Which small towns and villages are worth visiting for a half day/day trip?

[ThePineappleSeahorse]

The sort of places that have independent shops, a little museum and nice cafes. Dog friendly is a bonus.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

TIA

Culross

So many…

Ballater is lovely. Great cafes and some nice restaurants and a few wee shops.

if in that area, Alford has a great transport museum, a farming heritage museum and a nice garden centre/ vintage homeware shop/ dog friendly cafe/ ice cream parlour all in one. Plus a nice countr6 park by the river which my dogs love.

Cullen - beach, nice hotel / restaurant, several antique shops and ice cream

Dunkeld - galleries, shops and a lovely pub by the river.

Bridge of Allan - shops, food, pretty scenery

Castle Douglas (not sure if it has a museum though)

Eyemouth, could pair it with St Abbs and Coldingham.

Aberfeldy

Callander

St Andrews

Dunkeld, a nice village and a lovely walk at The Hermitage.

Linlithgow, lots of independent shops and cafes and a walk round the loch or nearby Beacraigs park.

Dunfermline, a smallish museum, The Abbey and a lovely park called Pittencrief Park (known locally as the glen) with hot houses, formal gardens and nice woodland walks.

Arundel

A 900 mile round trip is possibly pushing it for a day out..!

Moffat

Melrose, and as you've made the trip anyway, Kelso.

North Berwick for a seaside vibe.

Tetbury
Bourton on the Water
Clifton
Castle combe (not much in terms of shops, but absolutely breathtakingly beautiful)

This is Scotsnet so the OP was looking for suggestios in Scotland.

Very true and if I get some further suggestions of places that aren’t in Scotland I certainly won’t complain because it’s helpful to have a list of places to visit elsewhere in the UK too.

Wigtown if you like books.

And add Jedburgh while you’re there

i don’t think anyone has mentioned these

Duns
Biggar
Dunbar

Dunkeld. Callander.

Whithorn

Definitely Kircudbright. Lovely harbourside town, lots of art galleries both museum style and independent, great cafes and food scene, nice gift shops etc. One of my favourites. You could add on a trip to Castle Douglas for Threave Gardens and more shops/cafes or Gatehouse of Fleet which is much smaller but with a few nice shops, pubs & cafes.

Dollar. Fab little bookshop, places to eat, lovely deli, castle.

Culross, Aberdour, Pitlochry

yes, love Dunbar and also Castle Douglas

Oban. Lovely views and shops to mooch in.

Not Culross

Very strange place with odd people IME

Dunkeld is very dog friendly, think just about every shop allows dogs. Hotels, pubs, cafés. Bonus that the Hermitage is 2 minutes away for a nice walk.