Recommendations for dog friendly uk break a long way from Yorkshire

[Francwithdog]

Ahead of a very long trip we need to make with the dog in 2025, I'd like to take him on a couple of long distance uk journeys. We are in Yorkshire- we did isle of skye last year but had a horrible ferry experience in a storm so would like an easy journey for a good experience.

Requirements:
Anywhere in the UK that's a good 5-6+ hour drive from North yorkshire.
Very dog friendly
Lots of walking, preferably some beaches, but as above not essential
Somewhere fairly quiet- we like walking on holiday, but are equally happy walking round towns and villages as off road.
Somewhere with good pubs as DH likes to try local beer/cider wherever we go. He fancies Cornwall but that's only due to the cider. I also know nothing about Cornwall but can't imagine it's quiet, although we can go out of school holidays.
Not essential:
Near national trust/English heritage places as I have a year's membership for both that I didn't realise I couldn't get out of!

We love Northumberland and the lake district but they are very close for us, so looking for something maybe similar.

Thank you!

The East Neuk of Fife. There is a coastal path linking villages which all have nice cafes and interesting little shops. Dogs are welcome everywhere, including on beaches. Swim in the tidal swimming pools (if you’re hardy). Lots of excellent local food. You can use your English National Trust membership in Scottish National Trust properties - Kelly Castle, Falkland Palace are nearby.

@Francwithdog Cornwall is very quiet! Our bookings are right down for our house. You might like the South West coast path. You can certainly enjoy the Dorset section. You don’t need to go as far as Cornwall. We like the quieter places in the Cotswolds. Blockley and Moreton in Marsh are good areas for dogs.

The within hours website might give you an idea of where is that far from you, you could then match it up with NT places although I'm not sure how many NT places allow dogs.

Pembrokeshire - majority of beaches are dog friendly, and the coast path is really pretty. There’s also the Preseli hills, which are well worth a wander (can be steep in places) and gives some amazing sea views when it’s clear.

Lots of National Trust car parks which mean free parking, not so many properties, but places like Stackpole, Bosherston and Colby well worth looking up for NT

Cornwall is very quiet! Our bookings are right down for our house.

That's interesting. We usually go to the same spot in Wales each year for a short break with a group and last year it felt empty. Usually the campsites are filled with and you are struggling to find parking, not last Summer though.

The East Neuk is lovely as has been said. Or how about the Moray coast? Lots of lovely fishing villages and many properties with sea views eg Portsoy, Findochty, Cullen. If you like Skye other than the ferry (there's always the road bridge!), the mainland options upthere are great - Poolewe for example.

Argyll and Bute has to many wonderful placed to list, the Cowal peninsula is under discovered and stunning.

Or Aldeburgh, Southwold in Suffolk? Beautiful. The north Norfolk coast would be another great option - Brancaster, Cley, Blakeney.

So many options!! We have recently both become self employed and work remotely so we might try and fit all these places in the next few years, they all sound amazing!

Going back to the Cornwall being quiet point, I've noticed an awful lot of homes for sale where they either mention it's currently being used as a holiday let or it's obvious from the photos.

West Wales (around Cardigan) is beautiful and very dog friendly. We did Norfolk last summer and it was brilliant with the dog. Lovely beaches, not too many crowds and generally just a really lovely vibe. Have also done the Suffolk coast (pre-dog) which we really enjoyed and again wasn't too crowded.

Somewhere in the Exmoor area - lots of lovely walks, coastal and woodland, and pubs. One or two NT type places though not sure if they're dog friendly or not.

Anglesey - very dog friendly, great pubs and restaurants, miles of lovely beaches with nary a soul on them.

We are currently in Shaldon in South Devon. Very dog friendly. Within easy reach of dog friendly beaches and walks and also Dartmoor. Highly recommend it.

East Ruston Cottages in Norfolk are AMAZING if you want dog friendly- I’ve honestly never stayed anywhere so dog friendly before so it’s ruined all other places for me! Dogs are allowed on the sofas at all of the cottages (with throws), at some of them they’re allowed on the beds, all of the cottages have got fully fenced gardens, they provide crates if you need them, dog bowls, dog beds… absolutely brilliant.

You’re also allowed to leave dogs at the cottages if you’re certain that they’ll be happy on their own, which is great for popping out somewhere for dinner, etc.

Norfolk or Suffolk coast have lots of dog friendly beaches and towns and some are fairly quiet. Southwold and Aldeburgh get mentioned alot. Maybe stay somewhere quieter inland and do a beach day trip.

We stayed in Newquay, Cornwall, pre covid at the Lyncroft Bnb. It was a dog friendly place, great location to Newquay and Fistral bay, lovely staff and amazing breakfast. We didn't have a dog at the time, but there was no smell and I had no idea it was dog friendly till the last day.

Another vote for east Ruston cottages- fabulous for humans & dogs in every way!!

We give a third vote to East Ruston Cottages. And Norfolk as a whole is a great place to visit. So many dog friendly places to go and places to eat! East Ruston Cottages are ultra dog friendly, Up front, honest and truly dog welcoming.

I can definitely recommend East Ruston Cottages.They are so helpful.They absolutely love dogs, and are so dog friendly. Loads of dog equipment and really think about everything you may need. Brilliant for doggie parents too. The beaches on North norfolk coast are lovely and some of them are dog friendly all year round like ostend near Walcott. We loved it there.

We went to north Devon last year with our dog and it was amazingly dog friendly, all the local beaches were fine for dogs, we could take him into all the cafes and shops.

We stayed in a small village near illfracombe.

Once you've stayed and been spoilt by East Ruston Cottages you will go back for more. Enclosed secure gardens for the dogs,they are truly dog welcoming, crates ,buggies,
dog beds ,bowls and so much more .
Lots of different properties to choose from and dogs go free!! North Norfolk is amazingly dog friendly and such a beautiful place to visit, you won't be disappointed.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned Kent yet. Margate in particular is really nice once the weather warms up, lovely seaside feel but also very good for foodies. Dreamland has a summer concert series with top name bands that you can see for much cheaper as it’s usually the band’s ‘practice run’.
If you want an idea of what it’s like, watch ‘Dreamland’ with Lily Allen.
Dogs are very welcome and people are friendly.

Oh wow! I can't belive how many recommendations! East Ruston cottages definitely seem to be a popular one! I had thought about the Norfolk broads but I'm not sure about staying on a boat- but it looks like some of these cottages are near the Norfolk broads so maybe there are some good paths along there for walking instead of going to the beach.
Lots of food for thought thank you!

We've had boating holidays including the Broads (brilliant for wildlife!) , in the past with our dog, it worked well for us. Pubs near the waterways tend to be dog-friendly. However, I'm not sure if I'd want to do it with just the two of us nowadays. If you fancy boating it's worth doing a RYA inland waterways course IMO.