Dog-friendly holidays in Scotland

Many of Scotland's hotels are a triumph, with stunning locations, a warm welcome, beautiful interiors and excellent food. What's even better is that many of these top-notch places to stay are also dog-friendly.

If you want to enjoy 5* luxury with your loyal pet in tow, look no further than the incredible Fife Arms in Braemar. Set in the heart of the Cairngorms with a hunting lodge feel, this exquisitely decorated and furnished property is full of eye-popping art installations. Quite a few of the bedrooms allow dogs, your pooch will be given the full 5* service as well, of course, and you can take them with you if you dine in the Flying Stag pub on site (for fine dining in the Clunie Dining Room, your dog will have to take a nap in your room and wait for you to return).

Also offering 5* luxury with dog-friendly options is Fonab Castle Hotel in Pitlochry. Set in a pretty woodland and overlooking a loch, this striking hotel mixes old and new, with the orange-pink castle building stealing the show and tastefully complemented by more modern buildings, including an excellent spa. Dogs are permitted in the Loch View Lodge and Woodland Lodge rooms for £30/night, or if you want to stay in the main castle, complementary kennel facilities are available on site, so you can put your pooch to bed securely close by and check on them whenever you want to.

Dog-friendly city breaks are also an option, with the slick 5* serviced apartments in Cheval Old Town Chambers in Edinburgh being a highlight for dog-loving city-fans.

Up in Nairn on the north-east coast, well-located for the NC500 or NE250 routes, is Boath House, a Georgian mansion and your home away from home in the northern Highlands. There are several dog-friendly rooms to choose from.

In a remote location on the west coast, although perfectly located for those driving the iconic NC500 route, you'll find the Kylesku Hotel. Well-behaved dogs are welcome and allowed throughout the property, which is a good thing to as accommodation options in this area are few and far between, but don't worry - your dog can join you here!

A beautiful new boutique hotel on the seafront in Oban, No. 26 By The Sea has been dog-friendly from the get-go. You and your dog will get the best of welcomes, and the location is perfect for some walks along the seafront and out onto the local beach, Ganavan Sands. Your pet will have the perfect stay here, and we're sure you will too!

Even on the tiny Isle of Iona, your pooch won't be forgotten - try the Argyll Hotel for dog-friendly rooms. There is a charge of £15 if you're bringing a dog.

Please note: Although the picture is cute, even some dog-friendly properties will kindly ask you not to let your dog on the bed!

Scotland is full of great activities and attractions to keep you busy while on holiday, and a great many of these are also suitable if you want to bring your dog.

Scotland's castles are wonderful places to visit while you're on holiday with your dog. Whilst it's unusual to be allowed to bring your dog into the interior of castle buildings, many of the best castles in Scotland do allow dogs in the gardens and grounds, so you can still enjoy seeing these grand buildings in their glorious surroundings with your dog by your side.

Some examples of castles with dog-friendly policies where you can walk dogs in the grounds include Castle Kennedy in Dumfries & Galloway, Culzean Castle in Ayrshire, Floors Castle in Kelso, Scottish Borders, Dunottar Castle in Aberdeenshire and Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Note: although welcome, dogs are often required to be on a lead when walking in the formal gardens and grounds of Scotland's castles.

You might be forgiven for thinking that a boat trip in Scotland is something you'd have to undertake without your faithful friend by your side, but there are a good number of boat trips where well-behaved dogs are allowed to join you. A few examples include the Jacobite cruises on Loch Ness, Staffa Tours boat trips from Mull and Iona to the Treshnish Isles and Isle of Staffa, and Forth Boat Tours, operating from Edinburgh (note: a £1 charge applies per pet on the latter).

An attraction that deserves an honourable mention - as it really does an excellent job of not only welcoming but celebrating your furry friends - is the popular Inverary Jail. There's free entry to all areas for dogs, a dedicated outdoor exercise area with grass, and water bowls are available at the entrance and throughout the attraction on request. Well done guys!

Always check the pet-friendliness of a particular attraction or activity before you travel (or ask us to check for you if you're travelling with us), to make sure you and your dog have a great time.

• Climb a Munro - If you and your dog are fit for challenging and steep long-distance walks, the routes up Scotland's Munros (mountains which are over 3,000ft high) are extremely rewarding with spectacular views on a clear day. Even for the 'easier' Munros, the term is relative and even the fittest among you will need to allow at least a half day to complete the walks. It's so worth it, though, and you and your dog will finish the day tired, happy and ready to enjoy an excellent dinner.
• Walk in the forest - Scotland has some amazing evergeen and deciduous forests, which are perfect natural adventure playgrounds for dogs and their owners alike. Some of the most amazing forests in Scotland to walk in include Galloway Forest Park in the south-west of Scotland, Abernethy Forest in the Cairngorms National Park, and Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. Wherever you're visiting or staying in Scotland with your dog, you'll always be within reach of a lovely forest to take a walk in.

• Walk on the beach - Scotland is known for its beautiful beaches and it has some of the most scenically stunning seaside locations in the world. Many dogs absolutely love the seaside - running on the beach, digging in the sand and generally enjoying the freedom of being outdoors. You're really spoilt for choice in Scotland when it comes to beaches, but we especially love the ones on the south coast of Dumfries & Galloway, the north-east coast from the Moray Firth to Fraserburgh, and the west coast around Oban and Kintyre. That's just a fraction of the incredible beaches you'll see in Scotland - there's even a great beach in the middle of Edinburgh, Portobello beach, where you can take your dog if you're on a city break.