blair drummond safari park open in october

Blair Drummond Safari Park

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park in Stirlingshire is Scotland’s only safari park. This family-friendly attraction is home to over 350 animals, many of which are free to roam the 120-acre estate. Visitors can enjoy a drive through several enclosures before entering a large animal-themed adventure park that features a zoo, fun-fair rides, restaurants and cafes, and play parks.

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, located near Stirling, is the only safari park in Scotland, and it’s also one of the country’s busiest tourist attractions. Covering more than 120 acres, the park contains several enclosures that are home to a variety of animals, mainly from Africa and Asia, along with a few inhabitants from closer to home.

Visitors can drive through each reserve in their car and get some great close-up views of the free-roaming animals before heading into the adventure park on foot. Once inside the park, there are lots of attractions to keep visitors entertained such as Lemur Land, Chimp Island, the bird of prey habitat, and Pets Farm, to name a few.

Other attractions include fairground rides and amusements, a pirate ship and adventure fort, as well as a boat safari, pedal boats, dodgems, a rollercoaster, and a carousel. Meanwhile, food and drink are catered for with a restaurant and several snack outlets.

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park also has a more serious side as it’s involved with conservation initiatives like the Giraffe Conservation Foundation  and the AfriCat Foundation . In addition, the park’s education team regularly gives talks on the elephants, tigers, rhinos, and other animals they care for.

The Highlights

1: Drummond Safari Park provides a unique opportunity to see a wide range of animals in drive-through reserves and walk-around areas. Visitors can enjoy close-up views of exotic species like lions, rhinos, giraffes, and elephants, all from the safety and comfort of their own vehicles.

2: The park isn’t just about animal viewing; it also offers adventure and play areas designed for children. These include outdoor playgrounds, a giant astraglide slide, pedal boats, and a flying fox zip wire.

1: The park participates in breeding programmes for endangered species and works with various conservation projects. Visitors can learn about these efforts and gain insight into the importance of preserving our natural world through educational talks and interactive displays.

Visiting Tips

1: Since many activities are outdoors, the weather can impact your experience. Dress appropriately and consider taking waterproof clothing or sunscreen, depending on the conditions.

2: To avoid lines and potentially save money, purchase your tickets online before your visit. This can also help you take advantage of online discounts or special offers.

3: The park can get busy, especially on weekends and during school holidays. Arriving early not only helps you beat the crowds but also gives you a full day to explore without feeling rushed.

Tourist Information

There are a huge number of activities for families to enjoy during their visit to Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, although the highlight has to be driving through the reserves to get up close and personal with the animals on display. There are four main reserves to drive through, and each one showcases animals from various parts of the world in habitats that have been designed to be as close as possible to their own natural environments.

The African reserve features non-carnivorous native African species like zebras and white rhinoceros, while the lion reserve is home to a pride of African lions. The lion reserve, in particular, is a great enclosure as it features a raised walkway that can be accessed on foot from inside the park, so you can get a different perspective on the lions once you’ve finished the drive-through safari.

The other two reserves are the Monkey Jungle, which houses a troop of Barbary macaques, and the Asian Reserve, which contains herbivores native to Asia such as deer and camels. All the reserves are well-maintained, and the animals appear to be very happy in their habitats, which is great to see.

Once you’ve finished the safari, it’s time to leave the car behind and set out on foot into the adventure park where you’ll discover various enclosures that are more like the ones you’d find in a zoo. In this area, visitors will see African elephants, rhinos, and giraffes alongside great apes on Chimp Island and ring-tailed lemurs in Lemur Land.

Next to Lemur Land is a lake that you can explore on a pedal boat, but if you prefer a more leisurely cruise you can take a ride on the boat safari which sails around Chimp Island. I highly recommend taking the boat trip as it’s a great way to see the park’s troop of chimpanzees foraging about in the undergrowth.

If you have children and they’re not too exhausted after seeing all the animals, you can take them to a couple of other areas to burn off their remaining energy. First is an enormous wooden fort that has a bird’s nest and slides, and second is a pirate ship that can be found inside a giant sandpit.

Both play parks have picnic benches and BBQ areas nearby, or you can use the on-site restaurant and cafe. There’s also an outside dining area that allows parents to keep watch while the kids are having fun.

Things to Do

Safari Drive-Thru : Embark on an exciting self-drive safari to see zebras, ostriches, bison, and monkeys roam free in the park. Don’t forget to make sure all your windows are closed as you drive, and if you have a convertible, make sure the roof is up before you enter the lion enclosure!

