The summer is here and so are six weeks of holidays to fill.

Here are some ideas for days out, events and local fun.

Lots of them are free!

• Edinburgh Museums and Galleries will be open over the break. Lauriston Castle, The City Arts Centre and a wealth of other venues are open 7 days a week with lots of exciting events and exhibitions.

• In particular the newly revamped Museum of Childhood is worth a visit after a refit of the main gallery. As well as the museum itself there are events through the summer. Check out the events programme here.

• The National Museum of Scotland in Chambers Street are offering a big range of events and activities over the coming weeks for free. They are also currently hosting Tim Peake’s Spaceship and for two weeks they are running a free Space Camp of kids space acience activities have a brilliant exhibition on the history of Scottish Pop music, from Lonnie Donegan to Young Fathers, so take the kids and abuse their ears with the sounds of your childhood!

• Edinburgh’s Libraries are always open in the holidays for your reading needs and also are running their summer reading challenge, Mischief Makers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18LIsnh9CNE.

• The Botanics are a lovely place to visit in the sun. Check out their website for summer events.

• There are great family walks in and around Edinburgh. A good website for finding these is Walk Highlands .

• Mr Bennett’s top 5 family walks near Edinburgh are:
  1. Granton to Cramond. The walk along the forth from Granton to Cramond would be a fantastic walk as it is. But add in the collectable brass rubbing points along the way and ice cream, or a pub lunch,at the other end and this is probably the best family walk in Edinburgh. Scooter, buggy and bike friendly too.
  2. The Craiglockhart Hills. are right on our doorstep just a bus ride away. They are great for a woodland walk, a lochside walk and a hill for a picnic. Extend your walk by walking along the canal to the start.
  3. Linlithgow Loch is a very gentle stroll. Just wander around the loch and visit the play park.
  4. Croy Hill a bit further afield and a bit more challenging but definitely fun. Also- has romans.
  5. Direleton to North Berwick This one is four gentle miles and involves beaches galore, a woodland adventure playground, a lighthouse island view and chips and ice cream at the end and by the playground. Make a day of it.

• The National Mining Museum is open through the holiday and is always a favourite with it’s mine tunnel recreation tour, and very easy to get to on the borders railway from Haymarket.

• If you are going out on the trains this summer make sure you take advantage of Scotrail’s family offers “Kids Go Free” and the Family Rail card (1/3 off fares for all the family)

• Gorgie Farm is always there for Dalry Locals and getting better all the time.

• There’s tonnes to do at the Edinburgh Fringe, with many family shows free.

• Further afield the beaches at Portobello, North Berwick, Dunbar and Eymouth are all great for day trips. As are the many beaches over in Fife.

• If you are visiting Glasgow you can drop into Kelvingrove and the amazing Riverside Museum of transport for free.

• There are also a tonne of events locally which we have already flagged up. Head to our news list to see all the things that are going on.

Have a great summer.