Museums & Landmarks in Scotland

Both places sit at the top of the Royal Mile, and Laura Brain notes they are right next to each other, so the real question is which one your children have the patience for first. Edinburgh Castle is the bigger commitment: our verdict is to allow three to four hours, and reviewers keep saying it needs more time than they expected. Inside the walls you get the crown jewels, Mons Meg, the war memorial and, as Laura Brain points out, entry to the National War Museum. Highland Experience Tours names the Crown Jewels, the Great Hall and the One O'Clock Gun as the bits kids love, and Family Can Travel says their children found it easy to imagine castle life among the open courtyards and stone rooms. There is a kids activity sheet with questions to answer around the site, which Laura Brain found kept hers engaged. It has parking, baby change and is listed as pram friendly, though the walk up is steep and uneven.

Camera Obscura & World of Illusions is the shorter, sillier option, best in our view for children four and up who like hands-on puzzles. Allow 90 minutes to two and a half hours across five floors. Laura Brain's favourites were the mirror maze and the spinning vortex tunnel; the centrepiece is the guide-led session in the dark chamber where the city's landmarks appear on a reflected image. Highland Experience Tours describes it as packed with hundreds of puzzles and games, and calls the rooftop terrace a must for city views.

So: the castle suits school-age children who respond to royalty and military history and can handle a long day on their feet; Camera Obscura suits toddlers and younger kids, or anyone who wants a fast, indoor, laugh-out-loud hour or two. Doing both in one day is possible given how close they are, but reviewers of each recommend booking online and arriving early to dodge queues and crowds, which Family Can Travel notes are typical of a Scottish summer.