If going to Europe

[obnoxiousmom]

Which place has the best opportunity for breathtaking scenery and is kid friendly

[Jon]

Define "kid friendly" please. Merely a place where they'd be welcome, or somewhere that would hold their interest while mom & dad enjoyed the sights?

[obnoxiousmom]

I would say both lol. If Im taking pictures, her dad can watch her but I also want places where we can go as a family and she can run around without getting into trouble, lost or hurt. She would be just shy of 4 when we go.

[NinetyEight]

There are about 45 countries in 'Europe' and thousands and thousands of cities and towns.... I'm sure there must be one place that is kid friendly with a nice view :-)

A bit more specific?

[Jon]

Letting her run around sort of rules out major cities; smaller towns can be picturesque and less crowded (out of season), so less "kid risky". Greece outside of Athens was pretty uncrowded in October and there's plenty of outside things to see. That was pretty well the end of the season though. I wouldn't count on anything like that in June-August. Same with the smaller towns in Tuscany, in November. You'll probably find that holding true across the board - stay out of the cities and miss the crowds. Ireland might be a good possibility. She'd probably find it easier to talk to the locals if she did get separated.

[theague]

Following with the line Jon is taking, I'd suggest Scotland. It's a breathtaking country, especially the highland areas. Isle of Skye is simply amazing. You cannot go wrong from a photography standpoint. Really any of the coastal areas in the whole UK, if you like sea scapes you are hard pressed to find better photo opportunities.

I've heard of a place in Northern England that is supposed to be some fun place.. rides and the like, in a big dome if I remember? that might be near the Lake District which is also a breathtaking area. I could be remembering totally wrong too. lol (Hopefully my next visit to the UK will be Lakes District).

As far as kid friendly, there are not a lot of kid attractions from what I observed (In Scotland). Then again, I'm not a parent so I was not looking for that kind of amenity. I would say that the people in general are kid friendly though. You can even take your children into the pubs there. I don't know if that ends at a certain time or not but it's not frowned upon like it is in the states.

[neilwood32]

Being a Scot, i have to pipe up and second theague with Scotland.

I think we have almost everything covered here : mountains, valleys, lush countryside, wildlife, birds (eagles etc), seascapes, cityscapes (Edinburgh is a world heritage site), festivals (there is the Edinburgh Festival coming up here & also the fringe - with 1,000's of acts to see).

Pretty much everything covered and its a friendly country :D

Oh and yeah kids are allowed in pubs (esp if there is food being served) and the pubs are all designated no smoking areas (as are all indoor spaces) so really nice for families to sit in.

And there are plenty of things for kids to do: Zoos and museums to name but 2!

[hingy]

Another vote for Scotland. I love Oban and the surrounding countryside (and the fact that there is a distillary in the town.) I miss the fantastic seafood that you can get there. And there is a farm nearby where children can play with goats. :)

[Robert16]

I vote for my home country Scotland. You are free to roam in the beautiful countryside without fear of animal attacks or gun totin' land owners. Seriously, travel up the West coast if you get the chance. It is breathtaking.

[AngryCorgi]

If you wander into Spain, you could try out Toledo (a short, cheap ride on the rail from Madrid). It'll wear the little one down though (steep paths/roads throughout the city) and you'll likely wind up carrying her after an hour or so. There are not many cars in the city, though, so thats one less concern when plodding about. The city looks ancient and has that old-world charm to it. It was far less congested than Madrid and just made me feel like I had gone back in time.

[obnoxiousmom]

Let say more specifically, its going to be an August-September time of year. Not sure on specific dates yet. I dont want anything crowded for the kids sake. But some place fun for her to play and still allow me to get beautiful shots. Scotland sounds wonderful although I wonder what my Irish side of the family would think :P Kidding of course

So how is the weather in Scotland that time of year. What specific places in Scotland are the best? We are thinking of renting a cottage for a week or two and need to know where to start looking

[Robert16]

August is the height of Summer in Scotland but there is no guarantee of sunshine. It rains often. The Highlands and Western Isles are mountainous and dramatic. Think 'early morning mist'. I'd be inclined to make a few short stays in some of the friendly bed and breakfast places around the West Coast rather than stay in one place. Car hire would be essential IMO.

[hingy]

You will get some of the best breakfast ever. And driving around Scotland is excellent. If you can make a trip to Skye, you will get great walking and fantastic scenery.

[theague]

As far as where to go and stay... My wife and I stayed here: http://www.kintailaccommodationandtours.co.uk/accommodation.html

It's just a few minutes away from Eilean Donan castle and a few minutes more from Skye. We were there 3 nights and that wasn't long enough. I would probably stay on Skye if I were to go again to that region. If you're into hiking and landscape photography Skye is a MUST on any Scotland trip. Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen are good as far as cities to visit.

[Tdragone]

Stonehenge..
I'd pay to see a little kid knock over one of those stones!