Amy's Family Stay at Scotland's Oldest Inhabited House

When people imagine a historic Scottish house stay, they often picture candlelit corridors, priceless antiques and children being politely encouraged not to touch anything. Traquair House certainly has history - more than 900 years of it - but what struck me most during our recent family stay was just how relaxed, welcoming and genuinely enjoyable it was with two energetic boys in tow.

In early April 2026, we packed the car in Yorkshire and headed north for a two-night stay at Traquair House in the Scottish Borders with our sons, aged seven and ten. Just 30 miles from Edinburgh and around 50 miles from Glasgow, Traquair somehow manages to feel wonderfully tucked away from the modern world whilst still being perfectly placed for family adventures.

Visited by 27 Scottish Kings and Queens, including Mary Queen of Scots, Traquair dates back to 1107 and has been lived in by the Stuart family since 1491. Yet despite all this remarkable history, there is nothing stiff or intimidating about staying here. Instead, it feels deeply loved, wonderfully atmospheric and thoroughly lived in - like stepping into the pages of a storybook that still has muddy boots by the door.

Day One: Arriving at Traquair

There is something rather magical about arriving at Traquair House for the first time. The long drive builds anticipation slowly, winding through parkland before eventually revealing the famous house beyond its imposing wrought iron gates.

We had timed our visit entirely by chance to coincide with Traquair's annual opening date to the public and Easter celebrations, which gave the whole estate an especially joyful atmosphere. Families wandered the grounds clutching hot chocolates, children darted excitedly towards the maze and visitors gathered to learn more about the extraordinary history of the estate.

After parking outside the East Wing, we were warmly welcomed by the housekeeper Lucy, who instantly made us feel less like guests checking into accommodation and more like friends arriving for the weekend. She guided us to The White Room, our home for the next two nights, gave us plenty of helpful tips on making the most of our stay and drew our attention to our complimentary copy of Traquair's official guidebook; a beautiful keepsake.

The White Room was exactly the sort of bedroom one secretly hopes for when booking a historic house stay. Spacious and filled with natural light from two large sash windows overlooking different aspects of the grounds, it combined grandeur with genuine comfort. The imposing four-poster bed gave the room a wonderfully romantic feel whilst the boys were delighted with their z-beds tucked into a cosy corner. Antique furniture, traditional soft furnishings and centuries-old character blended effortlessly with the modern comforts expected of a 21st-century stay.

One of the loveliest aspects of the accommodation here for families is the layout. The White Room and neighbouring Blue Room are accessed through the same external entrance and share access to the enchanting Lower Drawing Room - a communal sitting room with fascinating antiques, including a Chippendale-style mirror and a beautiful ebonised Flemish cabinet. This quickly became one of my favourite spaces in the whole house. And not least for the fact that it was only to be admired from the doorway during the day but then ours to enjoy from 5pm.

But first, there was a maze to conquer!

The Maze, The Goats and The Joy of Running Free

Traquair invites guests to "Discover Scotland's Largest Hedged Maze" and honestly, this alone could entertain children for hours.

Created in 1981 and planted with more than 1,500 yew trees, the maze was deliberately designed without dead ends, making it all the more tantalising as you twist and turn your way towards the centre. Our boys sprinted off with great confidence before rapidly becoming disoriented whilst Jon and I followed at a more leisurely pace, laughing every time we encountered them unexpectedly around another corner.

Eventually we reached the centre platform where you can look out across the maze itself towards the house - one of those wonderfully simple family moments that somehow becomes a core memory.

Afterwards, we visited the resident goats, pigs and chickens before making our way to the mini-adventure playground. Leo declared the swings "so high I felt like I was going to soar above the mountains," which perfectly captured the spirit of the afternoon: children completely immersed in freedom and imagination.

What makes Traquair so ideal for families is that it allows children space to simply be children. Vast lawns invite football matches. Woodland paths encourage adventures. There is history everywhere, but none of it feels overly curated or untouchable.

Cake, Hot Chocolate and Walled Gardens

Eventually the chilly spring air led us towards the Old Walled Garden Café, tucked within the original 1745 cottage just off the main drive.

The café feels like a natural extension of Traquair's hospitality - relaxed, warm and quietly excellent. We met Val, the chef, and her dedicated team, and warmed up with generous mugs of hot chocolate alongside an array of freshly baked cakes, all of which disappeared remarkably quickly.

Outside, the walled garden was beginning to wake fully into spring. Heritage fruit trees stretched above winding paths whilst early blooms added bursts of colour against old stone walls. The boys raced ahead whilst we smelled the roses, enjoying that rare holiday sensation of having absolutely nowhere urgent to be.

Later we played football on the vast lawn beneath the imposing Bear Gates - famously closed after Bonnie Prince Charlie's departure in 1745 and, according to legend, destined to remain shut until a Stuart monarch once again sits on the throne.

At Traquair, even the gates come with a story.

Dinner in Innerleithen

That evening we drove the short distance into Innerleithen for dinner at the Traquair Arms Hotel. Although there is a beautiful woodland walk directly from the estate into the village, a light shower persuaded us into the car instead.

The meal was exactly what we wanted after a busy day outdoors - hearty, comforting and served with genuine warmth. Back at Traquair House later that evening, the estate had fallen beautifully quiet.

