A FAMILY TRAIN TRIP TO SCOTLAND’S HISTORICAL SITES? BLAM TO THE MAX!
Hop on a train to visit some of the country’s most fascinating spots and make the most of great deals for a blamtastic day out with the whole family!
Summer’s over, and like Dennis, Minnie, the Bash Street kids and all their Beano friends, the little mischiefs in your household may be restless and itching for some fun and exploring! Why don’t you get on a train for a great day out with the entire family while teaching your kids a little history lesson or two? It’s still just £1 to bring a child on a train trip with ScotRail Kids for a Quid tickets available all year round, across the country.
Spend some quality time together in the coach while en route to your destination. You can swap fun facts about your trip or play games to while the time away. After all, train travel is all about the magic of the journey.
Let your children’s blamaginations run wild as you pass famous spots in Scotland’s beautiful countryside or as you explore some of the country’s blamazing historical attractions. Many of these places are castles and ancient churches that tell the rich history behind Scotland’s iconic legends.
From October to March, Historic Environment Scotland sites will also offer Kids for a Quid via VisitScotland.com Check out Great Days Out in Scotland on the website to find offers that will support attractions through the autumn and winter months. Take lots of photos on your visit and share them online using the hashtag #GreatDaysOutInScotland.
Discover Scotland’s colourful past by visiting these historical sites with your family:
EDINBURGH CASTLE
Did you know that this mighty fortress, which dominates the city’s skyline, has been besieged more times than any other castle in Europe? Despite the many destructive battles for the castle’s ownership, Edinburgh’s oldest building – St Margaret’s Chapel – remains standing inside the castle’s formidable walls.
Today, Edinburgh Castle is still an active military base that also houses the country’s crown jewels (known as the Honours of Scotland) as well as the UK’s ancient inauguration stone, the legendary Stone of Destiny.
STIRLING CASTLE
Stirling Castle is remarkable for its impressive architecture and the royal dramas that unfolded there.
In fact, almost every Scottish monarch had either lived in the castle or been crowned or died there until the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Mary, Queen of Scots lived in the Royal Palace as a child and was crowned there.
Her son, the future James VI, was also baptised there. Bet you didn’t know that the fireworks display that capped off his baptismal celebrations was the first recorded use of fireworks in Scotland!
ELGIN CATHEDRAL
This was one of Scotland’s most beautiful medieval structures and had more medieval memorials than any other Scottish cathedral. Although much of its nave is now in ruins, the rest stands remarkably complete. The surviving details show how this place of worship was embellished and developed into the spiritual heart of the diocese of Moray.
ARBROATH ABBEY
Arbroath Abbey is best known for being the place from where the most famous document in Scottish history was sent.
The Declaration of Arbroath was sent by 39 Scottish nobles, barons and freemen to Pope John XXII in 1320 after the excommunication of Robert the Bruce was renewed. In the letter, they passionately asserted that Scotland was an independent, sovereign kingdom, inspiring America’s forefathers many years later to craft their own declaration of independence.
For more Scottish historical sites to explore with your family, take inspiration from VisitScotland.com/Beano
Don’t forget to buy your Kids for a Quid tickets from ScotRail!