Half Term Dates For Edinburgh in Scotland. Scottish School Holidays in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Edinburgh is recognised as a leading centre for education, knowledge and research. The City of Edinburgh Council provides learning opportunities of the highest quality to assist children, young people and adults in reaching their full potential.

Edinburgh school term dates are set by the Children and Families Department and your child's school will give you a list of these dates. We would ask you not to take your child out of school during term times. If you cannot avoid taking a holiday during term time you need to ask the school/Department for permission to do this.

The City of Edinburgh Council offers Gaelic educational provision from nursery through to Higher Grade Gaelic in secondary school. Gaelic classes are also available through the Council's Adult Education Programme.

Edinburgh Half Term School Holiday Dates

Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, lies on the south side of The Forth Bridge on the South East coast of the country. The city is perhaps best known for its many festivals, including the famous fringe festival and the military tattoo.

Each year visitors from around the world head for Edinburgh to sample its historic buildings and traditions and to walk these lively, fascinating streets. Although it can get busy during the UK school holidays, the city, encompassing the old town and the new town, is a delicate sprawl of ancient and modern streets and never feels too overcrowded.

To get a real understanding of history on the ground, take one of the many walking tours available either by day or night. Some of these walking tours are operated by volunteers and a donation at your discretion is much appreciated. Others must be pre-booked and a fee is charged. Many of these tours take in Mary King’s Close, a deserted and ruined alley off The Royal Mile, showing what life was like in the city in the 17th century when it still lived up to its name of ‘Auld Reekie’. Others include literary tours, ghost tours and in-depth city tours, which give a good overview of the city and all it has to offer.

Enjoying Edinburgh

The Scottish capital is famous for its heritage and fascinating culture and has become a popular weekend break destination for many a cultured soul hoping to catch a Shakespeare production and enjoy an up-market meal or two. Does this mean then, that visits to Edinburgh should remain a child-free zone or is there something for everyone in this beautiful city?

The top attraction in Edinburgh (and arguably Scotland) has to be the castle. Just the impressive dent in the skyline made by this historic fortress is enough to impress all visitors- young and old. Established in 1861 the “One O'clock Gun" is fired Monday to Saturday at precisely 13:00 and has become a popular tourist attraction.

Visitors can also see the reminders of those treading their steps before them with scratching's on the walls of the dungeon. In addition to all of this, if you are fortunate enough to be visiting in the summer holiday then you may even be able to get tickets to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo- a series of performances from the Scottish regiment and many other invited performers from around the world.

 Next on the family-friendly to-do list, the Edinburgh zoo. Ten minutes from the city the zoo is conveniently located for all young families who hate the idea of travelling for miles on busy public transport. Once there, you can be sure to spend a whole day here enjoying over 1000 animals including monkeys, tigers and polar bears. If that wasn't enough, the penguin enclosure here is the largest in the world and the “Magic Forest” with its marmosets and tamarinds are a definite must-see.

Now, what if the holiday weather in Edinburgh is having an off-day? Well, there are plenty of museums and exhibition centres to keep you and your family busy. Camera Obscura and World of Illusions is a great option for those trying to keep their kids entertained whilst hoping to not lose their own sanity. Home to the most powerful public telescope in Britain and three floors of exhibitions and curiosities regarding light, colour and optical illusions which are all sure to provide a lot of fun and fascination for all of those involved.

For more practical elements of your trip- such as where are you going to stay? - it is recommended that you review all options before booking into that bog-standard travel inn. These days a night in a holiday apartment can be a similar price to one in a cramped hotel room.

Our sponsored links on each page also list events and discounts on school holiday ideas and half term events in England, Wales and Scotland.

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