And the dogs?

We take our dogs everywhere so our family holidays tend to evolve around dog friendly places. Some place are extremely accommodating and some leave a lot to be desired. Scottish Borders can be extremely pet friendly however there are few seasons to be aware of and few places to stay away at various times of the year (e.g. shooting season, lambing season, access restriction due to bird breeding etc). Please do get in touch if you have any questions.

Below are our top destinations but for more ideas on where to take your four legged friends please click here

Cheviot Hills

  • Rolling hills
  • 30min drive (Kirk Yetholm starting point)
  • Pet friendliness 3*
  • never overcrowded and walk duration can vary (e.g. 12km circular walk)
  • The walk is well signed, the path is visible and with very few muddy bits. The hills are interlaced with cattle and sheep so you will have to put your dog on the lead at various stages of the walk (unless you are lucky and your dog does not chase any domestic animals)

Cheswick Beach

  • Beautiful sandy beach
  • 35min drive
  • pet friendliness  5*
  • Never overcrowded
  • If you happen to have dogs who are not too keen on other dogs then this is the beach for you. With the tide out it is vast and you can very easily avoid meeting people or other dogs. 

Gordon Community Woods

  • Just perfect 3-5km woodland walk
  • 5min drive
  • Pet friendliness 5*
  • Popular with dog walkers
  • This a lovely walk with numerous paths that either lead through trees, heather or wind themselves alongside a stream. No hills but can get muddy and flooded. A truly heaven for dogs.

Greenlawdean

  • Confluence 
  • 15min walk from the cottages 
  • Pet friendliness 4*
  • never overcrowded and walk duration can vary
  • This is a lovely walk through a glacial valley following the Blackadder River to the point where it meets Fangrist Burn. You can climb up to an iron age fort ‘Blackcastle Rings’ which is situated on the right hand side of the valley before the actual confluence. You might occasionally encounter cattle or sheep on the banks of the river so you will have to put your dog on the lead at various stages of the walk. Also, between October and January, this area is used for pheasant shooting so watch out for signs and notices.