1 Scarista House

Isle of Harris

SatNav: HS3 3HX

Web: www.scaristahouse.com

Tel: 01859 550238

Charming small hotel in one of the most remote locations in Scotland. Scarista House, a former Georgian manse, is all about the homely rooms, gastronomic feasting (it has two AA rosettes) and conversations by the peat fire, as well as the astonishing landscape it sits in. Dogs are allowed in all of the bedrooms, library and drawing room, though not in the dining room itself. Owners Patricia and Tim Martin are keen dog lovers and have two of their own, Brodie the spaniel and Maud the pug, who often meet and befriend the guests. For walking spots, it’s hard to beat the idyllic Scarista Beach, three miles long and looking out on a vast Atlantic. Food is mostly local or garden produce and there are no televisions in any of the rooms, though there is free wifi. Just the spot to detox and rewind with your canine companion.

2 Flodigarry Hotel

Flodigarry, Portree, Isle Of Skye

SatNav: IV51 9HZ

Web: www.hotelintheskye.co.uk

Tel: 01470 552203

In ancient woodlands on the Trotternish peninsula with panoramic views looking out towards the mountains of Wester Ross, this hotel offers a proper getaway. It also welcomes dogs in some of its rooms and even provides a "Flodigarry Sweet Sleeper bed". Behind the main building, in a private garden, is the cottage which used to belong to Flora Macdonald in the 1790s. Head to Staffin and let your dog sniff out the dinosaur footprints, or take the walk up to the Old Man of Storr. Best keep your dog on the lead close to the blustery coastal cliff-tops though.

3 Raasay House

Isle of Raasay

SatNav: IV40 8PB

Web: www.raasay-house.co.uk

Tel: 01478 660300

The grand and gorgeous Raasay House is not only a great place to rest and get away from it all with your canine companion, but an outdoor activity centre where you can do kayaking, coasteering, sailing, archery and more. Expect plenty of fuss from the staff – including doggy biscuits, water bowls and towels for drying off after a rainy walk or dip in the sea. Here there is a small fee for your pet of £10 per night, up to a maximum of £30 per night. Plus, there is plenty for your pooch to do – whether it’s play fetch on the giant lawn, looking out to Skye, or snooze by the fire in the library. Dogs have even been known (when the instructor has agreed that it’s safe enough, of course) to join their owners on a kayak session.

4 The Lovat

Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire

SatNav: PH32 4DU

Web: www.thelovat.com

Tel: 01456 490000

This eco-conscious hotel with fantastic views of Loch Ness has six rooms specially allocated for guests and their pets, each with their own privately enclosed garden space. Dogs are allowed anywhere on the ground floor in the hotel where there is a wooden floor – so are free to hang out with their owners in the brasserie and the bar, while they breakfast, lunch or dine. But The Lovat is also out to spoil visiting pooches, and offers a bone-shaped dog treat made with natural ingredients from WowDog.uk, bowls for water and biscuits, a towel and a handwritten welcome. Pets are charged at £6.50 per night, with a maximum of two dogs. The perfect spot from which to get your furry friend to sniff out Nessie.

5 Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa

Craignure, Isle of Mull

SatNav: PA65 6BB

Web: www.crerarhotels.com

Tel: 01680 812544

Next to Duart castle, with a spectacular view across to the mainland and gardens that stretch down to the water’s edge on Craignure Bay, this is a hotel that scores high on location – it’s even near the ferry point. For guests who want to fully relax, it also has a steam room, sauna and foot spa. The hotel's 48 rooms are all dog-friendly and accommodate a maximum of two dogs each, with a charge of £12 per dog, per evening. “Well-behaved, quiet dogs,” the hotel says, “are most welcome with us and are allowed in guest bedrooms and public areas, providing food service areas are avoided.”

6 Isle of Eriska Hotel

Isle of Eriska, Benderloch, Oban

SatNav: PA37 1SD

Web: www.eriska-hotel.co.uk

Tel: 01631 720371

On a private 300-acre island, accessible by a bridge, this 19th century mansion in Scottish baronial style, offers a tranquil piece of paradise and a real sense of escape. It’s all about old-style atmosphere – open fireplaces, wood-panelling and a piano room – but also modern luxury. It even has a spa, with sauna, jacuzzi and pool, and an on-site golf course. Dogs are welcome in any of the bedrooms, but not in the public rooms of the hotel, and management ask that they are not left unattended or are contained in a travel cage. “We can arrange special meals if required,” they say, “and always have towels on hand in case they explore too enthusiastically!”

