I’ve got a day out in Edinburgh tomorrow with the Jr Wombats.

What are the must do things to entertain a 15 year old, a 17 year old and me?

Ideally things that don’t cost the equivalent of the annual Mongolian GDP for the 3 of us to do

Edit – Bum, wrong forum, sorry

Look for business casual clothes just in case they need them.

Edinburgh dungeon.
Museum of childhood.
Camera obscura

Walk up the Water of Leith through Dene village for free

Museum on Chamber Street is free so stay until the kids get bored

Walk up Arthurs Seat

Ghost Walks

Camera Obscura

There’s the Botanics Light Show on at the moment, obviously only runs when it’s dark and I’d bet it’s booked out on a Friday evening…

Go and ogle the Christmas decorations at The Dome on George Street 🙄

Not sure what exhibits there are at the National Museum at the moment but it’s all been redone inside and is pretty cool for a quick walk round.

Walking up the Water of Leith involves much studious ignoring of ‘path closed’ signs at the moment, last I checked the Dean Village section was still ‘closed’ but entirely passable for even only slightly adventurous types…

Dynamic Earth? Pretty cool in an educational sort of way, simulated earthquakes, real live bit of iceberg etc. No idea of cost.

Tour of the Stockbridge bike shops?

– climb Scott Monument (£4)
– walk up Calton Hill for the views (free)
– dodge around the network of Genals off of the Royal Mile and then visit Mary Kings Close (after booking it online first as it gets busy) (dunno, >£10 maybe)
– Chambers Street museum (free)

edit: a 15 and 17 yo will hate you forever if you dragged them to Dynamic Earth, for younger kids

The zoo is decent.

“Edinburgh? Wan street an’ a clock made oot o’ flooers!” – Chief Inspector Jim Taggart 😉

Not even that. The floral clock was dug up for winter a fortnight ago

Botanic gardens are nice but a bit off the beaten track.

But yeah just walk around the city taking it in if you’ve not been before. The walk up to Arthur’s Seat is nice and looks down on the Royal Mile. Dean village is lovely, like dropping into a completely separate location even though it’s a stones throw from the city centre.

Pub crawl?

Take a trip on the tram. Its fairly cheap, so long as you don’t go to the airport. Or you can buy a day ticket, for unlimited journeys on the trams or buses, £4.

Thanks for the suggestions folks.

Feedback from the Jr Wombats is that the Surgeons Hall museum looks good so it may well be a day of corpses and questionable medical instruments 8)

edit: a 15 and 17 yo will hate you forever if you dragged them to Dynamic Earth, for younger kids

Oops! 😳

Also, Surgeon’s Hall, why have I *still* not been to that?

Grrat views from Arthur’s Seat, Scott Monument or better value Nelson’s Monument near Calton Hill (itself a nice viewpoint).

Portobello for a nice beach 25m bus trip from centre.

Water of Leith path as Jimmy says is lovely walking, 2 modern art galleries accessible near the West end from it.

Walking around old town and royal mile is nice too, plenty shops for kids to browse in, see Cockburn St.

National museum of Scotland …free and grand for a wander

Surgeons hall… recommended

Go to the grave yards …..princes street and walk through for a look up at the castle…tell them about Burke and hare….body snatching and ringing the bell….