FIVE DOG-FRIENDLY UK DESTINATIONS TO EXPLORE WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND

Your dog is as much a part of the family as you are, so it makes sense that when you go on holiday your furry friend should be able to come with you.

Lucky for us dog-loving Brits there are many canine compatible destinations to be found right here at home, making a road trip an easy option for a break away with your best friend. With a wide choice of hotels and hostelries also ready to administer belly rubs and treats at the end of the day there is no reason why your pooch can’t enjoy all the trappings of a staycation.

Imagine how happy your dog will be when he feels the soft sand under his paws, or how much his tail will wag when he is let off his lead to run free in the endless countryside. Doggy heaven can be found frolicking in the wild, and we’ve found five of the very best dog-friendly destinations in the UK, just in time for autumn.

Romp your way around the UK with your best friend in tow and take advantage of some of the best beaches, hills and dales to play in.

Durdle Door, Dorset

Not only is Durdle Door beach home to one of the best-known and most photographed landmarks in the UK, it is also one of the very best places to take your dog. The beach welcomes four paws to its shores all year round, and the shallow waters are just right for furry friends who like to paddle in the sea and roll about in the sand.

There are no waste bins on the beach though, so good boys and girls will need to make sure that their owners take their poop bags home with them.

Where to stay: The Castle Inn, West Lulworth

Spend a weekend under the picture-perfect thatched roof of this charming hotel where you can dine with your dog and stay in one of 12 gorgeous boutique bedrooms. Doggy guests will receive a sausage for breakfast and you can cosy up in front of the open fire with your best furry friend or enjoy a sundowner in the beautiful terraced gardens during warmer months.

Three Cliffs Bay, Glamorgan

This pooch-perfect spot sits on the Gower Peninsula in South West Wales and is named after the three dramatic pointed cliffs nearby. Overlooked by the imposing Pennard Castle round and Pennard Pill river that flows into the bay, the sand dunes and salt marsh are a great place to sniff and explore at low tide.

Three Cliffs Bay welcomes dogs all year round and offers an on-site, fully enclosed dog walking area. There is also a shop that sells dog-friendly ice cream, ensuring that tails will be wagging during their day at the seaside.

Where to stay: Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park

Experience the wild terrain of the Gower Peninsula with a stay at the Three Cliffs Bay Holiday Park. The onsite yurts and bell tents are fully furnished with full-size beds, sofas and everything you need for you and your pet to enjoy a stay. The park is just a short walk from the bay and offers modern facilities, a variety of beach goods and a shop selling fresh produce and other essentials.

The Yorkshire Dales

Stretching over 800 square miles, the Yorkshire Dales National Park straddles the central Pennines in North Yorkshire and Cumbria and also includes a small part of Lancashire. Beautiful to behold, the rugged landscape is a big hit with canine ramblers and their human companions, and there are miles and miles of walks to enjoy.

The National Trust has created a pawprint rating system for walks across all of the public land in their care, and while many areas of the Dales welcome dogs, facilities are limited so poo bags, drinks and snacks are a must. Most of the walks in the area are dog friendly, apart from the boardwalk on the National Nature Reserve at Malham Tarn, and careful owners should watch out for livestock at all times.

Where to stay: The Wensleydale Hotel

The Yorkshire Dales are dotted with pet-friendly pubs along the way, but The Wensleydale Hotel is ideally located for exploring the very best country walks the region has to offer. The charming family-run hotel is super dog-friendly and guests can dine with their dog in the bar, lounge or on the terrace, or can make new friends with the resident hounds Bobby and Bunty.

Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorkshire

Robin Hood’s Bay is a picturesque old fishing village on the Heritage Coast of the North York Moors. Known for its spectacular coastal walks, with routes leading along the clifftops and down to the beach, the village is also home to several species of birds and marine life, including puffins, seals, and dolphins.

Furry adventurers will love the endless open spaces of the dog-friendly beach, and there are rock pools galore here, tons of seaweed, sand and boulders for dogs to stop and sniff along the way. Suitable for four-legged visitors all year round, there are no restrictions in place and after a gambol on the sand, there are lots of dog-friendly pubs nearby that offer refreshments for guests with four paws or two.

Where to stay: Oakridge Cottage

Situated between the Yorkshire seaside towns of Scarborough and Whitby, there are lots of lovely places to stay, including dog-friendly holiday cottages that you can rent exclusively for the duration of your stay. Oakridge Cottage, for example, is a quaint waterfront home that is within easy reach of the beach, located down a quiet lane with easy access to the outdoors should your pooch need to pop out.

Fistral Beach, Cornwall

Fistral Beach in Newquay is one of the world’s top surfing destinations, attracting surfers and spectators all year round. The sandy beach is also perfect for hounds and their humans who want to stay and play on the breathtaking Cornish coastline.

The beach is lifeguard patrolled, and dogs are allowed off the lead but should ideally be kept under control as much as possible. Fistral is open to dogs all year round, and there are also lots of dog-friendly places to stop and grab some refreshments in the lively town of Newquay close by.

Where to stay: Headland Hotel and Spa

Perfect for a luxury break for you and your four-legged friend, this stylish Victorian hotel is home to a luxury spa, six swimming pools, three restaurants and a relaxed terrace bar overlooking Fistral Beach. Offering all the upscale facilities you would expect from a five-star hotel, guests can snuggle down into fluffy towelling robes after a long day playing by the water.

Doggy guests are welcomed with open arms, fussed over by staff and spoilt with a welcome pack that includes a bowl, blanket, food and mouth-watering treats.

Kit your canine companion out for their road trip

Taking your dog somewhere new requires more than just a lead and his favourite toy. To ensure that your best friend is able to make the most of his break, invest in a travel kit to keep him safe along the way.

GPS Tracker

Losing sight of your dog even for an instant is a worry, but when you are far from his usual stomping grounds there is always a risk that he could find it hard to make his way back to you.

A GPS tracker can be fitted on a dog lead or harness and offers peace of mind for pet parents, both at home and away.

Travel crate

Taking a crate with you not only helps to keep your dog contained in the car or on long journeys, it can also offer a safe space for your bestie if it all gets a bit too much.

Crates should be well-ventilated, comfortable and large enough for your pooch to stand up in, but luckily enough there are lots of dog travel crates to choose from, to suit dogs of all shapes and sizes.

Anxiety aids

Being somewhere new is exciting, but for some dogs, it can also make them feel anxious and out of sorts. Amazon has a selection of tools to help keep your pet calm including dog chews made with hemp to help chill them out and calming pheromone collars can also offer relief when your dog gets an attack of the collie wobbles.

Portable drinking bottle

A ‘pup flask’ or a portable water bowl is a must-have for dogs out on big adventures. Our canine friends can get dehydrated easily in hot weather or after physical excursion so it’s important to carry a means of accessing clean drinking water with you at all times.

There are lots to choose from, but a simple bottle with a scoop or a bowl will easily do the job.

Finally, don’t forget to take your bestie’s favourite things with them on your trip, from blankets to toys, dog leads to biscuits, all of these little things will make your pooch feel at home even when he’s somewhere much more fun.