Northern UK... perfect for every man and his dog

If there is one place that man and his best friend relish in the same way it is the beach. That sense of space to breath, the freedom to stretch your legs and get in touch with the elements is a mutual indulgence. And you don’t have to go far in Britain to find enough space for you and your dog to run wild without bothering the rest of mankind.

Being an island, the UK offers a huge choice of dog friendly beaches. The biggest, less crowded and most un-spoilt stretches of sand are up North, namely in Scotland and Northumberland. Thanks to their colder climate there has been less exploitation of these stunning shores so they are places of intense natural beauty, spectacular sea views, broad sands and amazing cliff top walks with the addition of a few impressive landmarks to boot.

Starting from the top of the Isles are the Scottish Highlands where you can find fabulous, majestic beaches like Gairloch Beach, a wide sandy bay conveniently sheltered by lush green mountains offering the most stunning sunsets beyond the Western Islands. Aberdeenshire also has some beautiful beaches, namely Balmedie Country Park Beach, which is famous for its dunes and bird watching opportunities. Fraserburgh Beach is another award winning and fabulously duney beach, offering a wide choice of water sports.

Over the borders, a little further south lies the Heritage Northumberland coastline, where places like the beautiful Bamburgh Beach, or Holy Island offer Caribbean quality white sands and deep wild dunes for your dog to hide and romp. It is really quite hard to believe that you are on the North Sea! A welcome reminder is the wildlife sanctuaries such as Seahouses and Lindisfarne, where seals and puffins greet you with a comical chorus. There are also numerous fabulous castles to visit along these shores that shouldn’t be missed.

Further south yet lie some more open, broad North Sea beaches, namely Bridlington Beach where miles of sandy beach and footpaths are available. Neighbouring Danes Dyke Beach offers a change of scenery and much welcomed wilderness with the bonus of a Nature Reserve at its flank. For those who want a little more than sand and sea, there are some more touristic haunts that open their shores to well behaved mutts. With five miles of golden sands, dogs love Filey Beach ensuring you and your hound can enjoy a day alongside the rest of the human race. Whitby also reserves part of its North Beach for dog owners all year round year.

But what of the West Coast I hear you ask? Well there are some quite lovely nature loving beaches along the Merseyside such as Southport and Ainsdale, where your dog can enjoy a bit of bird chasing. Even Liverpool has a few stretches of beach in Formby where you and your canine can indulge in some scenic seaside walks through the dunes and along woodland waterways. That said, the wildest walks can be found along the shores of Wales where there are also plenty of dog friendly cottages available. Starting with dog friendly Colwyn Bay in the North, which offers those accompanied by their fury friend many sandy stretches in all shapes and sizes. A stone’s throw away lies the famous rustic Llyn Peninsula and Afon Wen where you and your dog can get lost among the wild dunes and vals. If you fancy something a bit trendier there are some dog friendly spots in New Quay, namely on the beautiful Llanila Beach.

Heading South there is the trend setting Swansea Bay, where you can hang out cosmopolitan style and indulge in the latest water sports while in Barry there is Jacksons’s Bay which offers the most fabulous walks and coves. But for those who truly love nature, the highlight of Wales has to be the Pembrokeshire Coastal National Park, which takes up practically all of the Pembrokeshire Coastline. The walks along here are legendary and endless, where you and your pup will witness nature at its very best. If you like a bit of action then you should stop off in resorts like Broad Haven, Little Haven, Monkstone Beach or Tenby.

One thing is for sure, there are plenty of dog friendly beaches to be enjoyed in the UK with a healthy sprinkling of dog friendly accommodation to rent ranging from small beach chalets for couples right up to large group pet friendly beach cottages, ideal for group holidays.