Rowanlea, Muthill

Rowanlea is a roomy stone terraced cottage in Muthill, a quiet Perthshire village a few miles south of Crieff, and it works well as a base for walking this part of Scotland with a dog. The house has two sitting rooms, both with fireplaces, and a garden-facing extension whose floor-to-ceiling windows look onto a large, properly maintained back garden. That is an unusual amount of enclosed outdoor space for a terrace, and it is the part of the property dog owners get the most out of.

Up to two pets are allowed on request. Guests who have brought dogs report that they are kept to the ground floor and are expected to sleep in the kitchen overnight, which is not spelled out on the booking listing and is the single thing most likely to catch a dog owner out here. If your dog normally sleeps in the bedroom, settle that with the owner first.

The kitchen is genuinely well equipped and basics such as tea, coffee, sugar and cooking oil are left for guests; toiletries and bin bags are not. The cottage sits on a street with steady traffic and parking is on-street, sometimes several doors down because a neighbouring business parks vans outside. With a dog that pulls, that short walk from car to front door needs care, and there is no off-street space to unload into.

The recurring complaint is cleanliness rather than comfort. Guests have found dog hair left under furniture from previous stays, bedding that had not been properly changed, and have said more generally that the house is due a thorough clean. Anyone sensitive to that should factor it in. Check-in is arranged by someone acting for the owner rather than through the booking platform, and replies can be slow, so chase your arrival details a few days ahead.

Rowanlea earns a 4.2/5 paw rating. It suits dog owners who want space, a big enclosed garden and easy access to Perthshire's walking country, and who are relaxed about a dog sleeping downstairs and about a property stronger on comfort than on housekeeping.