Cosy Shepherds Hut with Hot Tub, Invergordon

The Cosy Shepherds Hut sits in the garden of a bed and breakfast at Cuillich, a few miles inland from Alness and Invergordon in Easter Ross, and it is an easy place to bring a dog. It is a single self-contained hut with its own door, its own hot tub and open views west over the hills, so there is nothing to share and nowhere for a dog to disturb anyone.

The pet rule here is published and specific: one pet per booking, at a charge of ten pounds per stay paid on arrival, and the owners ask to be told at the time of booking rather than on the day. Guests arriving with more than one small dog have squared it in advance by emailing first, so it is worth asking rather than assuming - but the written rule is one.

What dog owners tend to remark on is the owners themselves. They live on site, they know the area properly, and they hand out route suggestions rather than a leaflet. A welcome basket of milk, bread, butter and eggs is waiting when you arrive, which matters more than it sounds when the nearest shop is a drive away.

The walking is the real reason to bring a dog here. The climb to the Fyrish Monument is close by and comes up again and again as the walk to do, and there is a river walk from the door for shorter legs. The hut sits well off the main road, so the immediate surroundings are quiet.

Two practical notes. The hut is one room, so a dog that needs to be shut away from you overnight will not have anywhere to go, and the bed sits high enough to need a step. The owners also keep dogs of their own on the property - most guests find that part of the charm, but it is worth knowing in advance if yours is reactive to other dogs. For a couple with one settled, house-trained dog who want hills, a hot tub and no neighbours, it earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.