1 Plockton Inn
Innes Street, Plockton
SatNav: IV52 8TW
Web: www.plocktoninn.co.uk
Tel: 01599 544222
Situated in the heart of the pretty village of Plockton and on the beautiful north-west coast, the Plockton Inn serves up a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, great homemade food using freshly caught seafood and local produce, and an excellent choice of ales and whiskies.
The inn has live tradition music every Thursday throughout the year and every Tuesday and Thursday during the summer months.
Plockton is a perfect base for walking trips with your dog around Skye, Kintail, Cluanie and Torridon.
Less experienced walkers can acquire a copy of Ian's Walking Guide from the inn, an introduction to a selection of accessible hills of the area. The guide is published by Macmillan Cancer Support, with all proceeds going to charity.
2 Grog & Gruel
66 High Street, Fort William
SatNav: PH33 6AD
Web: www.grogandgruel.co.uk
Tel: 01397 705078
The Grog & Gruel is a traditional alehouse and restaurant with a warm and friendly atmosphere and a character all of its own.
Set halfway along the High Street in Fort William, in the shadow of nearby Ben Nevis, it prides itself on its warm welcome and boasts a range of real ales and malt whiskies, plus dozens of Scottish gins.
On busy evenings, the atmosphere of a traditional pub comes into its own, as travellers tell tales of their days out exploring the West Highlands, and beer enthusiasts talk of the delights of the latest local brew.
Families and four-legged-friends are welcome. Free wi-fi is available.
3 Saucy Mary’s Pub
Kyleakin, Isle of Skye
Sat Nav: IV41 8PH
Web: www.saucymarys.com
Tel: 01599537062
The pub is close to Skye bridge – 500 metres away in fact – and overlooks Loch Alsh and the ruins of Castle Moil, with views to the Isle of Raasay and the Cuillin Mountains.
Dogs are welcomed with a water bowl and treats and are allowed in dining areas when their humans are eating. There is also a beer garden for them to rest their paws after a long walk.
You can sample a Syke ale or glass of wine after a long day exploring the island.
The pizza is popular with diners and the pub provides a full menu with seafood, steak and burgers.
4 Applecross Inn
Applecross, Wester Ross
SatNav: IV54 8LR
Web: www.applecrossinn.co.uk
Tel: 01520 744262
Situated on Shore Street, on the remote Applecross peninsula in the North West Highlands, the inn boasts lovely views across the Inner Sound of Raasay, to the isles of Raasay and Skye.
The pub – county winner in the National Pub and Bar Awards 2019 – specialises in using local produce, including seafood, game and meats. They also offer daily seafood specials and have children's and vegetarian menus.
Seafood dishes include prawns, crab, lobster, oysters, smoked salmon and speciality white fish.
Dogs on leads are allowed in the bar area and in the beer garden, where dining is on offer during the summer.
Applecross Highland Games take place on July 27.
5 The Old Inn
Flowerdale Glen, Gairloch
SatNav: IV21 2BD
Web: www.theoldinn.net
Tel: 01445 712006
This a traditional Highland coaching inn overlooking Gairloch harbour.
The hotel has been owned and run by Alastair and Ute Pearson since 1999 and retains all the original features you would expect to see in an ancient West Highland Drovers Inn with cosy fire-side corners.
The pub specialises in local seafood, Highland game produce and real ales, and it also holds live folk music events every Friday night during the summer.
Long established as a "real ale pub", The Old Inn regularly stocks a range of Scottish and English ales and also brews its own thanks to a custom-designed 100-litre microbrewery.
6 The Isles Inn
Somerled Square, Portree
SatNav: IV51 9EH
Web: www.accommodationskye.co.uk
Tel: 01478 612129
Decorated in a Jacobean style, the restaurant and bar encompass the best of Highland hospitality.
Good food, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, is served in a true Celtic atmosphere by staff dressed in the family tartan.
Dishes are freshly prepared, and the inn uses langoustines landed on the pier and Scottish scallops hand-dived just down the road and bought straight to your table.
Punters can partake of "the Golden Spirit of Skye", Talisker malt whisky, in the thatched traditional Skye Black Crofthouse bar in front of a roaring open fire.
Live ceildh music is played throughout the year in the bar.
7 The Badachro Inn
Badachro, Gairloch
SatNav: IV21 2AA
Web: www.badachroinn.com
Tel: 01445 741255
Badachro Inn is a unique bar in a unique place – a sheltered bay in spectacular Loch Gairloch, one of the best west coast anchorages. It’s a popular place to meet for a drink or a meal with food sourced locally, often brought to the bar straight from the loch by local fishermen.
A stone’s throw from the jetty, Badachro Inn looks across the bay to Isle Horrisdale.
The inn offers good food, beer, wine and spirits to go with it, stocking a range of local ales and large selection of malts.
