Rowardennan Rooms in the Lodge - Lodge No 2

Rowardennan Rooms sits on the eastern shore of Loch Lomond with the West Highland Way running past the door, and for a walker with a dog that position is the whole point. You come off the path, you are there, and the loch shore and the forest tracks behind the lodge are available for a last stretch of the legs before bed.

Dogs are welcome, and guests who bring one describe a host who goes out of his way. One party got lost on the approach and were driven in; another arrived with an injured dog and found the room arrangements adjusted around it without fuss. There is a drying room too, which after a wet day on the Way matters more than almost anything else on offer.

The hotel next door covers food and drink, so nobody has to drive anywhere in the evening, and the host is responsive over messages before arrival.

The caveats are real and worth reading before you book. Lodge No 2 is a compact bunk-bed room, so it is a place to sleep rather than a base to spend a day in, and a large dog will take up a meaningful share of the floor. The walls are thin enough that you hear the neighbouring rooms, which is worth weighing if your dog reacts to noise at night. There are no tea and coffee facilities in the room, and the rates reflect a captive market on a long-distance trail rather than the standard of the fittings, which guests describe as basic for the price. The booking listing discloses that a charge applies per dog per night, but not the amount, and it publishes no limit on numbers and no size restriction, so agree the details with the property directly.

At 4.4/5, this is a one-night stop rather than a holiday base, and it is a good one: walkers doing the West Highland Way with a dog get a bed, a hot shower, somewhere to dry out and a host who takes the dog as seriously as the guest.