Taking the Kids: A world-famous golf resort, now family friendly

The Gleneagles' new owners promise to keep the historic 91-year-old resort on the same track, thank goodness, especially since so many customers are now in their 30s and 40s with kids in tow. "Those kids are our future customers," said General Manager Paul Heery, himself a young dad.

In fact, there were kids at nearly every table for breakfast at the art-deco Strathearn Restaurant designed for vacation indulgence with all varieties of charcuterie, cheeses, freshly made pastries and jams, smoked salmon, free-range eggs (take your pick at the omelet station!) and such classic Scottish dishes as salmon kedgeree (a curried and tomato rice dish served with a piece of salmon and a poached egg on top.) There is Finnan haddock and traditional Scots porridge with Drambuie Sauce, as well as kippers.

Sure Gleneagles is a splurge, families told me, but it's always a memorable one, starting with the breakfast spread and perhaps ending with Beef Wellington carved tableside.

In between ,there's fly-fishing and archery, air rifle lessons and for teens, sporting clay shooting, lawn games and this being Britain, a big maze to explore.

Some families come for a weekend getaway, others for a special occasion, like the extended family I met celebrating the grandparents' 50th anniversary. Come for the holidays when, unlike American resorts, you get a night free, as well as all kinds of special Scottish holiday festivities.

Whatever the season, there's plenty for parents and grandparents too -- the big spa with its wellness programs or the chance to sample a "wee dram" of single malts you won't find elsewhere -- the bar has more than 120 to choose from. There's the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Andrew Fairlie overseen by one of the country's most celebrated chefs, and delicious locally sourced food in the other resort restaurants -- even apple juice produced nearby through a project to preserve the trees -- and the chance to watch the chef cook -- pitching in if you like -- at the casual Mediterranean Deseo. (This is Scotland's Year of Food and Drink, by the way.)

Anne Chrun and David Burton are from Washington, D.C., and join their extended family at one of the 53 three-bedroom houses on the 850-acre estate for two weeks every summer. "We wouldn't come all this way if it weren't so special," Chrun added, stopping on a bike ride with the kids just before the pond where the swans were shepherding their ducklings -- an idyllic country scene.

There is an equestrian center (26 horses where one of the activities is to learn how to tack a pony), indoor and outdoor tennis, a putting course and a massive indoor pool complex with a swim-to outdoor hot tub and spa, which parents can enjoy guilt-free, thanks to the kids' program.

No wonder the Martinsons, who are from suburban Philadelphia, figure they'll have more than enough to keep themselves and their 11-year-old son, Dodge, busy while their teenage daughter heads off to squash camp for a week.

"The perfect family vacation," said Anne Chrun. "Lots of physical activity and then the big pool to relax in the afternoon. "Exactly what a holiday should be!"

Pass the smoked salmon, please.

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(For more about Gleneagles and Eileen's trip to Scotland, read her trip diaries at www.takingthekids.com Follow @Takingthekids on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.)