I visited this time for Puff's toddler group trip and was delighted to go back. Smudge has now…read moredeclared herself far too grown up for this sort of activity much to my disgust as I loved our trips here when she was little. This visit was a beautifully sunny day so the perfect day to wander around checking out all the animals; goats, donkeys, GIANT bunnies, guinea pigs, cows, sheep, rats, collie dogs, geese and puff's favourite a cat - we have a cat at home!!! As well as a farmyard full of animals to check out, you can pet lots of the wee ones. A whole barn full of fluffy bunnies, chickens and guinea pigs to stroke. Unless like me you're allergic in which case not touching is a much better option - puffy eyes, manic sneezing and a snotty nose does not make for a fun day out. Once you have spent a happy hour trying to teach a stubborn one year old any animal noise other than meeow, and failed, there is still plenty to do here with an inflatable cow bouncy castle, indoor soft play area, tractors to ride, trampolines to bounce, fossils to uncover and a lovely cafe to eat cake and drink coffee in. It has to be said that a rainy day would not completely ruin a trip to Almond Valley. There is plenty to do under cover and even a big picnic barn to eat in, not to brag but we used it for shade because it was so hot.

This is a lovely little place, a great day out for all the family. Lots of animals to see, an lots…read moreto learn. they're upgrading it all the time so it just keeps getting better and better. They do lots of special activities, Christmas Fayres, Easter, all year round really. they have soft play for toddlers and a new bigger area for older kids. It's got a great little cafe too with friendly staff and good food. It really is worth a visit, you will undoubtedly learn something and have fun while doing it.

I was always taking my chldren here until changeover…read more Firstly they CHARGED the adults for bringing the kids in as well as the children. (On what planet is that an incentive for using this place when everywhere else only charges kids?) Secondly my husband and I found a claw hammer in the play area for toddlers and babies. Apart from this benig dangerous when I took it to the lady at front desk I was met with the simplton answer of " Oh how did that get there?" Um..try the fact you had builders in that day as three of them passed me . No apology or asking or checking if children were okay..just placed it behind desk.(Probably for robbing the next customer that arrives.) Cafe which links two play areas ALWAYS has an open door to garage and forecourt outside..Health and safety is dire here. Avoid like the plague. They are not thinking of the kids because if they did none of the above would have happend ! Parents know how quickly kids run off..and an open garage and forecourt in a playarea..dont think so !

Just been to Crunch and Play (New name for Kingdom of Fun)…read more What can I say ........ to start with £9.50 for a 2 year old and a 7 year old to be allowed into the premises for 2 hours, then we realised very quickly that the place was freezing, to the point that I had to go to the car for a jumper (I had goosebumps on my arms) and I hardly wear jumpers. We got a table at the small kiddies area and realised very quickly that it was almost empty, we now know why....... We ordered food as we thought it would have been a nice day out for a play and food for the kids, the menu choice was dependant on where you sat in the building and most of it wasn't available anyway, most of the hot drinks were unavailable too........ My wife had to ask for cutlery as there was none out, when she was given it, there was still small bits of food on some of it (had to clean it ourselves, baby wipes to the rescue !) We eventually got the food ordered and it arrived......not worth the wait, it was cold, some was under cooked, the stuff that wasn't was tasteless, even the kids did not eat it. We had to ask again for the hot drink which eventually turned up (and well needed due to how cold the place was). The couple at the table next to us were complaining too about how cold it was and seemingly the ladies toilet had only cold water running and no paper towels to dry your hands on, that and it was filthy. On the actual soft play areas there were crisp packets stuffed down the edges of the frame and bits of food, I know kids should not be in the frames with food, but it does happen, but it is not difficult for a member of staff to go round and clean up once in a while. For the price of our visit to Crunch and Play, we could have gone to Crooked Glen only a few minutes away and the kids could have had a play and decent food for cheaper then the muck we paid for. When this place was Kingdom of Fun we used to go fairly often, but I have to say, that is a last for Crunch and Play, it is not worth the time or money, at least Kingdom of Fun was for as long as you wanted to be there, the food was good and the premises was at an acceptable temprature. Save your money and go somewhere decent, avoid here !

