The Old School, Caeathro

The Old School at Caeathro is a converted village school on the Llanberis road just outside Caernarfon, split into self-catering cottages, and its main appeal for dog owners is simple: you get the whole place to yourselves. There are no shared corridors, no reception to walk a wet dog through and no other guests to work around, which takes most of the friction out of travelling with one.

The best of the units open straight onto their own enclosed outdoor space through patio doors, and guests with dogs consistently say that is what made the stay work, giving them somewhere secure to let a dog out first thing without getting dressed for it. The garden has proved big enough for a couple of medium-sized dogs to roam. Interiors are generally clean, the kitchens are properly equipped, and there is electric-car charging on site.

There is a real caveat, and it is the thing to weigh before booking. The property sits directly on a fast A road with a 60mph limit and no pavement outside. Much of the feedback mentions only that pulling out of the drive takes confidence, but dog owners have reported the other side of it: a unit with no outside access except through the front door, real anxiety about the dog getting loose, and nowhere to walk straight from the house. If your dog is a bolter, or you want to step out for a late walk, ask which unit has the enclosed garden before you book. Reports on the cottages themselves are mostly strong on cleanliness, though not universally so. A charge applies for dogs, though the amount is not published, so ask what it is when you book.

What the location buys you is walking country. The Llanberis Path up Yr Wyddfa starts a short drive away, Caernarfon and its castle are a few minutes in the other direction, and the rest of Eryri opens up from there. The Old School earns a 4.3/5 paw rating, and it works best for dog owners heading out to the hills each day who make sure they have a unit with its own secure outdoor space.