You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
At this point in my life (kids grown up) I should be enjoying cheap holidays abroad in the sunshine, but....
This year we are struggling as we cant find anyone to look after our dog (12 years old and nervous disposition). Previously stayed with our parents but they now have their own problems and couldn't manage to look after him. Kids are busy with their own lives (a good thing!) and he has never stayed in kennels so wouldn't do that to him now.
I'm therefore pondering a uk holiday later in the year (or at least after school summer holidays). We have a camper van and I've got lots of plans for that NC500, tour of Wales etc but again the dog (and possibly my wife) wouldn't be able to cope with that (maybe long weekend at best).
I'm therefore seeking some ideas of what might be fun and maybe a bit different.
Welcome any thoughts/ideas/locations/places to stay - basically give me something to look forward to whilst struggling at work!
Bike and Boot in Scarborough.
A great dog friendly hotel with beach just across the road.
Job Jobbed! 🙂
Places we've taken our hound in the last 4 years,
Cornwall (twice)
Northumberland
Northern Ireland
I'm not sure the dog has much of an opinion on each place, or if he does he's not telling me! Of those locations, Northumberland was the best because a lot of Cornwall branches are dog restricted and it gets REALLY busy, (actually neither might be such an issue outside summer high season) and Northern Ireland has an expensive ferry crossing as an additional expense. We're just passing the Isle of Man on the way home as it happens.
For a bit different, you could go to Belgium/France/Holland on the Chunnel in your camper and just deal with the pet passport.
I thought camper vans and a dog were compulsory ! Lots of long weekends then - many hotels will accept dogs. How's the dog for walking any distance ?
I have holidayed with with an aging hound for a few years and it has always been by picking a suitable cottage for a week.
The last couple of years we stayed in a lovely spot just outside Cinderford which was handy for FOD, and had superb walking in the forest too.
https://www.holidays4dogs.co.uk/ Are worth a look. They board your dog at a home run by one of their approved carers. The carer will carry out your schedule so that the dog has no changes in routine. Bodie thinks our carer is brilliant, she has a kitchen sofa for him to lounge on and we have art she has produced of him. Highly recommended.
We too have an old hound and tend to head to the quiet beaches of Wales, around Harlech being the preferred area. Find a dog friendly AirBnB and enjoy empty beaches and county pubs.
We took our 17 year old to mull and stayed in a rental cottage with a fenced garden. He could come and go as he pleased or sit by the Rayburn. Loads of nice beach walks etc, evenings to hang out with us by the fire.
Bike and Boot in Scarborough.
A great dog friendly hotel with beach just across the road.
Job Jobbed! 🙂
Or the one in Hope Valley
+1 for cottage close to good beach. Northumberland or Nairn are our usual spots.
Or if you really want a proper rest and a holiday abroad, why not consider a sitter to come and stay in your house for the week where your dog already knows and feels safe? We did that very thing this year for a week while we drove to Finale, the dog had a whale of a time. There's a facebook group for this very reason where you can post and people will reply if they're available or look locally for someone that does it?
UK holidays what we have done or will be doing with our dog (they were all a week). They've all been 'going for nice walks with stops at nice cafes and pubs' type holidays. It's easy to forget that, once you get out of the urban bits, the UK is a beautiful country.
Mull
Golspie
Shetland (two weeks)
Suffolk
Mid Wales
Whitby
Northumberland
Isle of Wight
Exmoor
All in Airbnb-type places, loads are dog-friendly
Top tip for Suffolk and Norfolk is that all the Chestnut Group Hotels are dog friendly. Another top tip is don't stay in the area close to Sizewell as prices are currently ludicrous due to the construction project. Everything down to Aldeburgh is now at or close to Southwold pricing!
Not going with AirBnB as they are causing problems for local youngsters who want to live in their local area.
Our dog is 13 & sleeps a lot. We had a similar dilemma this summer. We just had two weeks in a couple of air bnbs in France. One in ile de re then one in ioe de Oberon. Portsmouth to Caen by ferry with a dog friendly cabin. She slept. Would have been even easier if the tunnel would have worked with where we started and where we went.
In France she was quite happy hanging in the air bnb for a few hours out of the heat on her own so we didn’t have to take her everywhere.
the hassle taking her was pretty minimal tbh. There’s a really good FB group that has loads of info on how to get the paperwork sorted and even has lists of French vets for places to get the pre travel worming tablet on the way home. We will definitely do something similar next year is she’s still here!
September can be very warm and bright in Scotland if you're lucky with the weather, but prices drop once schools go back.
https://www.visitscotland.com/info/accommodation/signal-rock-glencoe-cottages-p197521 for example
I’d suggest taking the opportunity to learn something new and go for a week to a magician academy.
Oh wait, that won’t work will it?
Not going with AirBnB as they are causing problems for local youngsters who want to live in their local area.
We're conscious of this, and only use places that are obviously 'holiday' accommodation, like chalets, statics etc, not little cottages that would otherwise be a starter home
Center Parcs do dog friendly villas, prices drop once kids go back to school after the summer, we're off to Longleat again in September for a Mon-Fri and the local lanes/hills are superb for cycling (you can take the hire ebikes off campus these days). Weather is usually great in September.
Haven do dog friendly caravans. IIRC, the beaches around Prestatyn open up again to dogs after the kids summer holidays.
We go to Northumberland every year, we use properties managed by Crabtree & Crabtree, dogs are a search option.
These have been two highlights:
https://www.crabtreeandcrabtree.com/properties/the-bothy-at-cheswick/
This is a short walk, or drive to th ebeach carpark were you can walk through the dunes and have a beach pretty much to yourself. 
https://www.crabtreeandcrabtree.com/properties/lakeside-cottage-emily/
This is on a private estate with a lovely walk through woodland and around a lake. Willy and Eliza Browne-Swinburne are really nice for poshos, we enjoyed them joining us for walks.
Where are you starting from OP? East coast does tend to be sunnier than west, on average. You can't tell weather but we've always been lucky with end Sept weekends away.
Very much at the cheap end, based on enjoying short walks between pubs / cafes and time on a beach, Parkdean and Haven have pet friendly caravans. Parkdean tend to be easier to use the onsite heated pool (don't need to book where Haven can be a bit funny with opening times).
We've stayed at St Margarets Bay and really enjoyed walks on the cliff top (National Trust lighthouse, sound mirrors, WWII stuff) and to the shingle beach, bus or longer walk to Walmer, Deal, which are nice to wander. A caravan stay is currently £310 for a week.
Also liked Kessingland for a nice beach right in front, nice longer walk south to nature reserve, and 3 good places to eat in walking distance. Very much a quiet holiday.