Newmore Highland Pods, Invergordon

Newmore Highland Pods sits on a smallholding just outside Invergordon, a few miles off the NC500 and within easy reach of Inverness, and it is set up for dogs from the moment you arrive. Each pod has its own enclosed deck and garden, so a dog can be let out without a lead and without meeting the neighbours, and there is a grass area behind the pods for a proper run.

The welcome is the part guests with dogs bring up most. Bowls and a jar of dog biscuits are left in the pod alongside a welcome basket for the humans, and the owners tend to come down and say hello even though check-in is contactless. Parties arriving with more than one dog report no difficulty, and several have brought young children and dogs together without the pods feeling cramped.

Cleanliness gets consistent praise, and it matters here: guests regularly remark that you would not know a dog had stayed in the pod before them. Three of the four pods take dogs, and they are the Glen Wyvis, Dalmore and Glen Ord pods, so book by name rather than assuming any pod will do. The fourth stays dog-free, which has not always been obvious to guests at the point of booking. A practical note that comes up more than once: there is no broom or sweeping brush in the pods, which is a nuisance when a dog or a child tracks grass in from the field.

Beyond the pod there is a hot tub in each enclosed garden, a shared sauna and a BBQ hut, plus chickens, ducks and a small pond that dogs and children both find interesting. Walks start from the door and the Cromarty Firth coast is close by. The property's booking listing does not publish a pet charge, a dog limit or a size restriction, so confirm those with the property when you book. For dogs that like their own space, and owners who want a hot tub without a shared corridor in sight, this earns a 4.8/5 paw rating.