IS it really a holiday if you can’t take your best friend? And we mean man’s furry best friend.
Thankfully, Britain is a nation of animal lovers and we have scores of attractions, accommodation and pubs that’ll welcome dogs with open arms and a bowl of fresh water.
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Lottie Gross has toured Britain with her pet Manchester Terrier Arty for her new book Dogs Days Out.
As part of our new Best Of British travel series, she’s shared with us some of her best places to travel with a four legged friend.
Lincoln
Historic Lincoln won’t be the first place you think of as a dog-friendly destination, but with stacks of attractions that welcome our pets, this city has always been one of my favourites.
It’s the cathedral that steals the show – its vast, imposing frontage towers above the surrounding old town and intricately carved figures tell ancient biblical stories. Come for a tour with a guide – the dog can come inside, too – to learn more about the astonishing building’s history.
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Nearby, Lincoln Castle has dog-friendly days throughout the year, which means you can walk on its medieval walls for exceptional views across to the cathedral and over the city.
Wander down Steep Hill – which is, as it happens, a very steep hill – and at the bottom you’ll find the modern end of town where you can hop on a canal cruise from the Brayford Pool for a little escape into nature.
Walks are best had on West Common, or you can drive down to the South Commons, next door to the dog-friendly International Bomber Command Centre memorial.
Stay at: The White Hart Hotel, recently renovated and supremely dog-welcoming, has all the best action right on its doorstep, with the Cathedral and castle just minutes away on foot.
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London
The British capital is home to tens of thousands of dogs, and so it’s unsurprising that this city knows how to cater for good boys and girls.
Dog walking around the city is a joy thanks to its many parks and gardens that happen to come with views of major landmarks – try St James’s Park for Buckingham Palace, Embankment Gardens for views over the Thames, or Greenwich Park to look over the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf and beyond.
The main attraction in London for dog owners is Tower Bridge, which has a glass walkway you can brave with the dog by your side, and when you’re hungry, head down to the King’s Road to treat yourselves and the dog at Love My Human Townhouse.
Dogs are catered for with an entire menu and allowed to sit up at the table with you, while humans can enjoy afternoon teas and light lunches.
Stay at: Art’otel Battersea has swish dog-friendly bedrooms and a good restaurant for dining with the dog, too, but best of all you could get views over Battersea Dogs and Cats Home where you can watch the resident pooches enjoying their morning exercise.
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Oxford
Oxford might not seem like the sort of place where you can enjoy a budget break with the dog, but what’s great about this city is that many of its sights are most impressive from the street, so you can enjoy admiring the colleges and so-called “dreaming spires” for free with the dog in tow.
Stroll the city’s streets, from Broad Street with the Bodleian Library to the High Street where you can see the imposing University Church and then nip down tight Cattle Street to see the Radcliffe Camera.
Large green spaces abound, too, so let the dog run free in places like University Parks north of the centre or Christ Church Meadow to the south.
If you’ve got a little cash to spare and plenty of energy, there’s punting on the Cherwell from £20 per hour at Cherwell Boathouse.
Stay at: Voco Oxford Spires has dog-friendly bedrooms with direct access to the lush green gardens that back onto the river. It’s a gorgeous walk from here up into the city if you’ve got the energy, too.
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The Brecon Beacons
It’s not all about walking in the Brecon Beacons, but no doubt the dog will love following you along the trails of this national park’s steep and spectacular hills.
Pen y Fan is the main peak most tackle while here, and the trails are safe for dogs old and fit enough.
But for some quieter hikes, try the circular trail around Fan Nedd, which begins at an ancient standing stone and offers wonderful views across the green landscape.
For those who prefer to keep their feet a little more still, boat trips on the canal in Brecon town are a sedate way to see some scenery, and for families, the National Showcaves Centre for Wales allows dogs to join you in exploring their caverns.
Stay at: Penlan Cottage, just down the road from Brecon town, which is dog-friendly, baby-friendly and child-friendly. Plus it has an enclosed garden for the dog to roam free in – a godsend in a destination where sheep are plentiful so pets must be on leads in public.
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Dorking, Surrey
It’s not just its position on the edge of the Surrey Hills that makes Dorking a fine break for a dog-friendly weekend away.
The town itself is lovely with plenty of boutiques that’ll let you bring the dog in, and the excellent White Horse pub which has its own doggy menu by Sir Woofchester’s so your dog doesn’t have to watch you dine with envy.
But best of all is the beautiful Denbies Wine Estate, a vast estate with row after row of manicured vines, which drip with plump grapes in summer. From Bacchus to Chardonnay to Pinot Noir, there are grapes of many varieties that are blended together to create their highly rated English wines.
Don’t let the word “English” put you off – these wines regularly compete and win against French producers.
Take the mini train tour around the vineyard – dogs allowed – and you’ll get to taste some right there next to where it’s all grown.
Stay at: Denbies Vineyard Hotel, where you can have a tasting flight and charcuterie and cheese board pairing for lunch or dinner – the ideal way to taste the best of English wines.