7 Loch Melfort Hotel

Arduaine Garden, Arduaine

SatNav: PA34 4XG

Web: www.lochmelfort.co.uk

Tel: 01852 200233

Set in 17 acres of gardens on the romantic and rugged coast of Argyll in the Scottish Highlands, the Loch Melfort not only offers some rooms with fantastic views, but also a log fire in the lounge, the ideal spot for a post-walk dram. The hotel has six ground-floor rooms dedicated for the use of dog owners in a seaview lodge whose doors lead out to the grounds. Dogs are also allowed in the bistro and the management supplies towels, dog treats, bowls and poop bags. You might, while staying, come across Hector, the hotel's resident spaniel. Take your dog for a walk in Arduaine Garden, next door, which allows dogs in on a lead, or for a stroll along Ganavan Sands in nearby Oban.

8 Crinan Hotel

Crinan, Lochgilphead

SatNav: PA31 8SR

Web: www.crinanhotel.com

Tel: 01546 830261

Owners Nick Ryan and Frances Macdonald have said they see the Crinan Hotel as “an art gallery with rooms”. Here you, and your dog, can have their “sleep with the art” experience and stay in a room hung with work by a particular artist. The couple love dogs and say they “have special treats waiting for them in a snoopy dog jar that barks when opened”. They even have personalised dog biscuits with the hotel phone number on them. Dogs are welcome in many of the public areas, including the seafood bar, but not the room beside the Westward Restaurant which is a dog-free area. But the art isn’t all there is to look at – there are also the amazing views of Loch Crinan. Take a walk along the canal towpath or on one of the sandy beaches nearby.

9 Portavadie

Millhouse, Portavadie, Loch Fyne

SatNav: PA21 2DA

Web: www.portavadie.com

Tel: 01700 811075

On the shores of Loch Fyne is a marina resort that offers luxury accommodation and a spa. The dogs are welcome too, and can stay in many of their couple’s retreats, cottages and studio apartments, as well as hang out in the lounge section of the two AA rosette-awarded Marina Restaurant and Bar. There’s even a “Portavadie Pooch Package” which includes a two-night midweek stay, dinner in the dog-friendly restaurant, a Scottish breakfast each morning and a treat for your canine companion. The resort is also partnered with the Scottish SPCA and for every dog who stays there £4 is donated to the charity. Make sure you take your furry friend to Otter Bay for a walk along to the loch-washed spit while you’re there.

10 Monachyle Mhor

nr Balquhidder

SatNav: FK19 8PQ

Web: www.monachylemhor.net

Tel: 01877 384622

Once you’ve driven or walked to the end of the single track that follows the shoreline of Loch Voil to Monachyle Mhor, chances are you won’t want to leave. From here, just a few miles away from Rob Roy’s grave, it’s possible to take your dog for walks in the hill or a dip in the loch. Eating here, from the the kitchen of chef Tom Lewis, is a gastronomic treat which the Herald on Sunday's restaurant critic Joanna Blythman summed up as “magic”. The hotel has three dog-friendly spacious courtyard rooms and dogs are very welcome everywhere except the main restaurant. Look out for the three resident dogs, Betty, Tinker and Rose, who belong to the owners of the hotel.

11 The Four Seasons Hotel

Lochside, St Fillans

SatNav: PH6 2NF

Web: www.thefourseasonshotel.co.uk

Tel: 01764 685333

The Four Seasons Hotel, on the banks of Loch Earn, has long had a reputation for being the ultimate doggy haven, and it still delivers. Here, dog guests can choose from their very own canine menu, and there are a wide range of pet concierge services – from dog walking to pet sitting – to help owners have a relaxing stay. Four-legged friends are welcomed with a complimentary treat.

Look up the hotel online and you’ll even find a blog by resident hound, Finn, who gives a few details about the canine food on the menu, as well as recommending walks, including Glen Ogle. But, the hotel does cater for people too. The Meall Reamhar restaurant has two AA rosettes. And Beatles fans might be interested to know that the band stayed in two of the chalets at the height of their fame in 1964. Take a walk along the shores of the loch, and play with a dog – just like, according to one newspaper report, John, Paul, George and Ringo did.

12 Knock Castle

40 Drummond Terrace, Crieff

SatNav: PH7 4AN

Web: www.knockcastle.com

Tel: 01764 650088

An eccentric hotel with loads of character – there’s both a grand piano in the hallway, and a strange-shaped egg pod designed to help people relax. At Knock Castle dogs are allowed in all rooms, and staff provide them with “water, an occasional treat and lots of love”. In fact, they are such dog fans they even have a hotel pooch, Baillie, who belongs to owner Jason Henderson.

The Crieff area is spoilt for local walk routes, including Lady Mary's Walk, The Knock and Turleum Hill, after which humans can unwind in the spa or go for a swim in their pool.

 

Read more articles in our dog-friendly Scotland series:

The Herald:

​Dog-friendly cafes

The Herald:

Dog-friendly pubs

The Herald:

Dog-friendly hotels