Dog-Friendly Holidays Argyll and Bute

Completely renovated in 2021, this beautiful detached, single-storey holiday cottage enjoys an idyllic location, with Loch Etive to the front and the River Awe directly behind. Extremely well furnished and equipped the property has direct access onto the beach. It boasts stunning views across the sea loch to the mountains beyond from some of the rooms, and lovely views over the garden from the others. There is a well-equipped kitchen and a dining area seating eight guests. The house enjoys significant privacy with its only neighbours being seals, otters and yachts. Point Park is one of the very few properties to truly have a sea frontage, located just 5 metres from Loch Etive’s shore with direct beach access. In all rooms the bed can be made into double beds in all bedrooms if required.
The lovely little town of Taynuilt has a friendly community and offers a village grocery store, a post office, butchers, tea room, hairdressers, doctor’s surgery and a restaurant serving good food. There is also a train station, the line through Taynuilt runs from Glasgow to Oban so you can have a day in the city or head to the islands. Taynuilt’s golf course is just a few minutes’ walk from the cottage and offers 9 holes.
The bustling Victorian town of Oban known as the ‘Gateway to the Highlands’ is just 20 minutes away by carand offers shops, bars, seafood restaurants, a cinema and leisure centre. Whisky lovers can visit the Oban Distillery to learn how it’s all made. Regular boat trips leave the busy harbour bound for the Inner Hebridean Islands, including Mull, Iona and the Treshnish Isles with their comical puffins.
Enjoy leisurely forest walks, horseriding, fishing, sailing, diving and golf, or for the more adventurous, Glen Nevis, one of the Highland’s most famous glens and the location of scenes from Harry Potter and Braveheart, is only a short drive and offers stunning scenery and bracing walks. Explore famous castles, historical sites and mature gardens. Visit Bonawe Iron Works, Cruachan Hollow Mountain or the Inveraray Jail. The abundant wildlife includes porpoises, dolphins, basking sharks, otters, deer and a wealth of seabirds. Glencoe and Fort William are easily accessible by car and offer popular climbing, skiing and mountain biking. All in all this is an ideal base for enjoying the pleasures of the great outdoors or just savouring the spectacular scenery of the Western Highlands. Shop and pub 1 mile.

Rhunahaorine Cottage, built around 1880, has been thoughtfully and lovingly restored by the owners and provides a luxurious, well-equipped, stylish, holiday home with space for guests to relax and enjoy their surroundings. The cottage is surrounded by an abundance of natural wildlife, the clean environment and clear waters are home to all sorts of interesting wildlife. Guests can relax on the sitting area by the wildlife pond and watch the wildlife come and go. The Machrihanish Seabird/Wildlife Observatory is located nearby at Gauldrons Beach and is fantastic for watching migratory birds.
Campbeltown is one of a handful of areas in Scotland categorised as a whisky producing region, and is home to the Campbeltown Single Malt, at one point having 34 distilleries and proclaiming itself the whisky capital of the world. The town boasts two distilleries, museum, heritage centre, harbour, cinema, leisure centre and an annual regatta and music festival.
The town is well-served with supermarkets, independently owned shops, and excellent hotels and restaurants offering the finest local produce.
The lovely village of Tarbert with its harbour, marina and ancient castle is another opportunity to explore.
The Kintyre area is well-known for its fine, white sandy beaches including Westport surfing beach, Macrihanish, Point Sands, A’Cleit, Peninver and Carradale beaches as well as the stunning beach of Dunaverty at Southend.
Unspoilt countryside abounds and whether cycling or walking there are scenic views on East and West coasts of the peninsula.
Lying just off the west coast of Kintyre, the Isle of Gigha offers a pleasant day trip. There is easy access to the Isles of Islay, Arran and Jura. Jura is one of the wildest and most mountainous of the Inner Hebrides. Islay is great for wildlife enthusiasts as it boasts a large RSPB reserve, a wintering population of barnacle and white-fronted geese, and a wildlife information centre.
For the outdoor enthusiast, there are three golf courses, walking along the Kintyre Way, cycling, fishing and water sports. Beach 1 mile. Shop 5 miles, pub and restaurant 4 miles.

Close to Loch Lomond, this light and airy cottage style accommodation has French windows, woodburning stove and small secluded walled garden. Excellent walking and cycling. Gareloch is just down the lane with a launching slip, ideal for canoeing, windsurfing, dinghies and fishing. Loch Lomond National Park and golf course, 15 minutes. Monro’s, Cobbler 20 minutes, Ben Lomond 40 minutes. Helensburgh 10 minutes, Glasgow 45 minutes. Shop 2 miles.

