When you are on holiday, taking a weekend break or even just a night away, the chances are you might want to do something while you're there or explore what's on in the area.  It could be booking a river trip, a visit to a museum or wildlife park, or it could be something a little more wild like white water rafting, axe throwing or a high wires course.  Whatever you fancy, jazz up your trip with something a bit different and have a look a the wide variety of experiences available near the accommodation.

Experiences

Whatever your child's age there is always something to enjoy. Get cracking in  a multi-level play area where kids can climb, clamber and slide over all sorts of adventurous obstacles. What’s next? What about a ball pond where your children can dip and dive in a pool full of colourful balls? All of the above would make for serious family fun. Of course parents are not forgotten either as a cafe is never far away. You can relax with a tasty coffee and a slice of cake. What more could you want?

Indoor and Soft Play Areas

Trying to find shelter on a rainy day or enjoy a fun evening filled with laughter and popcorn? Visit one of the 775 cinemas in the UK to catch up on the latest blockbuster film releases!  Or fancy watching some live theatre, a music concert, a ballet, or comedy act? Then head to one of the UK's 1300 theatres!  Whether the West End, London is where you want to enjoy some of the UK's finest productions on offer, or Shakespeare's Globe where you can experience incredible performances and actors. Maybe you want to head to the  Festival Theatre in Edinburgh which stages some of the finest operas and ballets. There is something for everyone and definitely not to be missed!    

Cinemas and theatres

The UK has a huge array of museums and art galleries for you to enjoy. From the big hitters in London, such as the Natural History Museum, V&A, Tate Modern and National Portrait Gallery, to exciting living museums where your family can step back in time (such as the Black Country Museum in the West Midlands or the Highland Folk Museum in the Cairngorms). These Museums let your kids get hands-on with history, attending School and learning about farming, crafts, and much more. Art Galleries are not just for the grown ups! They now have workshops and child-friendly trails to inspire even the youngest artists to start drawing.  So why not try out one of our Museums or Art Galleries on your next holiday?   

Museums and Art Galleries

Weather is too nice to stay indoors? Want to stretch your legs? Children need to run wild?  Then head to one of the UK's fantastic parks and playgrounds on offer and breath in that fresh air!

Parks and Playgrounds

Santas Grottos are the perfect Christmas experience. A fantastic festive day out for the whole family. 

Santas Grottos

Aside from roving funfairs which can pop up in towns and cities for a week before travelling on and are a great bonus if you find one, the UK has many, many fantastic Theme Parks that are open all year round and provide a great day out for everyone in the family.  Even the faint-hearted members who don't want to scream themselves hoarse on Oblivion or the like can take a gentle boat trip or something serene around quite often attractive grounds. These parks are a real treat for kids and grown ups alike.  You might plan your holiday to be near one, visit for the day or just get lucky and find there is one right where you are holidaying.  They often need booking in advance as they do limit numbers to some extent, and the well-known ones such as Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Chessington are so large that you might need more than one day there!  They can be pricey, especially if you have a big family, so always keep a look out for 2-for-1 deals and vouchers, as you could make a good saving. Many seaside locations  - like Blackpool Pleasure beach - have seafront funfairs which are usually in action all year round (although on a very windy day, given their location, some things might close for safety!) so it is always a good idea to check these out too.  Most of these you can buy tickets on the day.

Theme Parks and Funfairs

Enjoy your Escape to the countryside at an Activity Farm. Activity farms offer hands-on feeding with lots of  animals including workshops and experiences that help get you even closer to farm life.  Or Visit a fantastic and wild Zoo where you can see Rhinos, Bears, Lions, monkeys and more!

Childrens Farms and Petting Zoos

Climbing is a great way to test your strength, balance and agility. As both an indoor and outdoor sport it can be done whatever the weather! You can try out bouldering, climbing and traversing lower walls (around 3 meters) without the assistance of rope. Bouldering basics can be mastered in a few hours and climbing centers will have graded routes allowing you to start out on the easier paths and work your way up. Rock climbing or high ropes is climbing vertically with the assistance of ropes and using safety harnesses, the walls are around 15 meters tall. You will need a good nerve for heights for this activity! Again, beginner sessions are available as are graded routes.

