Park of Drumquhassle, Drymen

Park of Drumquhassle is a two-hundred-year-old country house standing in its own grounds outside Drymen, at the southern end of Loch Lomond and within easy reach of the West Highland Way. The approach is a long private drive through fields, and the setting does most of the work here: deer, pheasants and rabbits are ordinary sightings from the windows, and there is enough open ground around the house for a dog to stretch its legs before breakfast without leaving the property.

Guest reviews mentioning dogs are thin on the ground - there is only one - so treat the picture as provisional. What it says is unambiguous, though: being able to bring the dog was singled out as a highlight of the stay, alongside the warmth of the welcome from the owner. Nothing in the property's booking listing sets out a weight limit, a breed rule or a cap on numbers, so agree the details directly when you book rather than assuming.

One thing worth knowing before you arrive is that there is a household cat, and it has been fed in the same room where breakfast is served while guests were eating. If your dog is reactive around cats at close quarters, raise it with the owner in advance.

This is an old building and the reports are not uniform. Cold rooms have come up as a complaint, as has the standard of cleaning in places and the condition of some of the breakfast items; at least one bedroom door had no lock. Set against that is a long run of guests who rate the breakfast and the hosting very highly, and the property's overall guest score sits near the top of its area.

Drymen village is a few minutes away for pubs and food, and the West Highland Way passes close enough that this works as an overnight for anyone walking it with a dog. Balmaha and the eastern shore of Loch Lomond are a short drive for a longer outing.

Best suited to walkers and touring couples with a well-mannered dog who want a characterful country house rather than a hotel, and who will take an old building's quirks in their stride.