Best family-friendly hotels in Scotland 2023: Where to stay for a warm welcome and lasting memories

From cultural city breaks to action-packed countryside escapes, these top picks will entertain all ages

Take the kids off the beaten track for a stay in Loch Lomond (GETTY/iStock)

Long gone are the days when kids were best not seen nor heard on holidays. Today, babies, toddlers and even demanding teenagers are welcome and supremely well catered for at hotels across the country. Scotland’s two largest cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh boast a real sweep of family-friendly options, from slick five-star, old-world, luxury dames, through to funky new hotels and budget boltholes.

Push, go beyond the urban areas and more space means more leisure options at some of the finest resort hotels for families you’ll find anywhere in the British Isles. Pushing on to the Scottish isles – traditionally a weak point for hotels in general – there are now myriad options, from old-world retreats where your kids can forage for chanterelles and be welcomed as part of a seriously posh family, through to all-singing, all-dancing resort hotels that keep everyone entertained no matter the weather. Today, Scotland is a top-notch family destination, with the hotels to match.

The best family-friendly hotels in Scotland 2023 are:

• Best hotel for city-slicker kids: The Balmoral
• Best hotel for TikTok teens: Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
• Best for budget city breaks: Aparthotel Adagio Glasgow Central
• Best hotel for bored kids: Cameron House
• Best all-rounder family hotel: Gleneagles
• Best hotel for family time: Loch Melfort Hotel
• Best hotel for posh family treats: Kinloch Lodge
• Best hotel for wildlife: Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa
• Best hotel for dreich island days: Auchrannie Resort

Best hotel for city-slicker kids: The Balmoral

Location: Edinburgh

Kids will enjoy plenty of space and a decent-size swimming pool at The Balmoral (Rocco Forte Hotels)

This classy, old-world, 167-room luxury hotel goes to town on kids, with ‘Bonnie the baby owl’ at the helm. Bonnie has dreamed up a range of options divided between babies, kids and teens. Baby meals are complimentary, and you’ll find hooded towels and rubber ducks in the bathrooms. Checking in, kids get the Rocco Forte Kids Passport and a colouring set, plus their own check-in card. Teens enjoy their own spa treatments and welcome amenities. The can-do staff will also put together a personalised family-themed itinerary to help you get the most out of the capital. There is a pool, but you’ll probably be too busy to use it.

Book now

Best hotel for TikTok teens: Virgin Hotels Edinburgh

Location: Edinburgh

Striking art, bright colours and extravagant textures will be appreciated by teens (Robin Mckelvie)

This new kid on the (sometimes staid) Edinburgh block has really shaken things up. Its straight-to-Instagram glam impresses adults, but it cannily tempts teens too. Family rooms cleverly create a separate space with bunk beds hidden way from prying parents. Taller teens might prefer the family room option of two interconnecting Chamber King Rooms. The 222 bedrooms and the public spaces are boldly flourished with striking art, extravagant fabrics and ever bright colours. Phone photos will be snapped and videos shared on TikTok. The green messaging will please eco-conscious teens as Virgin plants a tree for every room booked.

Best hotel for budget city breaks: Aparthotel Adagio Glasgow Central

Location: Glasgow

Apartments feature comfortable beds and kitchen areas (abacapress/giuliano ottaviani)

The location couldn’t be better at this 162-apartment complex right in the heart of Scotland’s largest city. The prime shopping district unfurls right outside too, with myriad family-friendly places to eat and cafes. The River Clyde lies just outside, too, for calming strolls and burning off energy. Apartments are comfortable rather than luxurious, and come with a bedroom for parents and a twin sofa bed large enough for teens. There is a wee sitting area and a well-equipped kitchen that is handy for warming up baby milk and keeping fussy toddlers happy. The 24-hour shop at reception can be a lifesaver, as can the can-do staff.

Best hotel for bored kids: Cameron House

Location: Loch Lomond

Step out of the majestic Cameron House and onto a sea plane for a thrilling adventure (Robin Mckelvie)

Challenge any child to be bored here on the banks of Loch Lomond and they’ll fail with a huge smile on their face. The full-fledged 208-bedroom resort enjoys much more than superb views of Scotland’s largest loch and the surrounding mountains. There is a leisure centre with a swimming pool with flumes, and a cinema too. Still not enough? Then sweep the family off for the trip of a lifetime on the seaplane that pulls up right outside, or bash out on the Celtic Warrior, the hotel’s luxury speedboat. A flurry of restaurants offer children’s menus, there is afternoon tea and Tamburrini & Wishart offers a sophisticated dining experience for teens.

