Family: Head out on the egg hunt

Easter means gangs of children guzzling eggs till they're banging off the walls on a sugar high. No wonder many families hide the chocolate to stave off the inevitable a little longer. Clearly, the last thing you want to be is cooped up indoors this Easter weekend, so why not have fun and make them work for their chocolate fix with an egg hunt outdoors? Throw in a bit of history with a trail through a National Trust property and it's educational too.

This year Cadbury and the National Trust for Scotland have got together at more than 30 locations for Easter Egg Trails over the holiday weekend. Children can play detective and follow the trail, collecting the clues to solve the puzzle and be rewarded with a chocolate egg at the end, while parents get to admire the stunning architecture and history of the National Trust venues. Each trail event at participating sites will be different, with some providing face painting, games and storytelling too, while at others the focus is on the Easter Egg Trail and a thorough exploration of grounds and interiors.

From Brodie Castle to Brodick, from Moray to Melrose, there will be chocolate eggs galore and on Easter Sunday and Monday there will be additional fun and games at many of the venues.

Events on offer in addition to the Easter Egg Trails include giant outdoor games for the whole family at Crathes Castle, Garden and Estate in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, while at Pollok House in Glasgow, pictured, the 3 trail entry fee includes a trip to see Mrs Cotton Tail. At the elegant Robert Adam Georgian House in Edinburgh, a children's entertainer will be on hand to keep the kids amused, while you keep their sticky fingers away from the silk drapes. At the Burns National Heritage Park in Alloway there will be arts and crafts workshops and trails all around the park, and on Easter Sunday, painted eggs rolled down the legendary Brig O' Doon. Prices vary, with many trails included in the normal admission price of the Trust site.

National Trust corporate sponsorships manager Louise Burdett says: "Last year over 1.2 million people attended the trails and we hope families this year will enjoy the great outdoors by spending time together. We're really pleased to share Cadbury's significant contribution to the National Trust Countryside Sites conservation programme and the National Trust for Scotland's Mountain Path Repair Project. Such generous contributions really help us in our efforts to preserve our historic houses, countryside and coastlines for future generations across the UK."

Chocolate and culture, what more could you want? And if your child presents you with a Faberg egg they've found in one of the historic venues, you have to give it back.

To find your nearest Easter Egg Trail event, times and costs, visit www.eastereggtrail.com

• This Article was first published in The Scotsman on Saturday March 27, 2010