Studio Cottage, Gifford

Studio Cottage sits in a private courtyard in Gifford, a small village in the East Lothian countryside, and it is one of the more comfortable dog-friendly lets in this part of Scotland. The whole building is yours, the courtyard is shared only with the main house, and dogs are treated as an ordinary part of the booking rather than a concession you have to ask for.

Guests have brought anything from one well-behaved dog to a pair of large retrievers, and the welcome comes back the same way each time: warm, prompt and unfussy. The owners live next door and answer quickly, but they leave you alone once you are settled, which is the arrangement most people travelling with a dog actually want. Inside, the cottage is clean and properly kitted out - a sizeable kitchen, a cosy living and dining area and a modern shower room.

Gifford itself is the reason to book. There is a park a short walk away and green space in every direction, with a pub-restaurant and a village cafe close enough to walk to, and the Lammermuir Hills rising behind the village for longer days out. Haddington and North Berwick are a short drive, and central Edinburgh is under an hour, so you can do a city day and come back to somewhere genuinely quiet.

Two things to plan for. There is no off-street parking, though the village roads are quiet enough that guests have not found it a problem in practice. And the bedroom is up in the roof space, so an older or arthritic dog will be doing stairs at bedtime - worth a thought if yours sleeps in the room with you. The property's booking listing does not publish a pet fee, a weight limit or a cap on numbers, so settle those with the owners when you book.

Best suited to a couple or solo traveller with one or two dogs who want a quiet village base with Edinburgh and the East Lothian coast within reach. It earns a 4.5/5 paw rating.