Levengrove Park sits on a stretch of land where the River Leven meets the estuary of the River Clyde (also the inspiration for the name of this very festival!) Levengrove Park is well worth a visit - with formal gardens, an arboretum, basketball courts, a great playpark, the Grove Cafe, a huge playing field for kicking a ball or throwing a frisbee about and (the most important?) public toilets.

I hadn’t been to Dumbarton Castle for a long time but went recently with my family and thought ‘This is a cool castle’. Reviews often use phrases such as ‘hidden gem’ to describe this castle that sits on a volcanic plug (I mean that’s cool already!) Add in a long, colourful history - highlights include serving as a royal residence and a fortress, many fascinating connections from the Vikings to the Scottish Wars of Independence and Mary Queen of Scots sailed to France from here as a child in 1548. If you are lucky enough to visit on a (rare) sunny day you will be treated to stunning views up and down the Clyde. Note this castle is not wheelchair accessible and get in training now for the 500+ steps to the top!

Sometimes it is easy to forget the huge role Dumbarton played in Scottish Shipbuilding during the Industrial Revolution. The Denny Tank Museum is a reminder to everyone though! Here you can see the world’s first commercial ship model experiment tank, the length of a football pitch! Other family friendly activities include finding out how to design your own ship, interactive games, the activity trail - which is a fun, interactive and learning experience way to explore the Museum - or try your hand at smoothing and carving a real wax hull model. Please note that there is no ramp access to the entrance and the museum extends over two levels accessed by a staircase.

We visit Unit 23 skatepark regularly with our own kids and we have friends who travel pretty far to do the same. It is the largest indoor skatepark in the UK. They are proudly rider owned and rider run.

At 56,000 sq-ft they have ramps spread over 3 halls, that are designed to suit everyone and every skill level, including a massive replica of the legendary little devil bowl & a huge foam pit.

In 20 minutes or less by car you can also find some of these fantastic family friendly attractions!

The very lovely, family run Ardardan Farm Shop, Tearoom and ever popular Monty's Farm Park (Pumpkin & Play Sessions are running 13th October too, we have been the past few years and always have a great time - we would advise booking in advance!)

The National Trust for Scotland's beautiful Geilston Garden's. Keep an eye on their website/instagram as they often have family activities running over school holidays.

And last but not least, Loch Lomond Faerie Trail just up the A82. Their seasonal Scary Faerie Trail will be running during the school holidays too and again, we would advise booking in advance!