Stirling's King's Park is most definitely somewhere you should head to as the summer months get…read morecloser and closer. It's easy to forget about this cracking little park, as it's a wee walk away from the centre of Stirling. Not far though, mind, and worth making the short journey to. KP is just perfect for a chilled out afternoon, a leisurely stroll, a jog; whatever you fancy. There's often families in the park and it definitely feels much safer this side of town. The park also has some lovely flower displays and a pretty little fountain by the gates. It's of a really good size and always seems very well kept. There's also quite a few children's play areas, including a mini trail for little ones and their little bikes. There's even what looks like an outdoor gym. Although, I think I'd only have the guts to use it seriously in the early morning, when the park is at its quietest. There's also tennis courts and a skate park, if that's your thing. The more I think about it, this park's got something for everyone and it's definitely family friendly. Also, there always seems to be a lot of dog walkers here. I don't have a dog myself but it's interesting to take a loop or two of the park and indulge in some pooch-watching. In my opinion, that beats people-watching. - Hands down. One of these sunny summery afternoons, I'm taking a blanket, a book and lunch and I'm going to chill out here. I suggest you do too. After all, King's Park is just perfect for a picnic!

A hidden gem which your Julia Donaldson loving little ones will love to visit!…read moreWe call this Gruffalo Wood because of the Gruffalo-themed carvings dotted near the entrance of the Loch. The Loch itself is fairly small, taking only 15-20 mins to walk around. There is lots of nature and wildlife to explore here from toadstools to frogs to wild raspberries to dragonflies... We met a particularly large, and bold, swan today whilst feeding the ducks! On our last visit we stumbled across hundreds and hundreds of baby frogs migrating across the pathway to the Loch. This has become a regular location for us to visit with our little Julia Donaldson fan. There is a play park at the far end of the Loch from the little car park off Kilmardinny Avenue and if you need something to eat or liquid refreshments after your walk there is a recently opened Waitrose with a lovely cafe minutes away by car or foot!

We visited here after discovering Gruffalo Wood through Ali's review :)…read more My friend was visiting with her 6 and 3yr old girls and we took A in his pram. We really enjoyed walking round the loch in the sunshine, the path is pretty easy going for littles and the pram alike, and there are a few places to stop along the way and see the ducks or discover the awesome carvings. We couldn't find the play park, perhaps a little sign would help, but we asked someone and soon found the little path leading up to it. There were some different play areas to explore including an awesome rope swing that the adults enjoyed too! We had a great, free day out and it worked well to tire out the kids. Would highly recommend.

Perhaps the Piers is by no means special. You most probably won't go out of your way to see it. Of…read morecourse, if you do happen to stumble across this area, a pleasant walk by the river shalln't go a miss. But for me, I hold some precious memories of the Piers, so it'll always have a special place in my heart. We often found some interesting things here and one visit even lead to an inspired song-writing session with my band. Now, we always sing of The Piers! The Piers resides by Corton Vale prison and alongside the River Forth. If you follow the trails, you encounter some great views and brilliant photo opportunities. It's usually very quiet and perfect for some off-road cycling or some writing or some reflecting outdoors. At the start of the Piers trail, there's a nesting place for those who frequent the area for fishing. We enjoyed watching this transform over time, and now it's a fully-fledged den with a tin rooftop. Kudos to whoever built that thing! There also used to be a little hut at the top of some stairs near the fishing area, but this was burnt down. Thus, sending our imaginations into overdrive! In fact, every time we visit the Piers, there's something to see, even if it's just the water and its ever-varying levels. It's a beautiful place to walk and discover. So, in short, of course, it's a river and some land. But for me, it was mystery; a place to go full of gin at midnight, with a guitar and accompanying voices; a place to have morning tea, cups in hands; a place to be. If all you have is a walk, then I'm sure it'll be a good one.

Very clean on the edge of The Meadows. There are swings, slide, and climbing structure. Lots of…read moreparents and young children. Did not see any snack counters.

Ok, so I'm obviously not a five-year old child anymore. (I can type and spell and use words like…read moreincongruous, though I haven't had the opportunity yet). But I like play parks. There comes a point when people stop making fun things for you. I mean, I'm in my early 20s, so people give me clothes and books instead of water-guns. Which is totally valid. But I think every now and then people should give their friends bouncy balls and hoola-hoops and frisbees. Seriously. So, this playpark is not half as cool as the one on the Meadows, but it's in a quieter less crowded part of the park. They have slides and monkey bars and all sort of fun things. I've many a time seen children having fun on them. (I've also seen older teenagers having fun on them. At night. With beer). If you feel like you're tired of being 20, maybe have a visit. If you're a parent, then take your children there, 'cause that's where it looks like the party is.

