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We’ve done a round up of some of the most popular family friendly festivals in Scotland and what you can expect from them.

Eden Festival

Moffat, Dumfries and Galloway, 9th-12th June 2022

Eden Festival is held just outside Moffat on the stunning Raehills meadows. It is just over an hours drive from Glasgow and Edinburgh and only a 40 minute drive from Carlisle.

Eden Festival began its life as a section of the now defunct Wickerman festival in 2002 before becoming a festival in its own right in 2009. Eden Festival has a hippy welcoming vibe but the 12 stages in total offer a huge amount of variety. At Eden Festival you will find Dance Music, Reggae, Celtic Folk and Children’s Entertainment galore. The festival celebrated its 10 year anniversary in 2018.

The Shellycoat Kids Tent offers sustainable, environmentally friendly, arts, crafts, performance, forest skills and play, free of charge for all children, in a pleasant and natural setting. It consists of a decorated craft and performance marquee, a little ones yurt, outside space, and a forest skill’s area under the oak tree. Indoor and outdoor activities take place all weekend from 9am to 8pm. Children are also able to make and take home all their souvenirs from the festival!

Weekend outdoor events for children include dedicated forest skills activities, water fun and games, treasure hunts, and the ever popular end of festival Kids parade. There is also a drive in cinema!

Physical activities such as parachute games and kids yoga sessions allow everyone to get together, and as children are accompanied at all times parents get to share the memorable experiences.

For tickets and information visit http://edenfestival.co.uk/SITE/

Early Bird tickets for 2022 are already on sale.

Party At The Palace

Linlithgow Palace, West Lothian, 12-14 August 2022

Festival line-up 2019: The Charlatans, KT Tunstall, Midge Ure, Roachford, Republica, Definitely Oasis, Deacon Blue, Wet Wet Wet, Fun Lovin Criminals, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club, Fat Cops, Tidelines, and many more.

2019 will be the sixth year of Party at the Palace. It’s located only 20 mins from Edinburgh and 35mins from Glasgow, making it easily accessible. It is an award winning Scottish family friendly festival and you will find it has a good atmosphere with a diverse range of music. In 2018 there were 3 stages; the Purple Orange Acoustic Stage, the Breakthrough Stage and the Main Stage. There are also rides and entertainment for all ages.

It is important to not for families that no food or drink can be brought into the event. On their website, PATP state this is due to “…in light of recent events, there will be an increased security and police presence at this years Party at The Palace. All customers and belongings may be subjected to searches.” On site there is a good range of outlets to purchase food and drink from.

There is no official campsite at Party At The Palace however they recommend the local campsite in Linlithgow (Loch House Farm Caravan Park) which is just a 15 minute walk along the loch from the site. If you fancy glamping, partners at Belle Hotel provide luxury bell tents which can sleep up to 4 people in real beds. Spaces for camping and glamping fill up fast, as does other available accommodation in Linlithgow, so book early to avoid disappointment.

For tickets and information visit https://www.partyatthepalace.co.uk/

Solas Festival

Errol Park, Perthshire, 17-19 June 2022

Solas Festival take place at Errol Park, in the grounds of a beautiful estate overlooking the River Tay. It situated between Perth and Dundee and accessible from both by public transport. There is camping or glamping in yurts available. There are a small number of pitches for caravans and campervans.

The festival is typically headlined by national favourites from the pop, indie and rock worlds. Solas has a strong art-y feel with poetry, dance, philosophy, literature and even politics part of the weekend’s programme. If you’re a family, Solas is probably your best choice on the mainland.

There is a great range of things to do for kids:

• Silent Knights – slient disco. Children wear headphones and select either the red or blue channel and bop away to poular songs.
• Get dancing with Mr Boom: a one man band from the moon who entertains the children with action songs, circle dancing and witty banter!
• Little Fawn Theatre is a puppet theatre in a 1960s Cheltenham Fawn caravan.
• RSPB Scotland will be there showing you how to make apple bird feeders, get active with nature bingo or perhaps join them on a 30 minute bug tour of the estate.
• Build a tree shelter in the woods with the team from Instinctively Wild.
• Watch the hilarious Mary Alice Cooper who plays the part of a jelly bean counting official in the character comedy The Bean Counter.
• Storytelling with Gameli Tordzro – traditional Ghanaian and contemporary folktales with musical instruments, words, action and movement.
• Kids’ colouring with Tawona Sitholé, a UNESCO RILA artist in residence.

For tickets and information visit http://www.solasfestival.co.uk/

*Concessions: Over 65s, Students, Job seekers, Lone parents, People with disabilities.

Kelburn Garden Party

Kelburn Castle, Fairlie, near Largs,  1st -4th July 2022

Set in the lush and historic grounds surrounding Kelburn Castle, a 13th century painted castle, Kelburn Garden Party is only 30 minutes from Glasgow and 90 minutes from Edinburgh.

Kelburn Garden Party is a festival of music and the arts. Wander around the 7 stages and you’ll hear everything from proper dance music, firing folk, plenty funk and disco, dub to jungle, alt-pop experimental excursions, a good dose of jazz and blues, and intriguing global sounds. 

