1-Bedroom Hot Tub Cabin in St Fillans - Fun Days Out

Blair Drummond is a family safari park just outside Stirling, set in a 120-acre estate with over 300 animals. You can set out on a drive-through safari past the African reserve, home to Grant's zebra and southern white rhinos, the lion reserve and the Asian reserve with Bactrian camels and Père David's deer. There is also an optional Monkey Jungle reserve for Barbary macaques, plus an elephant enclosure and a dinosaur exhibit with moving, noisy models.

Away from the animals, there is a bird-of-prey display, a big adventure playground with a pirate ship and adventure fort, part of it under cover for wet weather, and fairground rides. You can also walk the chimp path to a viewing platform. Food ranges from a restaurant and grill to cafés. Wood-fired pizza and desserts may be closed on weekdays. You can also bring a picnic; there are undercover benches if it rains. It's a good choice for families with children.

Tip: Tickets are online only and none are sold at the gate, so book ahead, especially at weekends and school holidays when it often sells out.

Stirling Castle is one of the largest and most historically important castles in Scotland. It stands on a volcanic crag with steep cliffs on three sides, and the rock has been fortified since ancient times. Generations of Scottish monarchs enlarged and embellished it, and Mary, Queen of Scots was crowned here in 1542.

You can walk the ramparts and the castle's three main enclosures, taking in the size of the stronghold and the views over Stirling and the surrounding countryside. Inside, look for the Great Hall and the refurbished Royal Palace, the childhood home of Mary, Queen of Scots. Its interiors have been recreated as they may have looked when James V's grand scheme was complete. The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Museum, on regimental history, is also on site.

Tip: Book your visit online in advance for a set date and time; the Great Hall and Royal Palace are the parts to head for first.

Doune Castle is a medieval stronghold on a wooded bend where the Ardoch Burn meets the River Teith, about 8 miles northwest of Stirling. The earliest identifiable work dates from the 13th century, but it took its present form between 1375 and 1425, when Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany and Regent of Scotland, rebuilt it. It has survived relatively unchanged and complete, and is now looked after by Historic Environment Scotland.

Inside, you can see the large tower house over the entrance, which held the rooms of the Lord and his family, and the separate kitchen and guest tower. The great hall links the two. Mary, Queen of Scots stayed here several times, in the rooms above the kitchen. It suits anyone who enjoys medieval architecture and Scottish history, and it makes an easy stop on a trip towards Callander and the edge of the Trossachs.

The Kelpies are a pair of monumental steel horse heads between Falkirk and Grangemouth, designed by sculptor Andy Scott. Each stands 30 metres high and weighs around 300 tonnes. They sit either side of a lock and basin at the eastern gateway of the Forth and Clyde Canal, within the parkland known as the Helix.

The sculptures celebrate the heavy horses that pulled the wagons, ploughs, barges and coalships of Scottish industry, and their shape is inspired by Clydesdales. You can wander round them for free, or take a guided tour of about 25 minutes. The guides explain the engineering, the symbolism and the artist's ideas. They are a good choice if you like big public art or are curious about how such huge sculptures were built.

Tip: Pre-book the guided tour, as tours are subject to availability. Dogs are not allowed on the tour.

Innerpeffray is home to Scotland's first free public lending library, a Georgian building beside the River Earn in rural Perthshire. Local people borrowed books here until 1968, and today you can still read the rare books in its collection. Highlights include a Great Bible with woodcuts by Holbein and the original Borrowers' Register, which lets you trace the families who once borrowed from the shelves. Guided tours are available.

Outside, wander through the graveyard to the medieval St Mary's Chapel, which has rare wall paintings and lovely acoustics. The Heritage Trail leads down to the river, past a Roman road cutting and the ford that gave access to Strageath Fort. It suits history lovers, walkers and anyone after a quiet, atmospheric visit.

Tip: Follow the Heritage Trail down to the river ford, but take care beside the swift-flowing water.

Scone Palace is a Category A-listed historic house near the village of Scone and the city of Perth. Built in red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is a fine example of Gothic Revival style. For centuries the site held the Stone of Scone, on which early Scottish kings were crowned, and Robert the Bruce was crowned here in 1306.

You can explore the State Rooms, then wander the extensive grounds and parkland, which have views over the River Tay. The grounds include a collection of fir trees and a star-shaped maze. The palace has been home to the Murrays of Tullibardine since 1600, and it is still the family's home today.

It is a good pick for anyone who enjoys Scottish history, stately homes and a leisurely walk through landscaped grounds.

Tip: To follow the Stone of Destiny story further, Perth Museum displays it; tickets for that are booked through the museum's own website.

Huntingtower Castle sits about 5 km north-west of the centre of Perth, beside the A85, and is in the care of Historic Scotland. Mary Queen of Scots stayed here in 1565 while on honeymoon with Lord Darnley, and the castle has seen plenty of other dramatic episodes, including the Raid of Ruthven in 1582, when the young James VI was seized here.

The layout is the odd part. Two tower houses stand close together, built a few metres apart and later joined, and they gave rise to the tale of the Maiden's Leap. Inside, look for the delicately painted ceiling dating from about 1540, and try to find the secret hiding place for Ruthven treasures: a cupboard within a cupboard, hidden behind a stone. It's a good stop for anyone who enjoys castle stories and Scottish history.

Tip: Tickets can be booked online for a set date and time, so book ahead before you go.

Perth Museum sits in the former Perth City Hall, an Edwardian building that once hosted markets, concerts and political conferences. At its heart is the Stone of Destiny, also known as the Stone of Scone, used to crown Scottish monarchs and still used in coronations of the UK's kings and queens. It has returned to Perthshire after more than 700 years.

Alongside the Stone you'll find Perth and Kinross's nationally significant collections, plus loans and exhibitions. Objects include a 3,000-year-old logboat pulled from the Firth of Tay, a mummified woman named Ta-Kr-Hb and a rare cloak made entirely of kākāpō feathers. There's a café, a museum shop and lift access to all floors. Families and children of all ages are welcome, and quieter visits are possible on Thursday and Sunday mornings.

Tip: The Stone of Destiny experience needs a timed ticket, which you book at the front desk, so sort this out early in your visit.