Fairburn Activity Centre

Fairburn Activity Centre sits in woodland and open grounds in the Highlands, west of Inverness and a short drive from Strathpeffer. It is an activity centre rather than a hotel - lodge rooms and glamping pods, a communal downstairs area, and bikes you can take out at no extra cost - and that informality is a large part of why it works with a dog. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.

Dogs are welcomed for a charge of £25 payable on arrival, with a maximum of two per booking, and the centre asks to be told at the time of booking that a dog is coming. Dog beds and bowls can be provided if you would rather not pack your own. Water bowls are set out around the grounds, though guests have found them empty more often than not, so carry your own on a walk.

The staff are the standout. Guests of every stripe - families, solo walkers, cyclists - come back to the same point, which is that nothing is too much trouble, and those travelling with dogs say the welcome extends to their animals without fuss. Breakfast is continental and generous, and there is a common area with a microwave for evening meals, which is useful when you have a dog settled in the room.

Be clear about what this is not. It is a good way out of Inverness and you will need a car; rooms are simple, and a family room may turn out to be four single beds rather than a double and two singles. But for hillwalking, biking and long muddy days with a dog, the setting and the price make it a sensible Highland base.