East Links Family Park in East Lothian is a family adventure park where kids of all ages can run, jump, slide, and bounce in a variety of fun activities. The animal-themed park borders John Muir Country Park and Belhaven Bay near Dunbar. Discover everything you need to know about East Links Family Park with this complete visitor guide.
| Address: | East Links Family Park, Dunbar, EH42 1XF |
| Opening Hours: | Monday to Sunday 10 am to 5 pm |
| Admission Price: | Adult or child £15 Concession £12 Family ticket (4+ people) £14 each |
| Parking: | Free on-site car park |
| Contact: | 01368 863607 enquiries@eastlinks.co.uk |
| Facilities: | Toilets, gift shop, cafe, disabled access |
| Photos: | Virtual Tour YouTube Video |
Overview
East Links Family Park in East Lothian is an engaging outdoor adventure venue ideal for family outings. It offers an array of activities, including a farm-themed park, animal encounters, train rides, and play areas. It’s a delightful blend of fun, learning, and nature exploration that all members of the family will enjoy.
If you ever find yourself stuck indoors with kids that are begging to burn off some energy, you could do a lot worse than taking them to East Links Family Park near Dunbar in East Lothian. This family-oriented visitor attraction is set on a 20-acre farm that features a wide selection of farm-themed activities presented in a ‘do what you like/touch what you like’ environment.
It’s a superb day out if you’re the type of family that enjoys playing together, and there are lots of activities for both children and adults to enjoy, though it’s primarily aimed at young children.
Even so, there’s nothing to stop you from climbing into one of the pedal karts to go racing down the track around the animal pens or zooming down the giant slide in the hill fort. After all, why should it just be the kids that have all the fun?
The Highlights
1: East Links Family Park is a farm-themed park where you can get up close and personal with a variety of animals. You can feed and pet many of the animals, providing a fun and educational experience for all ages.
2: An extra mention has to be made for the go-kart track that circles the animal enclosures. Hurtling around the track and stopping off every now and then to feed the llamas, donkeys, and other animals is great fun.
3: The park is known for its wide range of activities that go beyond the typical farm experience. There’s a miniature train ride, a go-kart track, a large outdoor play area, and even a trampoline platform.
Visiting Tips
1: The café is a bit pricey but there are plenty of picnic benches to eat a packed lunch. Alternatively, there’s a BBQ area near Linkfield Car Park (located next to East Links Family Park).
2: After a trip to the park, you might like to visit the John Muir Country Park which is a 2-minute walk away. From the park, it’s just a short walk to Dunbar Beach.
3: If you’re looking for something else to do in the area I recommend driving a few miles down the road to Dunbar. Dunbar has a historic harbour that’s worth exploring and there’s a swimming pool next to it.
Tourist Information
Children certainly won’t get bored at East Links Family Park. There’s a crazy golf course, a ball-blast arena, a miniature train ride, a climbing frame fortress, trampolines, go-karts, climbing walls, and a whole zoo’s worth of animals to see.
Highlights for any family have to be the 4-seater go-karts that can be cycled around the track that circles the outskirts of the park, and the single-seater racing karts that can be driven around their own purpose-built track.
A miniature train safari takes passengers on a 1/2-mile journey through the animal paddocks where you’ll see llamas, deer, sheep, donkeys, and even emus following the carriages in the hopes of getting some food chucked at them. The llamas will no doubt try to poke their heads into the carriages so it’s probably best to make sure you’ve bought a cup of animal feed before you set off.
The pedal-kart track follows the train and also passes through a small woodland where you can stop to play a selection of musical instruments if the mood takes you, before feeding the cute family of wallabies that have their own enclosure hidden away in the trees.
Keep an eye out for the herd of deer on the other side of the woodland as these normally timid animals will be only too happy to be hand-fed, while the donkeys, sheep, and pigs further up the track will enjoy a good scratch along with any leftover animal feed you might have.
The centre of East Links Family Park includes a petting zoo where small animals can be held and cuddled, and there’s a selection of bouncy trampolines, swings, slides, and climbing frames too.
The largest activity in the park is the giant fortress, a huge wooden building that features tunnels, climbing nets, rope bridges, and aerial runways over multiple levels. There are even cannons in the towers so that families can battle against each other with foam balls.
The only potential negative about East Links Family Park is that it’s aimed at younger children, so if you have teenagers I don’t think they’re going to be too impressed if you haul them along with their younger siblings.