Camping is available and there are a number of pitches for camper vans and caravans (must buy a Live-In Vehicle plot ticket)

The whole festival is family friendly and there are a number of activities aimed specifically at children:

• Mr Boom: a one man band from the moon who entertains the children with action songs, circle dancing and witty banter.
• The Secret Forest Project – a surreal labyrinthine trail through the woods above the main festival site.
• The Famous BlundaBus – a double decker that’s also a pop-up comedy venue.
• Big Fish Little Fish – family friendly rave with eclectic music across the rave spectrum. Expect banging (but not too loud) tunes, confetti cannons, balloons and all kinds of party magic.
• Little Fawn Theatre is a puppet theatre in a 1960s Cheltenham Fawn caravan.
• Spinning Jennies – learn fantastic circus tricks such as riding a unicycle, juggle, hoola hoop, spin a plate, make giant bubbles and loads more.
• Gregarious Games – a fun take on sports day with silly games and a DJ playing.
• The Lullabies Collective – a programme of activities aimed at the youngest festival goers including Sing Along in the morning, Bubbly Baby Bath after dinner, and finish off the day with Songs and Stories for a real festival bedtime.
• Lots more workshops and games: drum circle, rope bridge, assault courses, falconry, secret woodland trails … there is even a soft play barn!

For tickets and information visit https://www.kelburngardenparty.com/

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival

Belladrum Estate, Beauly, nr Inverness, 28-30th July 2022

Festival line-up 2019:  Jess Glynne, CHVRCHES, Elbow, Johnny Marr, Lewis Capaldi, Tom Odell, Glasvegas, The Coral, Hawkwind, Richard Thompson, Julie Fowlis, Lucy Rose and many more.

This year will be the 16th for the festival, which takes place on a beautiful Highland estate a few miles out of Inverness. Belladrum has a laid back atmosphere and is a celebration of music and arts for the whole family. Between the stages you can find poetry, comedy, and crafts in delightful low-key areas such as the Walled Garden.

The range of activities for toddlers through to teens includes sand play, water play, den building, Gaelic songs and stories, nature days, lawn games, face painting, magician, circus skills, and more.

Additional Club Clan Bella tickets give you entry to the members’ VIP area at the festival where there are a range of exclusive perks. For families with kids these include:

• Covered seating area with funky decoration, big cushions and comfortable chairs
• Separate family area
• Free posh loos
• Kids outdoor play zone including straw fort, outdoor games and ‘Bella’ the giant Teddy Bear!
• Kids entertainment tent
• Daytime chilled music programme and evening/ late night ‘Guilty Pleasures’        
• Picnic tables and umbrellas             
• Patio heaters

Tickets for Club Clan Bella are £47 for adults and £27 for children (12 and under). Toddlers 3 and under do not require ticket.

For an additional fee you can also opt to join in with the Lov Bella ‘Pop-Up’ Restaurant for brunch or supper. Guests are invited to pull up a seat on the long dining tables and experience Scotland’s great larder

If you fancy glamping, Cloudhouses offer a range of yurts and squrts in their dedicated yurt village. Pitch Village, which is located within the glamping area, also offer a range of pre-pitched tents with ready inflated beds and sleeping bags plumped. There is a dedicated entrance and car parking. Both companies provide private toilets and shower units, a yurt/tent with hairdryers, straighteners and mirrors, phone charging facilities, and complimentary tea and coffee.

For tickets and information visit https://tartanheartfestival.co.uk/

Doune the Rabbit Hole

Cardross Estate, Port of Menteith, Stirlingshire, 14th-17th July 2022

This year was the 10th anniversary of the festival. Set amidst the glorious ancient oak trees of the Cardross Estate it calls itself , “an intimate family friendly, dog loving independent music & arts festival.”

interactive workshops and talks from guest speakers in areas such as politics, science, music, the media and more.

The kid’s tent runs to a ‘free-play’ ethos which means they are free to use the materials and equipment however they choose inside the kids tent. This year kid-friendly activities included cuddling ferrets and alpacas, sock wrestling, yoga, taking part in a play, puppy handling, extreme origami, pop up craft workshops, knitters corner, silent disco, lawn games and outdoor toys. Kids were also invited to climb aboard their pirate ships or mix up a ‘cake to end all cakes’ it up in the Doune the rabbit hole in house bakery.  All workshops are open to the whole family. The festival loves clowning performances, puppetry, acrobatics and fire-theatre so there really is loads on offer to see and do.

For ease there are children only toilets and you can bring your own food into the festival. There is an onsite library to borrow books so you can snuggle up together in cosy corner for some down-time.

There are 7 separate camping areas at the festival including, General Camping, Family Camping, Accessible Camping, Live in Vehicles Area, Family Live in Vehicles Area, Glamping and there is even a luxury Shepherd’s Hut with Hot Tub for rent. It is worth knowing that no campfires or BBQs are permitted anywhere in the campsites.

For tickets and information visit https://dounetherabbithole.co.uk/

Why not PIN this post about Six Top Family Friendly Festivals in Scotland