The Best Dog-Friendly Accommodation in Aberdeenshire

Few things improve a Scottish holiday like bringing the dog. All those forest tracks and empty beaches feel a little wasted without one, and Aberdeenshire has more of both than almost anywhere. Around Deeside, paths wind through old Caledonian pines where you're as likely to meet a red squirrel as another walker. Higher up, the heather moors stretch away for miles, and there's every chance you'll have them mostly to yourselves.

The coast is the surprise. North of Aberdeen the dunes run on and on, backed by marram grass and very little else, and on a bright morning out of season you can walk a long way before meeting another set of footprints. Inland, the Dee and the Don both run shallow and gravelly in stretches, and most dogs are in the water before the picnic's down.

Come in winter and the appeal simply moves indoors. Log fires and deep sofas, a walk in the frost and then an afternoon of doing very little. Most of the places in this collection were made for exactly that, and every one of them welcomes dogs, some with beds, bowls and treats waiting on arrival. Wherever you're heading, mention the dog when you book. And pack a towel or two. Aberdeenshire's rivers are irresistible, and its rain is fairly reliable.