Climbing

Crazy golf is a great way to spend an afternoon with freinds and family. There are loads of different types of courses, from simple to complex with different kinds of features. It's a great way to get started with golfing, and requires no previous experience to get going. 

Crazy Golf Courses

Want to train and practice before hitting the slopes this year? Or are you a newbie who wants to learn the basics of skiing or snowboarding to save time practising at the resort? Whilst the sensation of sliding on fresh snow is hard to beat, the artificial slope provides a consistent environment which is great for learning and practising.   Fun for the whole family, a day out with friends or an adventurous date with a loved one!

Dry Ski Slopes

Packed with excitement, you and your teammates will leap into new worlds to complete ground-breaking missions. Work together as a team to find clues, solve puzzles and complete challenges before the time runs out! The pressure’s on, the clock’s ticking, the adrenaline’s pumping. Escape Games aren't something you watch, it’s something you experience – right in the heart of the action. You earn your freedom, throwing all manner of devious and dastardly red herrings, dead ends and misdirections your way. It’s completely immersive, utterly addictive and totally entertaining!

Escape Games and Rooms

Discover the trees like never before. Scramble, climb and jump through high rope assault courses, don't forget to bring your courage!  A great outdoor activity for families and adults alike, and dotted throughout the UK. Why not try the adventure for a day out on your next staycation?   

High Ropes Courses

Ever imagined galloping along a beach?  Maybe you're more of a fantasy fan or just enjoy spending time with animals, either way horse riding might be for you. A great outdoor activity for the whole family with children able to start from as young as 4. It is an amazing way to take in local scenery, connect with nature, have a little adventure or enjoy at a relaxing pace.   

Horse Riding

Whether you skate as a sport or just for fun, it's a great way to get your body moving when it's cold outside or to cool down during the summer months. It's also a wonderful activity to enjoy with your family or friends!  Ice skating has been a popular activity for centuries, and the act of gliding across ice on blades has probably been around for even longer! So why not head to the nearest rink today to have a fun filled session! 

Ice Skating

Believe it or not, you can Ski outdoors in the UK! The ski season in Scotland is from January to early April. All the resorts offer nursery slopes so everyone can get started, kids can start skiing from 3 or 4 years old. Visit these beautiful mountains and stay in plentiful local accommodation.  If you can't get to the mountains, why not try one of the UK's indoor snow centres. Open all year round they have ski and snowboarding classes for all ages and are a great way to get your mountain hit even in the summer. 

Ski Areas and Resorts

Think you can only surf in exotic locations? Think again!  There is some amazing surfing to be had throughout the UK from Newquay to North Wales. While surfing might seem super cool from the outside (and it is!) is it surprisingly family friendly and something you and the kids can all enjoy. So why not hit the beach and give surfing a go? Getting a lesson is the best way to start to learn to surf. Group lessons are usually the most popular. The instructor will take you through a warm up then basic safety, and then explain how to paddle and stand up. After this you take to the water and try and catch your first waves!  Expect to stand on the first or second lesson. Surfing is quick to get the hang of, highly addictive, and takes a lifetime to master meaning you will never stop learning! Before starting to surf you will need to know how to swim as this is a water based sport! 

Surfing

Take you family and friends bowling for an afternoon or evening! Whatever your level or age, ten pin bowling is for the whole family and is the perfect location on a rainy day! The objective is to knock down all ten pins on the first roll of the ball (a strike), or failing that, on the second roll (a spare)... but let's not get bogged down with the rules.  Younger children can join in too, thanks to lighter and smaller bowling balls, bowling ramps and alley railings. Book your spot today so you don't miss out!