Went here today as suggested by the bf as a wee cheer me up day and im so glad he suggested it as i…read morehad so much fun. Its a bit fiddly to find at the moment with the diversion due to the new forth rd bridge but if you follow the diversion you will be ok. Cost was £14 per adult however if you book in advance online its slightly cheaper. We got to see sharks being fed and a giant turtle but for me the best thing was seeing the seals being fed. They are so cute and clever and the tricks the handlers have taught them are briliant! There are tv screens dotted around the place that show you the times of all the feeds so you dont miss anything. The underwater tunnel is a brilliant way to get up close and personal with the sharks too. There is a cafe but we didnt visit that. The gift shop has all your usual cuddly toys and gifts. Plenty of parking available on site too. A great day out for young and old alike!

Deep Sea World is a great day out for all the family. I came here with my friend and her two little…read morecousins a few years ago and they were fascinated by everything, I've never seen them so well behaved. They even saw a bit of seaweed move and ended up mesmerised by it for ages. They were also huge fans of Finding Nemo and started screaming at the top of their voices when they were faced with Nemo in the flesh living it up in his Coral Reef. There are also plenty of sharks to marvel at and you can even dive with sharks... I don't know if I fancy that though. My personal favourite underwater critters are stingrays and was pleased when I saw a good few swimming around. Tickets are rather pricey, £12 adults and £8.25 but it's an excellent day out and there's so much to see and do and it's only a 20 min drive from Edinburgh city centre.

So I have a love/hate relationship with Gravity too, without a membership it is extremely expensive…read moreand I still think their should be more options in the cafe area concerning hot and cold food but the kids love it, the staff are amazing and it's a lot of fun. So I'm back and forth with this one, mainly because I like the staff and it's the kids favourite.

We came to visit the impressive and historically important Dunfermline Abbey. And to pay respect to…read moreRobert The Bruce. We didn't know about this park though which is right across the street from the Abbey. And it's a wonderful park. There are several sights along the way, the small "Tower Burn" river goes across the park, there's a café, a playground and several trails leading you through woodland and open spaces. Some urban wildlife as well. A good number of pretty tame squirrels too. A nice place to spend some time in. Alone, with family, with your dog.... Really enjoyed it.

Pittencrief Park or as locals call it "The Glen" is a huge park in the heart of Dunfermline. The…read morepark was gifted to the town back in 1902 by Dunfermline's famous son, Andrew Carnegie, a philanthropist who made his millions in the States (think Carnegie hall in NYC). Before internet, reality TV and crime dramas people actually used to flock to the park on sunny days from across Scotland to spend in the 70 something acres of manicured lawns and gardens. It may not have the same draw today, but when the sun is shining it can still be really busy. Not only is 'The Glen' a wonderful park, but it has some other very interesting features such as Pittencrieff House Museum, the remains of the 11th Century King Malcolm Canmore's Tower, (when it was the royal residence of Malcolm and his queen, Margaret), greenhouses, woodland walks and a statue of the man himself, Andrew Carnegie. There are also fantastic views of Dunfermline Abbey and Palace from the gardens. The Glen Pavilion in the centre of the park holds many local events from gigs, to arts and craft fairs. The Pavilion is also where you can get a quick caffeine fix as here you will find the park's cafe. There are also 3 kiddies play parks, ideal if Mum and Dad fancy a wee break from entertaining the kids. Anyone who grew up in the area will have such fond memories of the park. It's still really easy to spend a good day here. There is also a great chance to see peacocks and squirrels, so take a bag of nuts for some close up fun of these cute little critters.

This farm was right next to our Airbnb and so we just had to visit! It's not too big so this is…read moregreat if you want to squeeze in a visit while you're exploring. There is a cafe but it was closed when we were there. Entry is free, and there are stations to wash your hands. I didn't see any employees while I was there though, just a couple of other tourists. It was pretty empty so I felt like I had everything to myself. I saw some cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, lambs, and they were all adorable! You can't feed them but they are so friendly they sometimes let you pet them.

was a lovely warm sunny day visiting Gorgie City Farm &…read moreCafe 8/8/19. I think I came here a very long time ago so it was great to see all again. Walking around seeing all the animals was great and taking some photos of my experience. The weather was so hot, it felt like my head was burning a bit. Very impressive what I saw from goats, chickens, pigs, birds and many more. The young goats where so cute, I wanted to fit one in my pocket lol. I would recommend this place to anyone, if you love the outdoors and animals. You can get a Lothian Buses number 25 from Princess Street in Edinburgh and it will take you straight there also Gorgie City Farm is free to anyone too. Check out my article on Gorgie City Farm on my Blog below https://socialsandi1.com/2019/08/08/gorgie-city-farm/

