Blair Drummond Safari Park

It may be home to some of the most confused lions in the world, wondering just quite how they ended up spending winters in Scotland, but for a family day out Blair Drummond is hard to beat. Spread around this massive park are – along with the lions – other big hitters such as a tiger, elephants and giraffes, and more unsung heroes like meerkats, penguins and lemurs. The animals are generally housed in large enclosures, with plenty of space elsewhere for little humans to mess around on playgrounds and the free pedalos. Other neat touches include a free boat ride out to an island inhabited by chimpanzees a sea lion show, as well as a drive-through section which provides a little slice of the safari experience in Scotland. The new birds of prey show is also spectacular, particularly the sea eagle (pictured here), Europe's largest eagle. On-site food and drink outlets are reasonably priced, with the highlight freshly barbecued burgers.