Cozy Nook, Invergarry

Cozy Nook is a genuinely dog-friendly little bolthole in the Scottish Highlands, and one that guests travelling with a dog return from with real warmth. Set just outside Invergarry near Loch Oich and the Caledonian Canal, this compact holiday house makes an easy, welcoming base for a walking-focused break with a four-legged companion.

The clearest draw for dog owners is the enclosed garden - a fenced patch where a dog can potter safely off-lead while you sort out breakfast or dry off after a hill day. Guests travelling with dogs consistently describe the cottage as warm, spotlessly clean and thoughtfully equipped, with a welcome pack of fresh bread, milk and other essentials that takes the edge off arriving somewhere remote. As a whole-house rental there are no shared corridors or communal spaces to negotiate, which suits nervous and bouncy dogs alike.

Location is the other half of the story. This is prime hillwalking country, with an easy canal-side loop right on the doorstep and the wider Great Glen within reach for bigger days out. Dog owners single it out as a good base for getting the miles in.

A few honest caveats are worth flagging. The setting is properly rural, so the easiest on-lead walks are along the road or the canal - for a longer off-lead ramble or to pick up supplies you will want to drive fifteen to twenty minutes. Owners of small, determined dogs have noted that the front boundary could use a strip of stock fencing to stop a terrier slipping into the neighbouring field, so keep an eye on smaller escape artists. Inside, a staircase leads up to the bedroom, which is fine for most but worth noting if anyone in the party is less steady on their feet.

It suits a couple travelling with one or two well-behaved dogs who want a cosy, self-contained Highland base for walking and quiet evenings, rather than a spot within strolling distance of shops and pubs.