Easter plans

WITH longer days, spring weather will hopefully be brightening days as the annual Easter holidays approach.

For parents and grandparents (and wider families) there are regular dilemmas over how to entertain children during breaks from nursery and school over the traditional holiday period.

Scotland’s cities offer an abundance of entertainment and opportunity, particularly with the National Entitlement Card upgrade for free bus travel for the under 22s.

In Edinburgh there are many places to visit – and for families feeling the pinch, a day out need not be costly.

The world-famous Princes Street Gardens offers round-the-year space to picnic and play at the city’s heart.

A wander along the Royal Mile at the heart of the historic Old Town will take visitors from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse and the neighbouring Scottish Parliament.

En route, on foot, there is the splendour and beauty of the historic High Kirk of St Giles (a donation of £5 is suggested for visitors) and a little further on, there is the 15th century John Knox House, which currently offers reduced entry to all readers of Life and Work until April 1 (Quote Life and Work). Knox is reputed to have stayed there for a short time before his death.

Towards the southern end of the mile, Canongate Kirk is also open on Sundays after morning worship.

The Royal Mile hosts many other visitor attractions and is also within walking distance of the National Museum and Royal Museum of Scotland which both have free entry (although donations are welcomed). But Scotland’s other cities also offer a wealth of activities for a spring day out. In Glasgow, visitors can delight in the splendour of the medieval Glasgow Cathedral and learn more about the spiritual history of the city. Entry is free but donations to Historic Environment Scotland are welcome.

Glasgow is also home to GOMA (the Gallery of Modern Art), the recentlyrevamped Burrell Collection and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Across the central belt, both Stirling and Dunfermline (Scotland’s newest city) have significant church buildings open to the public and are filled with familyfriendly historical attractions, including Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument and Dunfermline Abbey and the Carnegie Birthplace Museum (next to Pittencrieff Park – known locally as ‘the Glen’).

Heading north, Dundee recently added the V&A to neighbouring Discovery Point on its shoreline. In the city centre, on the Nethergate, Dundee Parish Church (St Mary’s) is a regular host to arts and crafts exhibitions and fairs.

A little further north, in Aberdeen, visitors can enjoy the glory of ancient St Machar’s Cathedral or learn more about the city’s sea-faring history at the Maritime Museum and Aberdeen Art Gallery. The city’s famed Duthie Park is another highly-rated (and free) attraction but is reliant on spring sunshine.

The Highland capital of Inverness offers a spectacular vista with the city’s castle towering over the River Ness and the Ness Islands – joined by a set of interlinking bridges and bound on each side by Bught Park and the smaller Bellfield Park.

The city also has an art gallery and museum overlooking the river.

Bus and rail links to the cities are regular (barring strikes) and churches continue to play a key role in the life and work of each, offering a range of additional visitor attractions, cafes and warm spaces.