Northumberland is a great choice when considering a dog-friendly destination. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to places to walk and stay. Whether you’re looking for miles of dog-friendly beaches, ancient castles or hills and forests with breath-taking views to explore, this county has it all. Luckily it’s just a short drive away for us and back in February we managed to grab a couple of days away.

First stop…….. The Simonside Hills

Located near the traditional market town of Rothbury are The Simonside Hills. Rugged and wild, these hills are a popular choice for walkers; why is this? Perhaps it’s the panoramic views that greet you when you arrive at the summit, the teams of wildlife you might spot or just the sheer joy of being out in what literally is the middle of nowhere. The climb up the hills to the top (430m) will certainly get your heart pumping but the reward is worth it. On a clear day you’ll see the Cheviots to the north and from the top of Simonside itself, the whole Northumbrian coastline is revealed.

With it being February and quite wet, the ground was very boggy and marshy so we were pleased we had our walking boots on. There are two waymarked routes that you can follow. We chose the longer route which you need to follow the red markers for. This circular 4 mile walk leads you through the forest to the top of Simonside Crags, where you find the ancient cairns that mark the summit! Once you’ve reached the top and stopped for photographs continue on where the ground opens out and becomes flatter and easier on the feet. Watch out for red grouse here and keep dogs under control. Willow, Bobby and Finn spent most of their time off lead on this walk. You will need to keep dogs on lead when you climb to the summit due to the sheer drop off the edge. You then find yourself winding around in a loop and reaching the forest once again. This walk took us approximately 3 hours to complete and us and the spaniels thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rothbury

We had certainly developed an appetite so we took the short drive into the picturesque Rothbury to refuel. What a pretty town it is, situated on the banks of the River Coquet. We grabbed a pie and a take-away coffee from Rothbury Bakery and devoured it. Wandering around the peaceful village with it’s ancient, Anglo-Saxon church, All Saints, we couldn’t help but notice the blossom on the trees and how warm it felt. We will definitely be back here to explore the river walk and dog-friendly pubs and tea-rooms.

Next Stop……… Bamburgh

Bamburgh is my all-time favourite place on the North East coast and I have lost count now how many times we have visited this beautiful, unspoilt corner of Northumberland! Just the drive into Bamburgh never fails to impress me as the castle comes into view; it’s nothing short of spectacular!

The main reason I suppose we love Bamburgh so much is because of the 3 mile stretch of golden sands that are dog-friendly all year round. Backed by sweeping sand dunes and the castle as the backdrop you can see why this beach is often voted one of the best UK beauty spots. Dogs are also welcome inside the grounds of Bamburgh Castle too, so be sure to add this to your list of dog-friendly activities. After our walk, we sipped a coffee from the pop-up cafe van and enjoyed the early evening sun.

The Lindisfarne Inn

For the evening, we had booked a dog-friendly room at The Lindisfarne Inn which is perfectly situated just off the A1 motorway making it the ideal base to explore Northumberland. This was not our first stay here so we were familiar with the set-up. Part of The Inn Collection Group, we had taken advantage of the ‘Winter deal’ they had on at that time. This consisted of bed and breakfast along with £26pp evening meal allowance. This was more than enough to buy a main course followed by a dessert each. Just let them know how many dogs your are taking along and you are charged per dog on arrival. We recommend keeping an eye out for the amazing deals they offer throughout the year – it’s well worth the money. As always we had a comfortable nights sleep (apart from Finn’s early wake up call) and the food was delicious.

The Holy Island of Lindisfarne

The beauty of the Lindisfarne Inn is that, just along the road is the causeway that links Holy Island to the mainland. So, after our delicious cooked breakfast we set out along the causeway. The tide cuts the island off twice a day so it is extremely important to check the times beforehand and plan your journey in advance. You can find the tide times here

This mysterious island holds so much history, from famous saints residing there to Viking raids, there’s so much to learn here. Although not a place where your dogs can enjoy the freedom of being off lead, due to sheep and wildlife it’s worth noting that lots of businesses there welcome your dogs. