Helena Cottage, Elie

Helena Cottage sits on Links Road in Elie, a few minutes from the sands and the Fife Coastal Path, and the feature that matters most to anyone arriving with a dog is the enclosed courtyard at the back. Guests travelling with dogs single it out every time: it is properly secure, so a dog can be let out without a lead and without anyone standing over them, which is rare in a village-centre cottage.

The property is a whole house rather than a room in a shared building, so there are no corridors, lifts or other guests' doors to negotiate. Guests with dogs describe it as quiet and private, and the East Neuk position means the coastal walks start more or less at the door: the beach at Ruby Bay, the harbour, and the coastal path running east towards St Monans and west into Earlsferry.

Inside, the cottage is well equipped for self-catering and comfortably sized for a family, with a good kitchen and comfortable beds. The owner responds quickly when something needs sorting, which several guests have needed, because the key safe has caught people out more than once.

Two things are worth knowing before you book. A damp smell comes up repeatedly, noticed on entering and in the bedrooms, and a couple of guests have found dust under the beds - if your dog sleeps on the floor, that is worth factoring in. Access is by a narrow gravel path, which is fine for a dog but awkward with luggage. Neither complaint touches the pet side of the stay, and the enclosed garden keeps coming up as the reason people would return.

One restriction does need checking before you commit: the property accepts small dogs only, so a labrador or anything larger is out. With a 4.5 out of 5 paw rating from three guests who brought dogs, Helena Cottage suits a couple or a small family walking the Fife coast with a small dog that will appreciate a safe patch of ground to come back to.