will love it. Look at German war helmets, top hats, weaponry, books and house contents from the late 1800s. An interesting collection of precious junk and antiquities. Head on to Callander for a peek at the shops, including the year-round Christmas shop, then try Mhor Fish, where you can get the best fish'n'chips, with bread-and-butter and tea, or something fancier if you want. Next, take a cruise on the steamship Sir Walter Scott along the length of Loch Katrine. The lochside Katrine Café can provide a platter of homemade scones and traybakes to avoid blood-sugar dips. After that, a short drive to the David Marshall Lodge in the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park above Aberfoyle, where the family can walk part of the Highland Fault Line which divides the Highlands from the Lowlands. Markers with explanations and diagrams educate the kids on the subject. Onwards to Drymen, Killearn and Buchlyvie to peruse the art galleries, pottery shops and gift shops. Picturesque Kippen also offers a top-notch deli, a great pub and a fabulous restaurant and bar with an admirable selection of fine wines and spirits which, by now, you might be more than ready for. The Inn at Kippen is kid-friendly and has a pizza oven. And if you imbibe a little too much, there are a few rooms too…Donate to us: support independent, intelligent, in-depth Scottish journalism from just 3p a day
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