Tawny Cottage, Scarborough

Tawny Cottage is one of a small group of holiday cottages at Riggs Head Farm, in open country a few miles inland from Scarborough between the town and Cayton Bay. It is a modern, well-finished conversion with a private hot tub, and the layout is unusually practical for a dog: the patio areas are enclosed, so the dog can be out with you while you are in the tub rather than shut inside.

One well-behaved dog is welcome. Beyond that the property does the simple things properly - a wood burner to dry a wet dog off in front of, a good briefing on the area when you arrive, and hosts who are quick to sort out a problem.

The location earns its keep for a coastal dog holiday. Scarborough is a few minutes north, Cayton Bay just south, and Filey, Bridlington and Whitby are all short drives, which gives you a lot of beach to work through in a week. The countryside around the farm is quiet and genuinely lovely to look at.

There is one caveat about that countryside worth knowing before you book. Most of the land immediately around the cottage is private farmland, so there is nowhere close by to let a dog run free, and guests have reported walking the lanes for half an hour before finding somewhere suitable. If off-lead exercise on the doorstep matters to you, plan on driving to the beach instead. The other recurring theme is housekeeping: guests have found stairs and carpets that had not been hoovered, kitchen drawers that needed a wipe and a mattress protector due a wash, and there is no mop or vacuum provided for the sandy aftermath of a beach day. The kitchen is lightly equipped, so pack foil and kitchen roll. Mattress comfort splits opinion, and the fabric sofa is harder to wipe down than dog owners would like.

It earns 4.6/5 and works best for a couple or small family with one dog who want a quiet rural base for the North Yorkshire coast, and who will bring their own cleaning kit and drive to their walks.