Shunters Cottage, Melrose

Shunters Cottage sits in Darnick, a quiet hamlet just west of Melrose in the Scottish Borders, and it has an unusually good set of features for travelling with dogs. It is single-storey, so there are no stairs for an older or arthritic dog to manage. The garden is large, private and enclosed. Parking is on a private driveway at the property. And the walking starts at the door rather than a drive away.

Guests with dogs consistently pick out the same two things: the garden and the walks. The garden is big enough for dogs to be let out safely off the lead, and there is a small outhouse to sit in when the Borders weather turns. Beyond the gate, footpaths run out towards Melrose and the Eildon Hills, and the living room looks straight at them. The cottage comfortably takes four people and two dogs, and repeat visits come up more than once in guest feedback.

Melrose itself is a short walk, with its shops, restaurants and abbey, and the location works well as a base. The Borders towns are all within easy reach and Edinburgh is a straightforward run. Public transport connections drew praise from guests who wanted to leave the car parked.

A few things to plan around. The steps down to the enclosed back garden are fairly steep, which is worth knowing if your dog is small, elderly or unsteady. A large apple tree overhangs the garden and patio, so in late summer and autumn you will be picking windfalls up ahead of a dog that eats things it should not. The vacuum has been found clogged with hair from previous stays, so do not count on it for a quick clean-up. And guests found no garden furniture during warm spells they would have liked to use it in.

Shunters Cottage earns 4.4/5 on paws. It suits owners of older or less mobile dogs, and anyone who wants an enclosed garden and Borders walking without a car journey to reach either.