Glyder, Bethesda

Glyder is a large apartment on the upper floors of a terrace in Bethesda, at the mouth of the Ogwen valley, with a river behind it and a small woodland park immediately to the rear. That park is the reason it works so well for dogs: a proper walk starts at the back of the property with no need to get in the car, and Ogwen, Pen y Pass and the rest of Eryri are fifteen to twenty minutes up the valley.

Dogs are welcome and no fee is published, so confirm that with the owner when you book. Inside, the apartment is spacious, modern and consistently described as clean and comfortable, with a full kitchen and room to spread out, which makes it a workable base for a family with a large dog.

The stairs are the thing that decides whether it suits your dog, and they come up in nearly every review written by a dog owner. There are three flights inside, the living room is at the top, and the outside access includes a steep spiral staircase. Dogs have refused it, and their owners have carried them up and down to the shared garden below. A young, agile dog will manage. A large, old or stair-shy one will need lifting, and if that is not realistic then this is not the apartment for you.

Parking is on site but down a narrow, unlit and potholed lane, and with all the apartments occupied a car can end up blocked in, so allow some time and daylight on arrival. Bethesda is a working slate town rather than a resort, with a modest range of places to eat, but it puts you closer to the hills than most of the tourist bases and the zip line centre is a couple of minutes away.

Best suited to active owners with a dog that can handle stairs or be carried, who want a spacious, well-priced base for Eryri with a woodland walk starting at the door.