Solo holiday with my dog?

[Dogsolo]

Any recommendations for a holiday in UK with my dog with me on my own. After a long term break up last year I think I would like to just spend some time this year somewhere dog friendly and that feels safe. Be good to have a holiday to look forward to. Recommendations welcome and appreciated

I've been pondering a similar question and thought maybe Whitby? I've never been but it sounds fairly dog friendly from what I can find online

What sort of thing do you like doing? Any particular part of the U.K.

I've never done it myself but I think if I had to holiday solo in the U.K. I'd find a nice dog-friendly hotel - they do exist. Ones which allow you to eat in the bar with your pet.

I kept seeing this advert last year for solo holidays with your dog somewhere in Cornwall- it sounds great!

www.lowermarshfarm.com/solo-dog-friendly-holidays-in-cornwall/

The Lake District? There are lots of dog friendly hotels here & quite a lot to do, you don’t have to be into hill walking or mountaineering. Lots of interesting villages & towns to potter round & most shops, even some tea rooms allow dogs.

Thanks so much, will look it up, I'm a bit scarred of staying somewhere secluded. This sounds perfect!

I'm just planning a solo holiday with my dog for the summer. My top choice of dog-friendly destination would have been Keswick as pretty everywhere there seems to welcome dogs and we both love walking and water. Instead we are heading to Scotland (as I need to drop/collect DH there for work) so I have settled on an airbnb in Aviemore. I've been to Aviemore a few times so already have a list of walks/places that I know Ddog will love, and know that there are some dog-friendly places to eat.

What I found really hard was finding somewhere that I would feel comfortable staying on my own with Ddog - and manageable, as this will be the first time we have been away together on our own. Originally I had wanted to book a glamping type place or camping but when I looked into the small print, many of those that claimed to be dog-friendly wouldn't be manageable for someone on their own. Rules like 'you can't leave the dog alone in the accommodation/tent/car but then you can't take them with you into the toilet/shower block' either - so what are you supposed to do with them then? In the end I gave up on those and looked at airbnb. Some of those had rules that I felt would be unmanageable for someone on their own too, but I struck lucky with one that seems to be truly dog friendly and has an owner that clearly loves dogs.

Anywhere with lovely dog friendly beaches - loads of places in Scotland And Wales. Then all you need is a cosy cottage to come home to. Nothing nicer than a break on your own doing exactly what you like and with your dog to keep you company for long walks.

Love walking with my dog in nature. Good point there are lots of dog friendly hotels. I don't need to be worried

I had a week with my hound in Pembroke in late September. Pembroke itself had fabulous places to walk, the castle was dog friendly and there were dog friendly pubs/cafe’s.

It was also a good base for a few day trips as well - Tenby, Haverfordwest and Narberth.

We had a fabulous week.

Thanks, really good points to think about

Some of the Lake District attractions that welcome dogs
https://www.sallyscottages.co.uk/guides/10-best-dog-friendly-attractions-lake-district

Some of my fave holidays have been solos with my dog.

It really depends on your dog and how portable/ malleable they are.

for me I need somewhere where dog can go offlead for a wee out the back door, also where there is somewhere to run free and away from livestock (!) for at least an hour a day.

So, it’s worth thinking about what you both need for a relaxing homidsy. The isle of eight, particularly west wight, is brilliant for active people. Miles of dog friendly beaches and some nice dog friendly cafes and pubs. However a ballache to get to.

Conversely some places that are rural really haven’t suited us, Derbyshire being one example. So many bloody sheep.

*holiday. What is a homsidy?

Isles of Scilly if your dog is good with boats!

I'm in the Lake District and it's very dog-friendly but you do need to be aware of sheep and cattle.

But restaurants, pubs, shops and cafes all pretty much all cater to dogs and they can go on public transport etc too.

Keswick, Ambleside, Coniston and Grasmere are all very central and busy so no need to worry about being alone, or if you wanted somewhere a bit quieter (but still with people) then it may be worth looking the coast or the western lakes.

The only thing to bear in mind is that lots of holiday accommodation won't allow you to leave your dog unattended so you'll need to plan your food shop around that (ie. book a delivery or bring stuff with you).

Very true about food and planning. I generally get around that by some combo of taking food with me, picking somewhere where deliveroo is a thing, and/or finding a good filling station with an M&S Or little waitrose attached, nearby. Car locked with dog inside and massive serious alarm on before anyone says “Howwwww can you leave Fido in your car ;)?”

You could go anywhere OP, pretty much everywhere is dog friendly nowadays, so try and look for somewhere with the amenities that stand out to you.

I've been to caravans with the dog on my own, or now as a family we mostly stay in cottages (now three dogs too), I normally find them on Sykes or cottages.com as you can specify dog friendly, areas, facilities (like coastal) etc, sort them into price order and just scroll through till you find ones you like (or you can do 'map view' and see them on the map of the UK), just check they have a secure garden and have a read of the reviews, Anglesey & Northumberland are favourite places of ours, but Lincolnshire is fantastic for miles and miles of continuous beaches, and is the most local to us so we tend to go there.

If you don't feel comfortable being in a cottage on your own, you could look at caravan/chalet/lodge, that's what I used to do more of when I was solo with dog as it felt more comfortable, pretty much all haven sites accept up to 2 dogs, if you go out of school holidays they are cheap, or you can go on a site like ukcaravans4hire and look for a private rental on one of the sites, they tend to have more features, like wraparound verandas (unlike the standard dog friendly site ones) so you can sit outside if it's warm without tying the dog up or worrying they may run off!

Our dogs are sofa hogs, so we always take about 6-7 blankets with us to completely cover any furniture, so we can relax.

Margate is great and all the restaurants and hotels are super dog friendly. There's actually a dog friendly B&B called the Doghouse there. Plus lots of lovely walks to the neighbouring Broadstairs and Ramsgate along the beach.

I was going to say Pembrokeshire too! I spend a lot of time there solo - with two dogs! I’ve not found anywhere that’s not dog friendly, and the walks / beaches are fabulous.

As a PP said, the main thing is planning around a food shop. I do a Click and Collect or delivery order in advance, then if I need to top up, find a small shop with a car park outside and run in

We've found Northumberland very dog friendly. Lovely beaches.

The isle of man. It's incredibly safe and as a woman, you can go off walking by yourself anywhere you like. It's so liberating! It has fabulous glens, woods, hills, beaches, cafes etc. Dog costs £15 each way on the ferry.

What time of year? Off season Rye, Camber, Broadstairs, Isle of Wight, Lyme Regis

We went to Southwold last year and it was probably the most dog friendly place I have ever been. Most shops / pubs etc allow (and encourage) dogs, the beach is fab and everything is within walking distance and feels very safe and friendly.

What a lovely idea. Going on holiday with the dog sounds like a perfect holiday plan.

my self and my step mum went to the Yorkshire dales last May. We took my dog. One thing we did was walk up to a cave that you can take the dog into. Was pretty cool. Ingleborough cave https://ingleboroughcave.co.uk/visitor-info/

there’s also malham cove I think it’s called, the one with the limestone pavement up top.