Keeper Talks : The team at Blair Drummond Safari Park holds daily talks about the most popular animals, including what they like to eat, where they come from, and how they manage to survive in the challenging conditions of the modern world. Conservation is a key aspect of the talks, but they’re also fun and engaging for children.

Sea Lion Show: Enjoy the clever California sea lions’ daily live training demonstrations as they display their agility skills. The keepers also provide insightful commentary about the natural behaviours of these animals in a show that’s easily one of the most popular in the entire park.

Bird of Prey Centre : See an incredible collection of eagles, hawks, and owls at the Bird of Prey Centre. The daily flying demonstrations are a must-see, as you can watch these magnificent creatures soar through the sky and learn about their crucial role in the ecosystem.

Adventure Playground : The park’s adventure playground is a fun-filled area with a fortress, pirate ship, and giant slides. Kids can burn off energy while parents relax in a nearby seating area with a coffee in hand, knowing their children are in a safe and secure environment. The playground is designed to be inclusive, so children of all abilities can enjoy it.

Things to Do Nearby

Doune Castle . Castle Hill, Doune, FK16 6EA. 10-minute drive. A mediaeval castle with one of the largest curtain walls in Scotland. Doune Castle is located near the River Teith in the historic village of Doune. It is famous for being the filming site for Monty Python, Outlander, and Game of Thrones.

Stirling Castle . Upper Castlehill, Stirling, FK8 1EN. 11-minute drive. One of the largest castles in Scotland and second only to Edinburgh Castle in importance, this 12th-century fortification was the original seat of power for the nation’s royalty. Today, it offers tourists permanent exhibitions, renovated rooms complete with period furniture and paintings, a café, and a shop.

Deanston Distillery . Teith Rd., Deanston, Doune, FK16 6AG. 6-minute drive. Located in a former cotton mill, this distillery on the banks of the River Teith offers guided whisky tours, tasting experiences, a shop, and a café.

Briarlands Farm . Blair Drummond, Stirling FK9 4UP. 2-minute drive. A farm-themed zoo is situated behind the safari park. This family-friendly attraction features a petting zoo, go-karting, a field maze, berry picking, play parks, and tractor rides.

River Teith . 10-minute drive. This picturesque river is the setting for lots of relaxing walks along its banks, which can be visited from almost any point along its length. The river is renowned both for its fishing and for the arched bridge that crosses it half a mile southwest of Doune village.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you go to blair drummond safari park without a car.

Blair Drummond Safari Park features a drive-through safari that makes it very convenient for visitors with cars. However, it’s not strictly necessary to have a car to visit, as a large part of it can be walked around. The closest major town is Stirling, from which you can take a taxi or a local bus service. Note that some attractions within the park, like the drive-through safari, are designed only for motor vehicles.

How long does Blair Drummond Safari Park take?

The drive through the safari park takes around 30 minutes. The theme park area can take an hour to an entire day, depending on how much time is spent at each attraction and animal enclosure.

Do you need a car for Blair Drummond Safari Park?

A car is required for the safari park drive. Public transportation is available for accessing the theme park area on foot (buses #59, 160, and S60, X10A stop at the entrance).

Is Blair Drummond open all year?

Blair Drummond Safari Park is a seasonal attraction and is open from spring to autumn only, from mid-March onwards.

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Craig Neil is the author, photographer, admin, and pretty much everything else behind Out About Scotland. He lives near Edinburgh and spends his free time exploring Scotland and writing about his experiences. Follow him on Pinterest , Facebook , and YouTube .

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Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Visit one of Scotland's top attractions for an incredible family day out. Come and view giraffes, lions, elephant, tigers, and meerkats. Take your chances with the cheeky monkeys in the Park's famous Macaque Drive-thru, walk with free-roaming lemurs in Lemur Land, catch the popular bird of prey flying displays, and meet the dinosaurs - all included in the price of your entry ticket.

Safari Drive

There over 300 rare and exotic animals at Blair Drummond Safari Park. You can drive your own car through the animal reserves and get up close to camels, rhinos, deer, antelopes and a pride of lions. Keep an eye out for the troop of monkeys in the Safari Park's famous Macaque Drive-Thru. And don't forget to close your windows!

Adventure Play

Burn off some energy in the popular play park which is home to a giant play fort, a pirate ship, swings and a sandpit. Have a go on the pedal boats, astroglide, and go-karts - all of which are included in your entry price.

California Cove

Blair Drummond's sea lions are finally back and enjoying their brand new habitat, California Cove.   The indoor sea lion display won’t restart until later in the year, but you will be able to see them in their outdoor pool and find out more about their care in live training demonstrations, which take place twice a day.

Meerkat Mansions

Visitors can now view the meerkats in a new indoor habitat, with floor-to-ceiling glass viewing areas. This new indoor space is also fully wheelchair accessible, so everyone can enjoy all the cheeky antics of the meerkats. And with much more room to play, dig and show off, there's plenty to see.

Meet the Dinosaurs

The dinosaur exhibit has over 20 life size dinosaurs, including velociraptors, triceratops, stegosaurus, flying pteranodon and an oviraptor with eggs. The largest dinosaur is a 21m diplodocus, and the most fearsome is the iconic T-Rex. ‘Dinosaurs at Blair Drummond’ is a permanent attraction which was opened in 2020. Entry is included in the price of admission.

A troop of free-roaming lemurs live at the Safari Park. You can walk with them through the trees, as they play above you. But watch out, lemurs are very curious creatures and like to say hello!

Bird of Prey Presentation

Catch one of the spectacular outdoor birds of prey flying demonstrations which take place three times a day.

Animal Talks

Want to find out more about your favourite animals?  Come and meet the education team at interactive animal talks throughout the day.

Accessibility

The Safari Park has excellent access for wheelchairs, prams and buggies. There are baby changing facilities, ample disabled parking spots and a 'Changing Places' toilet.

Online ticket sales only:  Blair Drummond Safari & Adventure Park 

Are you a social animal?  Follow the Safari Park on Facebook and keep up-to-date with the news, competitions and special offers.  

Blair Drummond Safari Park has received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor.

Transport and Parking

• On Public Transport Route
• Electric Car Charging
• Taxi rank nearby
• Coach Parking
• Public Parking Nearby
• No Pets Allowed
• Ramp to main entrance
• Wheelchairs or mobility aids provided
• Partially suitable for visitors with limited mobility
• Level access to all public areas
• Suitable for visitors with limited mobility
• Level access to main entrance
• Accessible Parking Or Drop-off Point
• Partial wheelchair access
• Level access to dining room, cafe or restaurant
• Level Access
• Wheelchair access throughout
• Level access to bar
• Level access from entrance to reception
• Accessible toilets
• Level access to leisure facilities
• Wet room or level entry shower
• Access guide

Dietary Options

• Vegan Meals Available
• Gluten Free
• Vegetarian Meals available
• Kosher Meals
• Halal Meals

Typical Prices

• Children's Menu Available
• Outdoor Play Area
• Baby Changing Facilities
• Public Toilet Facilities
• Lunch Available
• Breakfast Available
• Licensed Bar
• Catering Available
• Picnic Area
• Patio or Beer Garden
• Cafe or Restaurant

Payment Methods

• Credit Card

Awards & Schemes

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What's Nearby

Accommodation, attractions, food & drink, terms and conditions.

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024) - Tripadvisor

• Sun - Sat 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
• (1.11 km) Blair Drummond Caravan Park
• (6.69 km) Castlecroft Bed And Breakfast
• (6.86 km) The Treehouses At Lanrick
• (6.54 km) Springfield Lodge Bed and Breakfast
• (7.49 km) Victoria Square
• (4.66 km) The Woodside, Doune - Pub & Restaurant
• (3.10 km) Buttercup Cafe
• (1.56 km) Blair Drummond Smiddy
• (5.73 km) The Gallery Restaurant
• (5.36 km) Another Tilly Tearoom
• (0.64 km) Briarlands Farm
• (3.62 km) Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre
• (2.90 km) Doune Castle
• (5.28 km) Argaty Red Kites
• (7.19 km) Stirling Distillery

Visitor Reviews

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GoodZoos.com Reviews

Blair Drummond Safari and Leisure Park, once known as Scotland’s Safari Park, was opened on the estate of Sir John and Lady Muir, near Stirling in 1970. It was the first attempt to bring the safari park concept of Africa and Asian animals to Scotland, and like several of its English forebear considerable use was made of the expertise and the animals of Jimmy Chipperfield. The park is well signposted off the A84 Stirling to Dow road, and it occupies around 120 acres of fairly flat green pastureland overlooked by the fairy tale turrets of Blair Drummond House.

