Heilan Roo Lodge - Fun Days Out

Blair Castle, near Blair Atholl, has been the home of the Atholl family for centuries. Its 30 rooms show off fine 18th century interiors and Scots Baronial architecture, with collections of weapons, paintings, furniture and needlework. The story runs from medieval times to the present day, and takes in the Jacobite risings and a visit from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Outside, there is plenty to fill the rest of the day. The grounds include a nine-acre walled garden, a wooded grove with a ruined kirk, a gothic folly and a deer park. Families can use the woodland adventure playgrounds, collect free activity sheets, and dress up in the ballroom. History fans and garden lovers will enjoy it just as much as children do.

Tip: Buying tickets online in advance is cheaper than at the ticket office, which takes card payments only. If you want to see the red deer feeding, call ahead to check days and times.

Blair Athol is a Highland single malt Scotch whisky distillery on the south edge of Pitlochry in Perthshire, close to the River Tummel. It takes its water from the Allt Dour burn, which gave the distillery its first name, Aldour.

Its story goes back to the 1790s. It closed soon after opening, reopened in the 1820s and changed hands several times over the following decades. It closed again in the 1930s, and Arthur Bell and Sons bought the mothballed site and rebuilt it, reopening it in the late 1940s. Two more stills were added in the 1970s, taking the total to four. Diageo came to own it through a merger in the 1990s.

Highland Wildlife Park is a 105-hectare safari park and zoo in Kingussie, set within the Cairngorms National Park. It is run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the charity that also runs Edinburgh Zoo, and focuses on species from tundra and mountain habitats around the world. It is also home to Scotland's only polar bears.

You can walk around the park on foot, and there is a drive-through reserve where you can see animals such as elk, vicuna and bison from your car. Stay in your vehicle throughout and don't feed the animals. If you'd like a guided experience, you can book a Reserve Tour with a Discovery Ranger, which takes you around the drive-through reserve. It suits families and anyone keen on wildlife and conservation.

Tip: Book tickets online in advance, as slots can sell out at weekends and school holidays. Pets are not permitted, including in the car park, apart from registered assistance dogs and support animals, so leave dogs at the lodge.

Dewar's Aberfeldy Distillery stands on the eastern edge of Aberfeldy, on the southern bank of the River Tay. It is the only distillery built by the Dewar family, and it makes Aberfeldy Single Malt, the largest malt component in Dewar's blended Scotch. The water comes from the Pitilie Burn, which runs alongside the site.

Tours cover how the whisky is made and the Dewar family story, usually with a guided tasting of the blend and the single malt. Other options include a blending masterclass, where you make your own bottle to take home, and tastings of rarer, older whiskies. There is also a whisky bar, a shop, and a café in the restored former malting house. It suits whisky fans, and the signature tour is recommended for beginners. Drivers can ask for a takeaway gift instead of a dram.

Tip: If you're new to whisky, book the signature Dewar's Aberfeldy Experience, and leave time for the café before or after your tour.

Castle Menzies is a sixteenth-century Z-plan castle at Weem, near Aberfeldy. It was the seat of the chiefs of Clan Menzies for over 500 years and shows the shift from rugged Highland fortress to more comfortable mansion house. Bonnie Prince Charlie rested here on his way to Culloden, and Duleep Singh, last maharajah of the Sikh Empire, lived here in the 1850s.

Rescued as a ruin in 1957 and restored by the Menzies Clan Society, the castle is now owned and maintained by a separate charity, the Castle Menzies SCIO. You can explore the rooms at your own pace, watch a film about the castle's history, and visit the walled garden, tearoom and the nearby Old Kirk of Weem. Visitors have praised the Lego figure hunt for children and the chance to enter small spaces that are often roped off elsewhere.

Tip: There are steep stone steps, spiral staircases and uneven floors, so wear sensible shoes. The ground-floor film shows the upper floors if stairs are difficult.

Dalwhinnie Distillery sits in the village of Dalwhinnie, surrounded by the Cairngorms National Park, and is one of the highest distilleries in Scotland. It produces a Highland single malt known for its smooth, heather-honey sweetness and gentle smoke.

Guided tours show how the whisky is made, and tastings let you try the honeyed style for yourself. Experiences range from introductory tours to more in-depth tastings, including whisky and chocolate pairings. Even without a tour, you may be able to look around the shop and bar in the visitor centre, depending on availability. There's no café on site.

Tours are not suitable for wheelchair users because of steps and two staircases, but a tasting can be arranged. Children under 8 can't join tours.

Tip: Book ahead, especially in peak season. Dogs (except assistance dogs) can't join tours, but well-behaved ones on a short lead are welcome in the shop and bar.

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.

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.