Travel Scotland
Dog Friendly Travel for 2022 by Janice Hopper
Many farmhouses aren’t complete without a resident dog. So start 2022 by planning a trip for all the family, including four-legged friends. COSY COTTAGES Rowan Cottage, Perthshire Rowan Cottage, near Abernyte (sleeps six, plus two dogs) offers contemporary accommodation in the heart of Perthshire. Set on Milton Farm, home to ninety breeding cows, 450 breeding sheep and 50-60 acres of barley, this three-bedroom timber lodge makes an excellent canine base. Climb up King’s Seat for sweeping views across Perthshire, enjoy riverbank rambles along the Tay, or enjoy a sightseeing cruise with your canine companion. Alternatively practise your swing with your pup – both Strathclyde Golf Centre (14 miles) and Glenisla Golf Course (16 miles) allow dogs to walk their courses. In-house catering and canine
grooming services are available on site, booked in advance. A seven-night self-catering stay costs from £853. £20 supplement per dog. Visit caninecottages.co.uk/cottages/ rowan-cottage-perthshire. Balnab Farm, Dumfries & Galloway Feather Down Farms’ Balnab Farm is located in Dumfries & Galloway, on the Machars peninsula. The farm is a thirdgeneration, family-run dairy farm with 120 Holstein Friesians, Pygmy goats, Shetland ponies, Oxford Sandy and Black piglets, chickens, ducks, cats and dogs, along with the Vance family who are ready to welcome guests and their dogs. Cosy tents are set up on the farmer’s field
with panoramic views of the countryside. As a dairy farm, the honesty shop offers a raw milk dispenser - and don’t forget the private hot tub. The coastal village of Isle of Whithorn is ten minutes away, or take your pup to explore the seaside town of Garlieston or the fishing village of Port William. Alternatively undertake a two hour coastal walk from Rigg Bay to Cruggleton Castle. Prices from £440 for a two night weekend stay in a tented cottage that sleeps up to six people. Discover details at featherdown.co.uk. Red Kites & a Stirling Bolthole Argaty Cottage is situated on the Argaty Estate in Stirlingshire, a working farm owned by the
Clackmannanshire Crib Slackbrae is a two-bedroom two bathroom former forester’s cottage on the Brucefield Estate in Clackmannanshire. Traditional from the outside, yet contemporary Scandi design inside, there’s a ceramic wood burner and underfloor heating to keep guests cosy, plus the cottage is fully accessible and has been renovated as a low energy house. Built in the 1700s, Slackbrae was the former gatehouse to the estate, which covers 420 hectares of semi-ancient birch, oak and Scots Pine woodland, pasture and arable farmland. At one time it was owned by the Stirling & Dunfermline Railway:
Balnab interior
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Bowser family since 1916. This area of central Scotland is where the RSPB and Scottish Natural Heritage have reintroduced the red kite, and the Argaty estate is home to a large number of these beautiful birds, and an abundance of red squirrels too. Ranger-led visits to the hides cost £7 per adult, £3 per child (argatyredkites.co.uk; concessions are available and under 6s visit free). The recently renovated Argaty Cottage comfortably sleeps six guests. Dogs receive an arrival gift of dog biscuits, and dog beds and towels are available, plus there’s a small dog run and outdoor kennel if required. Argaty Cottage costs £125 a night (£20 per dog per stay), with a three-night minimum stay. For offers, eco-tourism discounts and booking visit argatycottage. com.
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