Like most safari parks, the visitor drives a tortuous winding cowl through a succession of fenced paddocks, within which a whole variety of species roam relatively freely. At Blair Drummond the roads wind almost too often, as if the designers have tried too hard to compensate for a rather smaller overall area, compared to say, Woburn, Longleat, or Knowsley. To add to the confusion, the route into the safari park itself takes you right around the perimeter of the park so that you do see something of a preview of what awaits you, before you even enter the first enclosure.

Nevertheless, once inside, there is a fair mix of species to be observed The first animals you may see are the African elephants in a spectacular new elephant house that opened in 1992, and which allows access to visitors if the elephants are not outside. The elephants have a large outdoor paddock, a huge pool which holds 55,000 gallons of water, and a sand pit with 800tons of sand. You may see them sliding down the muddy hillside with their back legs outstretched behind them, an activity which zoo director Angela Rennick describes as ‘their favourite game’. The clay mud keeps their skins in good condition. The elephants, like several others in British zoos, are rescued youngsters from the culling programme in Zimbabwe. The park now has room to keep six, and at the time of writing there are three, two cows and a young bull. Since the decisions of Edinburgh and Glasgow Zoos to close their elephant houses, these three are the only resident elephants in Scotland.

The first paddock holds a rather curious combination, including sika deer (from Japan), eland and lechwe (from Africa), Pere David’s deer (from China), bactrian camels and yaks (from Asia) and Emus (from Australia). Despite their diverse origins however, the group seem to blend together in a quite satisfactory way. The monkeys are rhesus macaques, a more popular choice for monkey jungles than baboons. They will climb on your car, carrying babies in their arms, and are bound to make the trip through this part of the park the most entertaining of the tour.

The lion area is fairly large, and there is now an elevated walkway where visitors can look down upon the lions. The pride is only small (six lions at the time of writing), but perhaps this demonstrates sensible management of a species whose numbers can rapidly expand in safari park conditions. There are several young Siberian tigers in a separate enclosure. These originate from John Aspinall’s collection, and perhaps they are an indication that Blair Drummond is beginning to take an interest in conservation-sensitive species.

The final paddock holds American bison, fallow deer, zebras, and dromedary camels —another geographic mix. But the visit is not yet over because now is the time to leave the car for the sealion show, to see the Humboldt’s and black foot penguins in a large new pool, meerkats in a well appointed enclosure, ring tailed lemurs, otters, and capuchin monkeys, all within the children’s zoo area. There is also a walk-through area with ponies, donkeys, goats, llamas, wallabies, and rheas, among other favourites. Finally, once the rides and amusements are exhausted, there is the opportunity to take a boat ride out along a waterway to the chimp island where Blair Drummond has been proud to see mother-reared chimps. The island is spacious, and new climbing features have recently been added to enrich the environment.

Altogether Blair Drummond is a well appointed and attractive day out. Children will enjoy the monkeys and of course the funfair and meanwhile the park is slowly establishing itself as a responsible animal collection.

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sat 10:00 am - 5:30 pm
• (1.11 km) Blair Drummond Caravan Park
• (6.69 km) Castlecroft Bed And Breakfast
• (6.86 km) The Treehouses At Lanrick
• (6.54 km) Springfield Lodge Bed and Breakfast
• (7.49 km) Victoria Square
• (4.66 km) The Woodside, Doune - Pub & Restaurant
• (3.10 km) Buttercup Cafe
• (1.56 km) Blair Drummond Smiddy
• (5.73 km) The Gallery Restaurant
• (5.36 km) Another Tilly Tearoom
• (0.64 km) Briarlands Farm
• (3.62 km) Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre
• (2.90 km) Doune Castle
• (5.28 km) Argaty Red Kites
• (7.19 km) Stirling Distillery

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Also popular with travellers

Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

• Sun - Sat 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
• (1.11 km) Blair Drummond Caravan Park
• (6.69 km) Castlecroft Bed And Breakfast
• (6.86 km) The Treehouses At Lanrick
• (6.54 km) Springfield Lodge Bed and Breakfast
• (7.49 km) Victoria Square
• (4.66 km) The Woodside, Doune - Pub & Restaurant
• (3.10 km) Buttercup Cafe
• (1.56 km) Blair Drummond Smiddy
• (5.73 km) The Gallery Restaurant
• (5.36 km) Another Tilly Tearoom
• (0.64 km) Briarlands Farm
• (3.62 km) Deanston Distillery & Visitor Centre
• (2.90 km) Doune Castle
• (5.28 km) Argaty Red Kites
• (7.19 km) Stirling Distillery

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