There is a conservatory with tables for dining and a great view out to the bay.
Enjoy a meal and a drink outside in the decking area looking out over the water and the nearby working jetty, or go inside to enjoy a drink or food in front of a roaring fire.
8 The George,
1 Main Street East, Inveraray
SatNav: PA32 8TT
Web: www.thegeorgehotel.co.uk
Tel: 01499 302111
So, technically, the George is a hotel but it's got such a great bar – dating back to the 1770s in parts – that it's just the place to drop in after a long walk with your dog in the Loch Fyne area.
Full of character, the pub is popular with locals and visitors alike and serves fantastic food (particularly the fish and chips!).
With its original flagstone floors and four roaring log and peat fires, the George is a lively haunt.
The menu makes the best of all there is on offer locally – Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd is at the head of the loch nearby and the West Highland beef and lamb is amazing. Seafood and fish bought from the local fishing port of Tarbert and the famous Loch Fyne salmon get your tastebuds watering.
And, if you fancy a dram to wash it down with, there are 100 malt whiskies stocked so there's plenty to choose from.
9 The Drovers Inn
Inverarnan
SatNav: G83 7DXI
Web: www.droversinn.co.uk
Tel: 01301 704234
An entrant into the 2018 Dog Friendly Pub Awards, the 300-year-old inn "prides itself on being dog-friendly".
Once inside, it’s like taking a step back in time to an era where people sang songs and drank their whisky neat by candlelight. Where the fire’s always lit, the food’s always good and the people are always smiling.
The perfect place to refuel after a day's walking, the pub offers firm favourites such as steak and Guinness pie and fish and chips as well as more contemporary dishes including venison casserole.
And while the inside may hark back to a different age, the pub is certainly moving with the times and offers a vegan menu and gluten-free dishes.
Dogs are allowed in the bar although they do have to be kept on a lead in public areas.
10 The Lorne Bar
Stevenson Street, Oban
Sat Nav: PA34 5NA
Web: thelornebaroban.co.uk
Tel: 01631 570020
The Lorne is a traditional pub set in the heart of Oban. Grab a quick drink – or dinner – in here after a day on the islands.
The bar prides itself on locally sourced fish and seafood dishes and also offers an impressive range of ales and lagers. Burgers and the Highland chicken dish come highly recommended and everyone is catered for with gluten-free and vegan dishes available.
What's more, there's even a dogs' menu for your four-legged friend to choose a little snack.
Quiz nights are held on Wednesday nights and it's free to enter.
11 The Seaforth Inn
Quay Street, Ullapool
SatNav: IV26 2UE
Web: www.theseaforth.com
Tel: 01854 612122
The picturesque surroundings in the heart of Ullapool provide the perfect backdrop for delicious Scottish food.
This is the perfect place to stop and refresh if you've been out with your dog walking in the hills, in the forests or just strolling around the loch.
It sells great food and is renowned for its chips, which come from its own chip shop next door. All fish is sourced from sustainable stocks and the chips are made fresh daily.
The Seaforth is the perfect place to stop if you're getting the ferry to the Hebrides and the ferry that goes to Stornoway twice a day is practically on the doorstep of the pub. It offers a dog-friendly area for you to relax and enjoy the views of the islands as they pass by.
12 Clachaig Inn
Glen Coe, nr Ballachulish
SatNav: PH49 4LA
Web: www.clachaig.com
Tel: 01855 811252
Take some time out from the stunning scenery that is in and around Glen Coe, and refuel in one of the three bars at the Clachaig Inn, all of which are dog-friendly.
Each bar has its own distinctive and lively character. Real ales, malt whisky, Scottish gins, good food and fresh coffee are served in all of them.
The menu is a blend of modern ideas and fresh produce, sourced from local suppliers wherever possible.
The Boots Bar – complete with a huge real fire – is often packed with hillwalkers, skiers and climbers chatting about their day and recommending places to go, so you should have no shortage of ideas. It also plays host to regular live music events.
If you fancy something quieter, however, the Snug bar – originally the beer cellar – provides a quiet annex to the Boots Bar. Slate floors, pine panelling and an old range set the rustic tone are what to expect here.
Read more articles in our dog-friendly Scotland series:
- How Scotland welcomes our four-legged friends
- Alison Rowat: Why we love our dogs – even if we don't always deserve them
- 14 dog-friendly days out and destinations in Scotland
Dog-friendly cafes
- The 12 best dog friendly cafes in central Scotland
- The Best Dog Friendly Cafes: North East
- 12 best dog-friendly cafes in The Borders and South of Scotland
Dog-friendly pubs
- Dog-friendly pubs in the Borders and south of Scotland
- Dog-friendly pubs in Central Scotland
- 12 dog-friendly pubs in the North, West and Islands
- Dog-friendly pubs in Aberdeenshire and the East of Scotland
Dog-friendly hotels
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