Ty Gwynn, Blaenau Ffestiniog

Ty Gwynn is a traditional cottage in Tanygrisiau, a small village just outside Blaenau Ffestiniog with the reservoir a two-minute walk away and mountains on every side. For dog owners the draw is the garden: it is big, properly fenced and rises to a sun deck at the back, and guests are clear that even small dogs cannot get out of it. Up to two pets can stay.

The cottage is set up by people who expect dogs to come too. Dog towels are left out, which guests appreciate more than almost anything else after a wet Eryri walk, along with milk, Welsh cakes and store-cupboard basics on arrival. There is a coal fire and a wood burner, a kitchen-diner large enough to eat and sit in, and an owner who answers the phone and sorts problems quickly.

Walking starts at the door, and the village is as much of the attraction as the base. The reservoir has a cafe that welcomes dogs, the Ffestiniog Railway runs alongside it so steam trains pass while you sit, and the coast is around twenty minutes away with the higher Eryri routes a little further. Guests describe the village as quiet and the neighbours as friendly.

A few things to weigh before booking. The kitchen has picked up a lingering pet odour for some visitors; most report the cottage as clean with no trace of previous dogs at all, but it is not universal and is worth knowing if anyone in the party is sensitive to it. The nearest shops are over a mile away along a busy road, so a car is effectively required. The loft bedroom is reached by very steep stairs and will not suit everyone, the beds are on the soft side, and individual stays have run into a broken tumble dryer and a leaking gutter above the front door.

Ty Gwynn's 4.8/5 paw rating fits a cottage that suits walkers with dogs who want a secure garden, a fire in the evening and Eryri on the doorstep.