Ten Pin Bowling Alleys

If you decide to take a holiday in the UK to an area you don't know (or maybe you do but want to know more), an excellent way of seeing around and actually getting to see the "best bits" is by taking a tour with a local guide or someone in the know. Walking tours, cycling tours, boat tours, pogo-stick tours (ok maybe not the last one) - whatever suits your family best, can be booked online or at local visitor information centres and make a real difference to your stay.  You can find out the history of a place, local facts or even go on something weird and wonderful like a ghost walk or follow in the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes or Jack the Ripper.  Eek.  An open top bus journey can take away the hours pounding the pavement to look around a large city. Boat trips and river cruises are also a great way of seeing a lot of things in a small amount of time, giving you a completely different aspect of the town you are visiting.  Join a large boat or charter something smaller yourself and follow the river along to get a better look at all the surround countryside.  

Tours and River Cruises

Get jumping at one of these trampoline parks! Great exercise, great fun, and a great indoor activity for those rainy days! Burn some energy by leaping and bouncing about these parks, learning new tricks, and having a fun-filled day! Lots of the trampoline parks also have soft-play, or specific areas for smaller guests, which means everyone can get involved!  Why not give trampolining a go! 

Trampoline Parks

On the north-east coast of Scotland sits Aberdeen, a vibrant city which is, according to The Scotsman (the paper, not an actual Scots Man) "one of the most architecturally distinctive cities in Europe".  This is, in part, due to the mile-long Union Street, lined with classic granite buildings, the huge granite Union bridge and towering Marischal College.  There is plenty going on in the centre; shops, places to eat and drink and things to see.  Local walking tours are a good idea here so you don't miss out. Just outside the city centre there is a classic beachfront with all the bits you would expect and need; shops, cafes, a Promenade, ice cream sellers and - what every decent seaside needs - an art-deco style ballroom.  It's a rather lovely beach with golden sand stretching for miles; perfect for a salty walk on a bracing Scottish morning.   On a warmer day (or just get a thicker wetsuit), try paddle boarding or surfing. Away from the beach and down at the Harbour, you can do a lot more than just stare out to sea and scoff and ice cream.  Here you can hop on a boat trip and head out for a chance to see some dolphins up close - bottle nose, white-beaked and riso varieties apparently.  I'm all agog.  Who needs to go anywhere else on holiday when dolphins are right here?!  Even Minke Whales have been spotted in the waters too.  The nearby Torry Battery is an on-shore viewing area for those who want to see the marine life (often feeding in the harbour mouth) without getting aboard a vessel. And now...a little known fact: there are over 260 Castles, Stately homes and ruins in Aberdeenshire - more castles per acre than anywhere else in the UK.  Wow.  No wonder this is known as Scotlands Castle County.   So while holidaying here it is well worth taking a few trips out to see some of the most impressive ones.  Dunnottar Castle, Fyvie Castle and Craigievar Castle are just a few, but it is well worth investigating further if this is something you are intersted in.  Many are absolutely jaw dropping!

Aberdeen

Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK

The North East of Scotland may be less widely visited than some other parts of the country but there is absolutely loads to see and do here and this area of Scotland is well worth a visit.  Including the cities of Dundee, Aberdeen and the heritage rich area of Moray there is so much to explore.  

North Eastern Scotland

Scotland is an extraordinary and diverse country.  The beautiful countryside, the vibrant cities, icy mountain peaks, white sandy beaches and picturesque towns and villages combine to make a truly awesome holiday destination, whether you are looking for an adrenaline filled adventure, a cultural trip or a relaxing beach break.  You can see all sorts of wildlife; deer, birds, puffins, seals, whales and dolphins.  There are hundreds of castles to explore; Dunrobin, Eilean Donan, Craigievar, Bannockburn and Caerlaverock to name a few; these fortresses are testaments to Scotlands rich past - a place where all corners are steeped in history.  Scotland is an adventure playground; skiing in the Cairngorms National Park, kayaking in the outer Hebrides, scaling waterfalls in Kinlochleven - it is a land of outdoor pursuits.  Whatever kind of holiday you are looking for, Scotland has it all. 

Scotland

England, UK

Northern Ireland

Wales

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland make up the extraordinary United Kingdom; home to mountains, caves, rivers, dramatic coastlines, medieval villages and vibrant cities.

Places nearby

aberdeenshire

Things to do in aberdeen