Dog Friendly UK Hostels

everal members of the 300-strong network of UK Independent Hostels welcome dogs, some make a small charge for pets but in others they can stay for free, providing great value overnight stays for you and your four-legged friend.  Many are in stunning rural or coastal locations ideal for walks and wild runs while others are within a short stroll of a dog-friendly pub.

Whether you are planning a one-night stopover or a longer stay, the hostels generally offer inexpensive self-catering facilities for singles, couples, families and groups. Accommodation might be shared but there are also smaller rooms sleeping two to six, many with ensuite facilities; prices are from around £10 per person per night.

Always call your chosen hostel before travelling to book a place and check that well-behaved dogs are welcome; some hostels are on livestock farms or other dogs might live on the premises, so it’s worth checking if you need to keep yours on a lead when outside the building.

Award winning Deepdale Backpackers hostel, which is on a working farm in the North Norfolk coastal Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has a dog friendly double room and Tipi. The hostel’s website includes a ‘pets welcome’ guide to the area with suggestions for walks, pubs and cafés while the local beaches boast miles of flat golden sand, many without summer dog restrictions.  Deepdale’s own puppy, Merlin and border-collie, Jack work with the team and you can see them 'doing the rounds' on site every day. The dog friendly room is £28 per night for two sharing plus £10 per dog, with a maximum of two pets.

Pentre Bach, an alpine style camping barn in Snowdonia, Wales is around eight minutes walk from the dog friendly local where Fido is welcome at the bar; a sheepdog trainer is based next door. There are great walks from the barn, which is approached by a 250yd track from the road; grassy areas all the way down are ideal for constitutional walks. A night’s stay is £9.50 per person for an alpine sleeping platform on the upper level, dogs stay free.

Located in the former lighthouse keepers’ cottages in a remote and dramatic location in the Scottish Highlands, Rattray Head eco-hostel is near Peterhead in Aberdeenshire. The huge dunes and isolated 11 mile sandy beach will exhaust even the most energetic pooch. Eco credentials include a wood burning boiler for heating and hot water, which uses the waste wood found locally. Prices here start from £15pp for a bunk bed including drinks (non-alcoholic); there is no charge for dogs.

Other dog friendly hostels in popular walking areas include Fell End Bunkhouse and Swirrel Camping Barn, both in Cumbria’s Lake District; Womerton Farm Bunkhouse in the Shropshire Hills next to Longmynd AONB and 300 year old bunk houses in the Dartmoor Expedition Centre, Devon. In South West Wales Caerhafod Lodge is perfectly placed to explore the Pembrokeshire National Park coast path near St Davids, while Clyngwyn Bunkhouse is in the heart of the Brecon Beacons. And up in the Highlands midway between Glencoe and Ben Nevis is 4-star Blackwater Hostel which offers a variety of high and low level walks, all with great views.

Details of the hostels can be viewed online at www.IndependentHostelGuide.co.uk, where you will also find maps, special offers and competitions. Members of the Independent Hostels network welcoming dogs can be viewed at this link http://www.independenthostelguide.co.uk/articles.php?aid=12&title=Dog+Friendly+Accommodation&s=3.

To help you choose the hostel that’s right for you, the Independent Hostels network produces a neat, annual handbook that will fit easily into a rucksack, or large pocket. At least one page is devoted to each hostel with a full description of facilities, price guidelines, contact details and colour photographs. Copies (priced at £6.45 including postage and packing), can be purchased online or by calling 01629 580427 or emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The network is sponsored by Berghaus, manufacturers of innovative outdoor clothing and equipment. Over 850,000 people stay at independent hostels each year, the majority are hill walkers and ramblers who constitute a key audience for Berghaus. More information about their range of products can be found on www.berghaus.com.