Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve
Southeast of Tayport, Fife
After months of darker days and comforting carbohydrates, it’s time to blow away the winter cobwebs with bracing air, wider vistas and longer walks.
If you’re a dog owner, chances are you won’t want to leave them at home while you do so.
With spectacular views of sea and sky, Tentsmuir offers an ever-changing landscape to explore.
A favourite with generations of dog-walkers, the beach is a playground for energetic pooches while the nearby dune heathland and adjoining forest offers multiple paths and trails to follow.
Plant lovers can see some of the 200 plus species which thrive around Morton Lochs, such as water plantain and yellow flag iris, while the area is a common spot from which to see seals, either in the Tay estuary or hauling themselves out the water for a rest.
In recent years, sea eagles have been spotted in the area, long known to attract eider ducks, pink-footed geese and oystercatchers.
St Mary’s Abbey
Melrose, Borders
Thought to be the burial place of Robert the Bruce’s heart, Melrose Abbey offers a wealth of history and a chance to appreciate what is thought to be the finest church architecture of the late 1300s.
Leashed dogs are welcome to walk around the partly-ruined abbey, though non-assistance dogs are not permitted in roofed areas.
Look out for the marks made by canon fire on the walls after being bombarded by Cromwell during the English Civil War.
Inverleith Park
Stockbridge, Edinburgh
A favourite of many capital-dwelling dog lovers is Inverleith Park, originally a farm acquired by the city in 1889.
Expansive and open, there’s plenty of room for dog-walk meet-ups, sporting get-togethers and hosts several big events throughout the year.
Along with the adjacent Royal Botanic Gardens, Inverleith forms one of Edinburgh’s great green lungs and is home to allotments and a well-maintained pond popular with both model boat enthusiasts and water birds alike.
Mugdock Country Park
East Dunbartonshire
Easily accessible from Milngavie, Mugdock Country Park has a range of terrain for more adventurous walkers and their dogs to enjoy, and is joined on its outer reaches by a part of the West Highland Way.
The park has a rich history and includes the remains of castle which dates back to at least the 14th century.
Near the dramatic ruin – featured on recent Robert the Bruce film Outlaw King – is the grimly-named Gallowhill and a pond used for drowning women accused of witchcraft.
Anti-aircraft trenches dug to help protect the Clyde during the Second World War still remain in the park, which holds perhaps its oddest secret in its visitor centre and café, housed in the former stable block of Craigend Castle.
The 19th century Gothic mansion was once home to a zoo with lions, llamas and an elephant called Charlie.
Brahan Estate
Dingwall, Ross-shire
A half hour’s drive north of Inverness is the 4000-acre Brahan Estate, which features six maintained paths for visitors and locals to explore.
The estate offers private accommodation in seven cottages and other dwellings, plus activities such as fishing, mountain biking and clay pigeon shooting and describes itself as “very dog-friendly”.
As well as an abundance of wildlife to spot, there’s an overgrown wild garden to explore near the caravan park.
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