Eagle Lodge, Strathpeffer

Eagle Lodge is a log cabin set in woodland outside Strathpeffer, in Easter Ross, and it is the kind of place people come back to for decades. Forest tracks start a few steps from the veranda, the trees are full of red squirrels and red kites, and it is quiet enough that a dog can go out of the door into the woods without meeting anyone. Dingwall is close for supplies, and Ullapool, Gairloch and the north coast are all within a day's drive.

The pet welcome is practical rather than decorative. A dog bed is put out on the veranda, and guests with dogs consistently give the walking on the doorstep as the reason they booked. Parties with two dogs, with teenagers and dogs, and with an older dog recovering from surgery have all made it work, and the caretaker is quick to help when something needs sorting.

There are things to plan for. The lodge is genuinely hard to find the first time, and parking is a shared car park a hundred yards or so away, reached by walking between two other lodges, so bags and dog kit have to be carried and a torch is essential after dark. There is no vacuum cleaner, only a broom, which is worth knowing if your dog moults or picks up ticks in the forest. The television signal drops out. There is also an unfenced pond near the property, so a dog that heads straight for water should be on a lead until you have seen the layout. The property's own note allows one well-behaved dog, though parties with two have clearly stayed, so confirm numbers when you book.

For a quiet Highland base with forest walks from the door, and for owners happy to carry their gear the last hundred yards, Eagle Lodge earns a 4.7/5 paw rating.