Best all-rounder family hotel: Gleneagles

Location: Perthshire

Gleneagles houses world-class kids’ and teens’ clubs, and impressive swimming facilities (Gleneagles Hotel)

This grand old 232-bedroom Perthshire dame could scarcely tick any more family boxes; nor do what it has been doing since 1924 any better. The kids’ and teens’ clubs are top notch, but there is always another level at Gleneagles: training gun dogs, firing off arrows on an archery range, having a bird of prey swoop in to grab food from a child’s arm, or kids driving around in a mini Range Rover. Gleneagles may boast Scotland’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant, but it is adept at giving wee gastronomes the full treatment too. Hard to fault for families.

Best hotel for family time: Loch Melfort Hotel

Location: Argyll

A trio of hairy Highland cows and some resident goats welcome guests at Loch Melfort Hotel (Robin Mckelvie)

A family hotel with a heart, run since time immemorial by the wonderful Ross family. Everyone is truly welcome here, including your pooch, at this relaxed four-star hotel blessed with Famous Five old-world charm. Adults savour views out to the isles and smouldering sunsets; wee ones skip about the playpark and 17-acre grounds, where they meet ‘Guest Experience Managers’ Bracken and Thistle (the resident goats), the two rescue dogs and a trio of hairy Highland cows: Dougal, Campbell and McDonald. Next door, Arduaine Gardens offers 20 acres more of flora and fauna – guests enjoy exclusive afterhours access. Meanwhile, the family-friendly restaurant introduces wee ones to the best of west coast seafood.

Best hotel for posh family treats: Kinloch Lodge

Location: Isle of Skye

Feel part of the Macdonald family in the 14-bedroom Kinloch Lodge (Kinloch Lodge)

You feel part of the family at Kinloch as soon as you arrive – a very posh Scottish family, that is. The Macdonalds are Scottish royalty – today, their 14-bedroom bolthole is this former Royal hunting lodge on their own sea loch where kids can paddle and swim. Spend the morning foraging for sea herbs and chanterelles, learning fieldcraft as you go with the Skye Ghillie (and his collie dog), then creative head chef Jordan Webb will treat you all to some relaxed fine dining. A landmark in Scotland for half a century, this hotel offers proper old-world family luxury, with Isabella Macdonald herself seamlessly steering the ship.

Best hotel for wildlife: Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa

Location: Isle of Mull

The Isle of Mull offers a releaxing break for adults and children (Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa)

Children will be all in as soon they spot their first otter splashing its way along the coast outside this four-star, 75-bedroom hotel. The woodland walk through to the village of Craignure is the best place to spot otters, with porpoises, dolphins and even whales spotted in the surrounding waters, while seabirds fill the sky. Head off on a guided tour with Nature Scotland to discover red deer, golden eagles and the mighty sea eagle – the flying barn door of the Scottish ornithological scene. Boat trips from Mull offer more whale sightings and puffin spotting. You can wild swim outside the hotel and they encourage keen paddleboarders to pack their boards.

Best hotel for dreich island days: Auchrannie Resort

Location: Isle of Arran

A swimming pool, play room and sports hall offer plenty of entertainment for energetic youngsters (Auchrannie Resort Hotel)

The only resort in the isles is geared towards families, and keeps everyone occupied when rain sweeps in from the Atlantic. The older country house section is more for couples, so book into the Spa Resort at this 85-bedroom island escape. This complex houses a swimming pool with a kids’ pool section; a playroom, and sports hall. There is the separate stand-alone Playbarn soft play centre (complimentary for Auchrannie guests) with games for older kids and hot drinks for parents relaxing. Arran Adventure is on site with Segways, archery and bike hire. The island is alive with things to see and do, with visits to the Coast Discovery Centre and Brodick Castle being ideal for rainy days.

Read more of our Scotland hotel reviews:

• Where to stay in the Scottish highlands
• Best dog-friendly Scotland hotels
• Best Scotland spa hotels

Read more about Scotland travel:

• Best boutique hotels in Edinburgh
• Scotland country guide
• The ultimate guide to Aberdeen