Tucked away 1.5 miles from Grantown-on-Spey, this converted shepherd's cottage with a wood burner puts families with their four-legged companions right in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. With woodland and open moorland surrounding the property, there are plenty of opportunities to head straight from the door for walks, with quiet tracks and countryside for curious canines to investigate.
After a day exploring with your pup, return to the cottage and settle beside the wood burner in the generous open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner. The stone walls give the room character, while sofas and a chair provide somewhere to rest tired legs in front of the TV with a DVD player. The well-equipped kitchen makes preparing meals straightforward, with a circular dining table beside the window where you can look out across the surrounding greenery. A utility room with a washing machine is especially useful after muddy walks, and a shower room completes this floor. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms – a double and twin – both with storage and views over the countryside, plus a family bathroom. The enclosed garden is a particularly useful feature for anyone holidaying with a faithful companion, giving your hound a secure outdoor area to stretch their legs and sniff around after a rural walk. Garden furniture means owners can sit outside with a morning coffee and keep an eye on their four-pawed pal, with sheep and wide-open views adding to the rural setting. Private parking makes it easy to load up the car before heading out to explore the Cairngorms.
Grantown-on-Spey has an 18-hole golf course, shops, pubs and restaurants, while Aviemore (15 miles) is a base for longer hiking and mountain-bike adventures with Fido trotting alongside. For more ambitious walkers and their wet-nosed explorers, Ben Macdui (25 miles) brings spectacular mountain scenery, while Highland Wildlife Park (24 miles) makes an interesting day out for both humas and hounds.