That being said, you could always let them off the leash to roam around the John Muir Country Park with its lovely golden beaches and trails through the nearby dunes and forest. The park is located next door to East Links and has a car park next to a children’s adventure course, toilets, a BBQ area, and a decked walkway to Belhaven Beach. Alternatively, head north to North Berwick and climb Berwick Law to get amazing views of the Bass Rock.
A day at East Links Family Park can be rounded off with a meal in the on-site restaurant, and there’s a well-stocked gift shop if the kids want to take home a few toys, or you can head into nearby Dunbar with its harbour-side cafés and lovely walks along the coastline.
Things to Do
Train Safari: Take your kids on a journey around the park’s circular train track to see and feed animals like deer, llamas, and donkeys. The train ride is a favourite among children and adults alike – just remember to buy a bag of animal feed before setting off.
Animal Encounters: East Links Family Park is home to a wide variety of animals including pigs, goats, sheep and deer. Enjoy close-up encounters with these cuddly critters, feed them, and learn about their behaviours and habitats.
Fortress Play Area: This adventure-packed area is designed to keep children entertained for hours on end. It features a climbing wall, trampolines, slides, and a multi-level fortress. The play area is carefully designed to provide a safe and fun environment for children to explore, play, and make new friends.
Go-Karting: Get your adrenaline pumping on the pedal-powered go-kart track. There are two tracks to zoom around, a shorter one with twisty-turny bends and a much longer one that goes around the park where you can hop off to say hello to the animals in their enclosures.
Play Zone: East Links Family Park has a section set aside for fun activities where adults and children can jump on bouncy trampolines or putt a few holes of crazy golf, and there’s also a play park where kids can climb, swing, and clamber to their heart’s content.
Things to Do Nearby
Dunbar Harbour. Dunbar EH42 1HW. 8-minute drive.
A historic fishing harbour that is still in use by Dunbar fishermen. The harbour is famous for Dunbar Battery which is a historic landmark that has been converted into an outdoor amphitheatre. The ruins of Dunbar Castle overlook the harbour though access to it is not possible.
John Muir Country Park. Dunbar 1XG. 4-minute walk.
An expansive local nature reserve is dedicated to naturalist John Muir. The park borders Dunbar and has a variety of wildlife habitats, including Dunbar Beach, the River Tyne, woodland, mudflats, sand dunes, and grassland. There are paths running throughout the park, and a car park can be found near the East Links Park entrance.
John Muir Birthplace Museum. 126 High St, Dunbar EH42 1JJ. 7-minute drive.
An independent museum dedicated to showing visitors the life and work of John Muir, the Dunbar-born naturalist who moved to America and founded many of the nation’s top parks including Yosemite. The museum contains exhibits and artefacts from Muir’s early life in Scotland as well as displays that explain his conservation work in America.
The John Muir Way. 126 High St, Dunbar EH42 1JJ. 7-minute drive.
The 215 km John Muir Way is a hiking trail that runs across Scotland from Helensburgh on the west coast to Dunbar on the east. The start/end point on the east coast is officially outside the John Muir Museum in Dunbar High Street.
Tyninghame Beach. 12-minute drive.
A very clean and less-visited sandy beach that is separated from Seacliff Beach by a lengthy section of shingle. There is a rough path that follows the coast south past Whitberry Point and St. Baldred’s Cradle local nature reserve. Tyninghame Beach has a paid parking area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals are at East Links Family Park?
East Links Family Park features a variety of farm animals and smaller creatures that kids and families can interact with.
Farm Animals: The park is home to a range of farm animals such as cows, sheep, pigs and goats. Children can feed and pet some of these animals under supervision.
Small Animals: The small animal barn at the park houses rabbits, guinea pigs, and other small creatures that children can hold and interact with.
Exotic Animals: The park also hosts a few non-native species. These include animals like wallabies and llamas.
Birds: A variety of birds, such as ducks and geese, can be seen around the park.
Do you have to book East Links Family Park?
It is necessary to pre-book tickets for East Links Family Park. Visit the East Links website to book and check availability.
What visitor facilities are there at East Links Family Park?
East Links Family Park has a car park, gift shop, restaurant, and toilets. Visit their Facebook page to enquire about available facilities.
Are dogs allowed at East Links Family Park?
Dogs are not allowed inside East Links Family Park due to the number of farmyard animals that are housed there.