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Edinburgh, Scotland
Families will love breaks to the Scottish capital thanks to one core attraction that welcomes the whole gang: the Camera Obscura & World of Illusions. Expect silly mirrors, glowing balls of electricity, mirror mazes where the dog will excel at finding their way through thanks to their clever whiskers.
From the rooftop there are excellent views over Edinburgh city and its handsome castle.
To burn off even more energy, don’t miss a hike up Arthur’s Seat, or a day out on dog-friendly Portobello Beach just a 15-minute drive from the city centre.
Stay at: The Bus Stop, a handful of cleverly-converted double decker buses set amid a green campsite. There are wood-fired hot tubs in some and eco-buses for those on a budget, and kids will love meeting the onsite farm animals.
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Coastal Sutherland, Scotland
I really didn’t want the North Coast 500, which tracks along the coast of Sutherland in northwest Scotland, to be as spectacular as everybody said it was.
Not because I wanted to have a mediocre time, but because this part of the country gets an overwhelming amount of tourism and sometimes it struggles.
Sadly, there’s a reason tourists flock here in their tens of thousands every summer: it is truly breathtaking.
Walking here with the dog is unlike anywhere else – expect dramatic mountains and craggy coastal scenery, often made even more impressive by the changing weather.
Head to Kylesku for boat trips to the highest waterfall in the country, or to Durness to explore the brilliant dog-friendly beaches, including the geologically fascinating Ceannabeinne Beach.
Come out of season, in early spring or very late summer and you won’t add to the over tourism issues, either – and you might get the beaches to yourselves.
Stay at: Scourie Hotel, a small, stylish and welcoming hotel with lovely owners who love dogs. You’re right on the coast here between Kylesku and Durness, so you’ve got easy day-trip access to some of the North Coast 500’s best bits.
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Shetland, Scotland
Shetland is spectacular, but really it’s the getting there that’s often the most fun.
To reach the northernmost archipelago in Britain requires an overnight ferry journey from Aberdeen. Hop on board and enjoy dinner in the restaurant before it departs for the 12-hour crossing.
Don’t worry, though, the dog won’t be stuck in the car for all this time – cabins on Northlink’s ships are dog-friendly, so they can snooze by your feet while you sleep in your bunk for the journey.
You’ll wake to find a land of pristine beaches with white sand, mesmerising wildlife like puffins and otters, and exciting Viking remains.
Go walking on the dramatic cliffs of Eshaness, hike around St Ninian’s Isle which is connected to Shetland by a skinny spit of sand, and do some island hopping as you explore the other isles that make up this archipelago with the car ferries that connect each one.
Stay at: Boatman’s House on the very furthest-away inhabited island of Unst, where you’ll have sea views from almost every window and easy access to the spectacular Hermaness nature reserve from which you can view the most northerly lighthouse in Britain. In summer, the coast up here is peppered with puffins, gannets and huge great skuas.
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Anglesey, Wales
The little island of Anglesey seems like it was made for dogs: vast open beaches with soft golden sand and frothing surf to play in, wide open fields for walking in and a coast path you can follow around the entire edge of the island. It’s a dog owner’s dream, and there’s so much to enjoy here you’ll need at least a week.
Spend some time in the coastal town of Beaumaris, where the unfinished, dog-friendly castle is a magnificent example of 13th century military ambition, and boat trips to Puffin Island welcome dogs, too.
Feel fancy as you dine on the terrace of the Oyster Catcher in Rhosneigr, near to where Prince William was once stationed with the RAF, and don’t miss a walk through Newborough Warren, a woodland of fragrant Corsican pines.
Stay at: Wonderfully Wild, where you’ll get views across the Menai Strait to Snowdonia National Park in their wonderful safari tents, sleeping up to six people.
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The Norfolk coast
Norfolk has such a variety of appeal, you’re sure to find a holiday to suit your whole family here – especially the dog. With vast beaches like Holkham in the north or Winterton-on-Sea further south, there’s space aplenty on the coast here, even in the height of summer (both beaches are dog-friendly year-round, too).
But beyond the seaside, there’s exceptional walking to be had on the footpaths that criss-cross this vast, open-sky region, and it’s all relatively flat making it one of the best places for elderly dogs without the same boundless energy as a pup.
For a seriously sedate trip, hire a boat on the Norfolk Broads with Broads Tours to cruise amid lush waterways and see marsh harriers, barn owls, mallards or coots. Holkham Hall Estate also welcomes dogs, perfect for walks when the sun is shining or rainy day fun inside its dog-friendly museum.
Stay at: Any of the East Ruston Cottages properties, where they’ll provide crates of all sizes, several kinds of beds, cooling mats and paddling pools for summer, collar tags with their phone numbers on for your dog to wear while on holiday, and plenty of treats for the pooch on arrival. Dogs are even allowed on the furniture and in some cottages, on the beds. Few places get more dog-friendly than this.
Dog Days Out by Lottie Gross is now on sale but Sun readers can get an exclusive 15% off with the code SUN15 at Bloomsbury.com.
