Discover hundreds of adventures with the National Trust for Scotland

Summer in Scotland means long days full of northern light, heather on the hills, lush pine forests, remote beaches, midges, and – naturally – rain.

Whether you’re the type of family who loves poking around medieval castles, pulling on your hiking boots, or visiting some of the most beautiful gardens in full kaleidoscopic bloom, the National Trust for Scotland has something for everyone.

At Culzean Castle and Country Park, members get all this and more on a single opulent estate. Just over an hour from Glasgow in the heart of Robert Burns country lies Robert Adams’ masterpiece. A magnificent clifftop castle designed in the late 18th century for one of Scotland’s oldest clans, Culzean overlooks an equally stunning 240-hectare estate.

Studded with old follies and historic buildings, woodland, a walled garden, and a top-notch café, the estate is also fringed by miles of sandy beaches – main picture – and caves for exploring.

If that’s not enough to entertain the children there’s also a swan pond, deer park, and Adventure Cove and Wild Woodland play area.

Castle lovers should also check out some of the Trust’s other iconic places boasting impressive play parks perfect for family fun, including Brodick, a grand baronial estate on the Isle of Arran, and Crathes, in Aberdeenshire, with its flamboyant melange of turrets, towers, and painted ceilings.

On rainy days, The Hill House in Helensburgh, is the perfect destination for families with older children. Considered to be the domestic masterpiece of Charles

Rennie Mackintosh, everything in this elegant residence, from the furniture to the textiles, was created in the “Glasgow style” by the designer and his wife, Margaret.

The Trust recently began an ambitious ten-year conservation programme, following water damage sustained over a century, which is now threatening both the outside and interior of the building. The first stage opened in June 2019, allowing visitors to view the protective steel frame structure via a series of walkways – pictured below – looping around and over the house. This is an opportunity for visitors to see what it takes to protect Scotland’s heritage, as it happens.

For families who prefer majestic landscapes and widescreen wilderness, Glencoe – pictured above – is an absolute must. Scotland’s most historic, famous, and romantic of glens was carved hundreds of millions of years ago through seismic volcanic eruptions and monumental glaciers.

To go there is to witness the Scotland of your imagination come to life. As much a place of violent history as breathtaking nature, the Trust has cared for Glencoe since 1935, maintaining the area’s footpaths and caring for the reserve’s unique biodiversity.

Come here to marvel at nature’s grandeur and uncover the history of the locals who lived in the glen all those centuries ago.

The newly revamped visitor centre provides the opportunity to immerse yourself in the glen, with history and wildlife brought to life through clever design and impressive visual displays.

Those looking for more adventure can enjoy a Land Rover Safari to get off the beaten track and experience nature close up.

Further north, nestled on a stretch of remote coastline where the Gulf stream dampens the roar of the Atlantic, is the extraordinary microclimate housing Inverewe Gardens.

A diverse botanical paradise, Inverewe was created out of a barren wilderness by a father-and-daughter team in the 19th century. Plant species from all over the globe now thrive here, including Wollemi pines, which date back to the dinosaur era, Himalayan blue poppies, towering Californian redwoods and rhododendrons from China, Nepal and India.

For children, there’s a Savage Garden displaying insect-eating plants and the chance to spot Scotland’s “Big Five” – red squirrels, red deer, otters, seals and golden eagles. There’s also a museum, art gallery, plant nursery, awardwinning café, and visitor centre.

Here, on the banks of Loch Ewe, is the perfect spot to sit and ponder all the adventures that Scotland and the Trust have to offer this summer.