Pooch life: 20 great dog-friendly places to stay in the UK

From scenic hotels to coastal inns, woodland retreats to country camping, these places are more than happy to welcome your canine companions

On a Saturday morning in the Lake District, perhaps at the base of a popular fell or along the shores of a placid lake, you might think you were at a countryside Crufts. The region’s footpaths are bustling with spaniels, labradors and golden retrievers – and the ubiquitous cockapoo, of course – all in procession, dragging their owners up hills or along forested trails, tongues out, tails wagging, noses poised to sniff the behind of anything they might pass.

The Lakes often sells itself as the dog-friendly capital of the UK – and for good reason. I challenge you to find a Cumbrian pub that doesn’t have a jar of treats on the bar. But there are plenty more places for the UK’s increasing population of dog owners (29% of UK adults at the PDSA’s last count) to spend their holidays besides the Lakes.