Squeezed in between the railway line and the main road to Kinghorn, Burntisland Links is the main…read morepark in the town. In the past it used to have an open air swimming pool and a brilliant crazy golf. However, these things are mostly all gone, however the Links is still a place full of activity. The Links has a few play areas for young and older children , which always seem to be very popular with the locals. The main bulk of the Links is green grass, rolling up and down the low bumps and humps of the landscape where dogs run about and amateur footballers play there trade! During the summer, the Links is taken over by the shows. The shows are on the large side for the town and are dead during the day, however by night the dodgy disco music is pumped out at full volume whilst people try their hand at the dodgems!

Still not the best ! The decor and structure is amazing but the atmosphere is dead and the food is…read morestill shocking!

I visited Time Twisters on a very wet February morning when the schools were off and was told it…read morewas the busiest day they had had. We did have to wait about half an hour to get in but it was well worth the wait. The play area is well designed, fun, educational and good value for money. The play area is great. I had a three year old and a seven year old with me and they both had a ball. Staff were welcoming and very helpful. Although the place was really busy, they were all smiling and nothing was too much bother. And the tables and chairs were good quality and comfortable - unusual in a soft play area! There was a long wait for food because of the volume of lunch orders but the food, when it came was excellent. There was a wonderful choice of healthy options and the portion sizes were generous. When the food arrived it was hot and well presented. The play area was safe and well secure - I had no fears that anyone could get in or out without permission from staff and the toilets were clean and well equipped. I was impressed with the stickers to encourage children to wash their hands too. Overall, I cannot recommend Time Twisters highly enough. Although it is a little pricier than some other soft play areas, it is worth the extra cash as both parents and children have a great time. Well done Time Twisters!

Reception was warm, friendly, efficient and informative. The lobby is huge - and it was filled…read morewith different kinds of sofas & chairs. The cafe makes a great decaf soy latte - and the views of the climbing walls are fantastic from the cafe. The lockerrooms are pretty nice - clean and lots of space (no bumping into people as you change or access a locker). The coin-return system used by the Edinburgh Royal Commonwealth recreation system is great - just leaves you with a key to keep track of though (at the Royal Commonwealth pool - the key is on a bracelet). The climbing gym itself is huge - I wasn't prepared for this from the pictures - there's no way to do it justice. The 25 m wall just goes on and on! There are walls that are at a slope (like slab climbing) and corner problems with shelves for mantling and problems you have to jump onto - which we don't really have at my local climbing gym chain (Touchstone). The materials used for the walls and the jugs/pieces are much more abrasive than what we have at my local gyms (though ours could just be worn). Everything is color coded as well - you have a climb with all the same color pieces -- it's much simpler that way, though at night - the kind of lights they turn on make all the red-colors blend together (ie, is that purple or red? I can't tell now that the lights are on!). The ropes they use are different, too - esp on the 25m top rope routes - much stiffer (for obvious reasons) and overall, the ropes all seemed to be heavier and stiffer. If you're used to having to "prove" you know how to belay - EICA just has you sign a waiver that says "I'm a grown up and I know what I'm doing and won't sue you if I'm an idiot" - no belay test, no belay card - have at it, kiddies! On this visit, I didn't get to try any of the outdoor climbing - but I'll work on my lead climbing classes and certifications this winter so I can travel and climb outdoors more next year. I hope to visit England again - and want to see more climbing gyms - I've heard there are some in old churches (ie, crazy high walls and indoors).

I went there recently for a meeting not a climbing experience, but what I could see was amazing. I…read morewill definitely be back to conquer the vast amounts of climbing possibilities and challenge my fear of heights! Its a place for adults and children. Lots of space inside and outside for parking. There is a cafeteria where you can eat, converse and indulge. I am sure they are offer memberships, so why not give it a try. Just one thing - you might need a car to get there. Not sure about the public transport as its a bit outside of Edinburgh , near Ratho Station.