Edinburgh Zoo, A Place For Kids And Adults Alike

Edinburgh Zoo was established in 1911 and has been on the same site ever since. It has developed over the years to become one of the most enjoyable, educational and exciting zoos to visit, especially if you’re looking for a day out you can share with your children.

How to Get There and Parking Facilities

The zoo is located around two miles out of the city centre in the suburb of Corstorphine. There is a good number of local service buses that run past the zoo (12, 26 or 31). The best thing to do is ask the driver to give you a shout when you get to the zoo. They are more than happy to do so. Either that or the masses of parents with kids getting off at the same stop may give it away.

If you are arriving by car either from the city centre or from the bypass keep an eye out for the Holiday Inn Hotel as the zoo is right next door. That would be an unusual wake up call if you stay there.

A word of advice, if you aim to park in the car park (�2 parking fee) or anywhere near the zoo then arrive early. The car park will only hold 500 cars and can, on busy days close at 11am. Busy days include the Easter Holidays, any bank or local holiday and the Summer school holidays ESPECIALLY if the sun is shining. So as the zoo opens at 9am, be there early.

If you arrive and the car park is full there is parking on the streets surrounding the zoo. The staff are helpful and will inform you of local parking. Be wary though of parking restrictions. Do not park on greenways unless you want to be towed.

One advantage of arriving early is you miss the queues that can build at peak times just to pay for entrance into the zoo. So once again be early.

What to bring

• Preparing for the weather - As anywhere, a good day out starts with being prepared. A sunny day can, in Scotland turn into a wet and windy day and then back into a sunny day, normally within a short space of time.Being prepared for this can make the difference between having fun in the rain or being miserable in the rain. So brollies and cagoules are vital. Unless it�s a heat wave and the suntan lotion and water is vital.
• Bring good footwear - As I will probably point out a number of times in this article, Edinburgh Zoo is on a hill, so a good pair of walking shoes or trainers would be advantageous. It may be important to you to look good in your stiletto heels but your feet will not thank you after walking around the zoo.
• Where to eat - There are a number of restaurants and outlets around the park selling food but one of the attractions of Edinburgh Zoo is the view from the top of the hill. Which makes it an ideal location for a picnic, though bring a blanket as there are some picnic tables but they get snapped up quickly. There is also a play area located at the top of the hill making it an ideal location for a rest stop.

The view is astounding. Edinburgh has a number of hills dotted around with one of the highest being Corstorphine Hill. So the view from the top on a clear day is breathtaking.

To the east you can see Edinburgh Castle and Arthur Seat, to the south are located the Pentland Hills and the Hillend Ski Centre, to the north you have the Firth of Forth and across to Fife, and to the west you have the airport and the route to Glasgow.

Entry into the Zoo

Tourist attractions in Edinburgh are not cheap and bringing a family to them can sometimes feel like breaking the bank. However the secret is to research them beforehand to get you value for money. Find out the cost, if you can spend all day in them, what activities are on throughout the day etc.

There are a number of tourist attractions that you pay your �30 family ticket, then join a guided tour and find yourselves out on the street again an hour later. These are not value for money. Make sure you visit places that you can explore at your leisure and there is enough to see and do to last the whole day.

So, entry into the zoo is through the Reception area located just off Corstorphine Road where you will find the shop, information point, ticket desk and a permanent exhibition regarding the zoos fairly ambitious plan for its future.

There is one slight drawback; your starting point is at the bottom of the hill and every way is up. One solution is to take the safari ride in the trailer to the top of the hill.

Safari Ride

This ride has a commentary by the driver and as it winds it way to the top of the hill you learn about the animals on the route and also get a good view as the trailer is fairly high off the ground.

Numbers are limited on each ride and as it is a very popular service being early yet again pays off. There is no cost for the safari ride but there is a donation option.

What to see and do

Edinburgh Zoo has over the last few years been focusing on endangered species and their conservation. Therefore certain animals that you may expect to find there could possibly not be in their collection but you will find an excellent monkey house, penguin enclosure, the only koalas in the UK, tigers, lions, chimps and the most gorgeous pygmy hippo that you just want to take home amongst many others.

Animals like any sensible creatures, take shelter when the weather takes a turn for the worse so therefore the best time to go to the zoo is in the warmer months when the animals are more likely to be out and about enjoying the sun. Look at the lemurs when this happens. Its takes sunbathing to a whole new level.

There is no ideal route round the zoo though the easiest one is downhill. The best idea is to wander. Have a rough idea of the times of the informative talks by the animal keepers so you can be in the area when these happen. You will receive a list of daily of events and talks when you buy your ticket.

The Penguin Parade

One of the main reasons that people go to the zoo is the daily penguin parade. This is normally held at 2.15pm and involves the penguins walking around outside their enclosure along a designated path. At peak times this can be crowded and as views can be limited it is best to claim your spot early.

Another fun thing to go to, though it depends on your perspective is the animal handling classes that run daily during the school holidays. There are normally four classes held each day and as the numbers are limited it is organised through collecting a ticket from one of the giftshops. Again be early to avoid disappointment.

All in all it is value for money and an enjoyable day out (and remember it is on a hill).