This place is fantastic for a sunny day out (if you're fortunate enough to catch one)…read more It's an unusual place to visit in that you have the combined attractions of forest walks with one of the longest beaches in Scotland (around 5 miles). There's also a large picnic table area which permits BBQ's, so you really could spend the whole day here. Access to the site is currently a very reasonable £2 per vehicle and there is plenty of parking as well as toilet facilities. If you've not been before, I'd definitely recommend it for a relaxing day trip!

Relaxing Gardens with established trees & kids play area. During the summer putting green, red ash…read moretennis courts & bouncy castle.

A well kept clean park suitable for children aged 1-8years approx. There are two play areas, one…read morewith swings and one with a few climbing frames which have chutes and firemans poles on them. There is a large grassy area suitable for picnics in the summer. During summer time and at weekends there is a little shop open which sell tickets for a bouncy castle, tennis and mini golf. They also sell a small variety of snacks. The park is clean, though parking is limited.

Great wee (actually quite big) walk surrounded by wonderful woodland and a fast flowing…read moreriver/waterfall. There's a great history to this place as well - worth stopping to read the various signposts. And those benches in the car park... MADNESS!

The things I love about this place is that if you take the anti-clockwise route, the waterfalls are…read morehidden and are a lovely surprise when going downhill. When the light is right, it hits the falls and looks beautiful. The return walk is approx 1hr, with some steep hills and slippy surfaces. Car parking is free I think, but if not, you can always park for free in the town itself and it is only a 5 minute walk to the start of the Birks. A gem and a must go!

we spent a whole day in craigtoun and really enjoyed it. it…read morewas £5 each to enter, but once you are inside everything else is free. we went on the boating lake twice, the second time the queues where pretty big, played putting golf, played crazy golf, went on the miniture train, played a few games of bowls and walked round some lovely gardens. the little ones went on the trampolines, bouncy castles and the play equiptment. we took a picnic although there was a cafe we only bought ice creams. there are toilets available also. we had a really enjoyable day and would recommend it to anyone. we found there to be one thing missing, a place that size could easill accomadte a maze, but thats personal opinion. really great place to vistit

From the owner: Craigtoun Country Park is a great-value family day out, just outside St Andrews. The park is open…read moreall year round with free entry, free parking and many free facilities. From Easter to October we run a selection of supervised, paid attractions. Seasonal Paid Attractions The Craigtoun Amenities will run from Saturday 28th March 2020 as follows: Monday - Sunday: 1030 - 1600 hrs (till 1730 hrs: 29th June - 23rd August) Saturday 28th March - Sunday 19th April: Open Daily Saturday 25th April - Sunday 24th May: Weekends Only Mon 4th, Fri 8th, Thu 21st, Fri 22nd & Mon 25th May: Special Holiday Openings Saturday 30th May - Sunday 23rd August: Open Daily Saturday 29th August - Sunday 27th September: Weekends Only Saturday 3rd - Sunday 25th October: Open Daily Ticket Prices Individual ride ticket (under 3s free) - £1.70 Buy 10 tickets, get 1 free - £17.00 Day Band Individual (under 3s free) - £8.50 Day Band for a Group of Three - £24.00 Day Band for a Group of Four - £28.00 Day Band for an Additional Group Member - £5.00 Season Pass Individual (under 3s free) - £32.00 Season Pass for a Group of Three - £80.00 Season Pass for a Group of Four - £90.00 Season Pass for an Additional Group Member - £25.00 The Craigtoun Café Wednesday 25th March - Sunday 25th October: Open Daily, 1000 - 1700 hrs (hot food till 1600 hrs) Off Season: Wednesday - Sunday, 1000 - 1600 hrs (hot food till 1500 hrs)

For me, this wasn't a great experience and unless you drive it's pretty difficult to reach and a…read morehard walk but with lovely views of corn fields, rolling hills in the distance and woodlands. There are clear signposts which led me to the visitor centre and a cafe and probably more points of interests but by the time I got there and the time it would take to get back to any public transport in Linlithgow, I didn't have time to go any further which is disappointing and unless it was easier to get to by public transport, it's unlikely I'd return.

The best dog walking! Lots of options from gentle to hilly to paved to off the beaten path. Big…read morereservoir is great for a short loop. If you walk right up to the top park boundary it is much quieter. Also great for families as they have a play park and visitors center with a cafe.