The Lower Drawing Room

Once the boys were asleep, Jon and I crept along to the Lower Drawing Room with drinks from the honesty minibar.

This room deserves its own chapter.

Roped off during daytime tours, the room somehow feels even more magical once you are actually sitting inside it after hours. Family portraits gaze down from the walls, original 19th-century hand-blocked French wallpaper peels gently with age in places, and centuries-old heirlooms sit atop polished wooden tables beside the grand fireplace.

The chaises longues have faded and softened with time and the deep stone window recesses frame darkness outside. It felt less like staying in accommodation and more like temporarily inhabiting history itself.

It was wonderfully novel knowing that, come morning, visitors would stand at the threshold marvelling into the very room where we had spent the evening chatting quietly over a whisky and a glass of merlot.

Day Two: Edinburgh Adventures and Castle Calm

The next morning began in the Still Room, one of the most peaceful breakfast settings imaginable.

Painted in calming pale blue tones and overlooking the maze to the back of the house, the room lives beautifully up to its name. Historically, still rooms were used in great houses for preparing preserves, medicines and household remedies, and Traquair's still room retains much of that old-world practicality and charm.

Ancient shelving still holds cups, saucers and silverware, whilst glass-fronted cabinets display delicate porcelain collections.

Breakfast itself was superb - a hearty Scottish spread that comfortably fuelled our ambitious day trip into Edinburgh.

One of Traquair's great advantages for families is its location. Rural enough to feel escapist, yet close enough to the city for a very manageable day out.

Our day in the capital included the wonderfully chaotic Camera Obscura & World of Illusions, fish and chips eaten outdoors beneath Edinburgh Castle whilst listening to a piper, and the Edinburgh Dungeons - which thoroughly delighted the boys and mildly traumatised Jon after being repeatedly selected by the actors.

(For families considering it, the Edinburgh Dungeons is generally recommended for children aged eight and above due to some darker themes and jump scares.)

By evening we returned happily exhausted to the calm of the Borders before driving into Peebles (just a 12-minute drive from Traquair House) for dinner at Franco's, a welcoming family-run Italian restaurant overlooking the River Tweed.

Back at Traquair later that evening, the contrast between lively city adventures and the stillness of the estate felt particularly special.

Day Three: Brewery Tours, Woodland Walks and 900 Years of Stories

Our final day began slowly - another excellent breakfast, second coffees and one last enthusiastic run around the maze for the boys before checkout.

We then enjoyed a private tour of the famous Traquair Brewery, by the wonderfully knowledgeable Ian.

The brewery itself is extraordinary: a fully working 300-year-old brewery still operating within the estate using traditional methods and original infrastructure. Revived in 1965 by Peter Maxwell Stuart - assisted sometimes by his daughter, a young and enthusiastic Catherine Maxwell Stuart, now the 21st Lady of Traquair - after lying dormant for more than a century, Traquair became one of Scotland's pioneering microbreweries and today exports its ales worldwide.

Inside, the scent of yeast and oak lingered in the air as we wandered through pipework, pumps and ancient brewing equipment.

We also visited the tiny chapel, wonderfully atmospheric with its aged wood, worn pews and lingering sense of quiet devotion accumulated over centuries.

Then came one of the highlights of the entire stay: Lady Louisa's Walk.

This woodland trail carries you through some of the prettiest areas of the estate, past ancient yew trees, soft green lichen, tumbling burn water and avenues of lime trees. Leo and Jude climbed trees, experimented enthusiastically with the acoustic sound installations and generally embraced the freedom of the outdoors whilst we soaked in the peace of the landscape.

Finally, we explored the house itself.

Traquair's museum rooms are captivating because they still feel deeply personal. Embroideries, letters, portraits and relics tell stories of loyalty, rebellion and survival. Hidden staircases and the priest's escape route hint at the dangerous realities of recusant Catholic life through centuries of political turmoil.

Walking through these rooms, climbing worn staircases once used by royalty and hearing stories of Jacobite intrigue, you gain a real sense that Traquair is not merely preserving history - it is still living within it.

Before leaving, we stopped once more at the café for lunch, sampling delicious quiche, wraps and fresh apple juice made from apples grown in Cupid's Garden orchard on the estate itself.

Then, reluctantly, it was time to leave, saying a fond farewell to Lucy back in the house, to Caroline and Gill in the office and to the tour guides who had all made us feel so welcome at the oldest inhabited house in Scotland.

Why Traquair Works So Well for Families

What stayed with me most after our visit was how balanced the entire experience felt.

Traquair offers all the grandeur, history and atmosphere one hopes for in a Scottish historic house stay, yet somehow remains deeply comfortable and family-friendly at the same time. Children are welcomed wholeheartedly rather than merely accommodated. Adults can appreciate the extraordinary history and interiors whilst children simply enjoy the freedom, the maze, the woodland adventures and the novelty of castle life.

There is no manufactured entertainment here. No forced "family activities". Instead, Traquair offers something far rarer: space, imagination, warmth and authenticity.

For our boys, it was an adventure.

For us, it was a chance to briefly slow down and inhabit somewhere truly special.

And somewhere between the maze, the ancient Drawing Room, the woodland walks and breakfast in the Still Room, Traquair House quietly became one of our favourite family stays in Scotland.

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