Innish Beag is a cosy escape for two on the Isle of Seil, connected by road bridge to the mainland, making it the most accessible island of the Inner Hebrides. Cross the bridge and enter an island idyll, surrounded by beautiful countryside, friendly folk and lovely sea views over the Bridge. An ideal romantic couple’s retreat, with a loft bedroom and stunning sea views, Innish Beag will not disappoint! There is a warm and welcoming open plan kitchen, dining and living areas with stunning sea views towards the Bridge. Wooden stairs climb up to the wood-lined loft bedroom with cosy double bed, where the views only get better!! Served by a spacious bathroom on the ground floor, there is everything a couple will need for an island break! Outside, you have access to a large lawned front garden, where you can sit and immerse yourself in the views. The rear hillside garden is lawned with mature shrubs and features a hidden barbeque area.
Innish Beag is within just a few yards of an excellent pub and eatery, and although rural, the island is really well served for amenities. With an excellent local store at Balvicar, plus several shops, pubs and restaurants on the island, you will not have to travel far to find a place to eat out or find something to do or explore. The Isle of Seil is one of the Slate Islands, known as the “Islands which roofed the World” and has been linked to the mainland by the Clachan Bridge (Bridge Over The Atlantic) since the late 18th century. An abundance of wild life in the area; eagles, buzzards, kestrels, otters, deer, badgers, and a friendly local community, makes it an ideal place to get away from the bustle of city life and unwind.
There are several fantastic boat trip operators nearby offering a chance to see the amazing wildlife including a high speed Rib Boat trip through the Corryvreckan whirlpools. There is a nine hole golf course on the island, charters, kayaking, diving and numerous walks. The bridge which connects the Isle of Seil to the mainland enables easy access for exploring the Oban area and mid-Argyll as well as Glencoe and Fort William. Beach 14½ miles. Pub and restaurant 85 yards.
Innish Beag (ref UK38782) can be booked together with Innish (ref UK38783) to accommodate up to 10 guests.

Holly Tree Cottage is tucked away in charming, historic Tain in the Scottish Highlands. Granted its first royal charter in 1066, Tain is the oldest royal burgh in the Scotland and you will find many interesting buildings throughout that you’ll enjoy wandering around and inspecting, especially since many host nice bars, cafés and restaurants. Holly Tree Cottage is a 19th-century, detached cottage set on a quiet street with the centre an easy walk away. The cottage itself is spacious and the owners have tastefully finished it to a very good standard. The kitchen/dining room is a lovely space where you will spend a lot of time, with its enormous wood burner taking centre stage. This room spills out to the garden, which is perfect for children and dogs to let off some steam. The garage is accessible from the garden and contains the washing machine and tumble dryer, as well as enough space to store kayaks, surfboards, golf clubs, bicycles and motorbikes. Back in the cottage there’s a great living room with another wood burner, a family bathroom and also a small double bedroom. Up on the first floor are two bedrooms, a double and twin, and a reading snug on the landing.
Tain has much to offer, including the Glenmorangie Distillery and the fantastic Old Tom Morris Golf Links. There is no beach in Tain, but the coastline, dunes and some tidal stretches of sand are great to explore on foot and footpaths through the golf course afford amazing views across the Dornoch Firth. Nearby Dornoch, Portmahomack and Shandwick all have spectacular stretches of golden sandy beaches to enjoy, and each place is worth a visit, too. Popular Dornoch has some great places to eat and drink in as well stunning historical buildings and Royal Dornoch Golf Links.
Tain also has the NC500 touring route skirting round it, so you can explore some of the best places in the whole of the UK. Head north via Golspie, Brora and Helmsdale to reach John O’Groats, Duncansby, the ferry to Orkney, Dunnet Head and many amazing beaches along the far north coast. The interior roads are also spectacular and worth exploring via Bonar Bridge and Lairg as well as Altnaharra. You can get across to Assynt and the west coast for a day surprisingly easily. Fly fishing is available on nearby salmon and trout rivers, as well as lochs on estates. Rest assured that a week’s stay won’t be long enough; you’ll love the accommodation and the surrounding area, and will want more time here. Beach 9 miles.

Situated within the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, Benmore Drimfern is a fantastic bungalow with an open plan living space as well as a second living room with panoramic views. It makes an ideal base from which to explore this stunningly beautiful area with Benmore Botanic Gardens on the doorstep as is the fantastic Pucks Glen with amazing walks and waterfalls. The surrounding area is known as Argyll’s Secret Coast with its sparkling sea lochs, romantic ruins, ancient forests and stunning scenery. This coastal route takes you through some of the most stunning parts of Argyll’s Secret Coast; a magical undiscovered corner of Cowal. A number of public gardens are located in the area, such as Ardkinglas, Crarae and Benmore Botanic Gardens with its avenue of giant redwood trees. There are three golf courses available locally and many opportunities for a spot of fishing.
The town of Dunoon is nearby and offers a good centre for shopping, leisure facilities and a small cinema. The Argyll Forest, part of the simply gorgeous Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, is on the doorstep and has numerous forest tracks, marked walks, cycle ways and wonderful waterfalls to explore. For those a bit more adventurous, the ferry at Colintraive to Rhubodach takes only three minutes to cross the sea loch and arrive on the Isle of Bute, a famous tourist destination over the years with many attractions such as Mount Stuart House and Gardens as well as the Victorian seaside resort of Rothesay. From this luxurious home, guests can explore many small villages such as Tighnabruaich and Kames with a spectacular viewing point en-route which looks out over the Kyles of Bute. Loch Fyne with its famous restaurant and oyster bar is not far away as is Inveraray; both great for a day trip.
Benmore Drimfern (UK38742) and Benmore Formentor Cottage (UK38743) can be booked together to accommodate up to 12 guests.

Crosskeys Cottage is a traditional Scottish detached cottage situated on the west side of Loch Lomond, only 2 miles from the Loch itself. This renovated cottage has wonderful thick stone walls which are testament to its long history. Tasteful fixtures and decoration give the cottage a fresh and modern ambience. The Cottage has its own grassy garden area, with outdoor seating, BBQ and a view south towards the Kilpatrick Hills. The property is ideal for a couple and with its fantastic central position; Crosskeys Cottage makes a great location to explore the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. There is a cycle way running past the cottage which can take you to Loch Lomond or Helensburgh, both only 2 miles away.
Crosskeys Cottage (propery ref CC523028) can be booked independently or together with Glenfruin Lodge close by (property ref: CC523117) providing accommodation up to 6 people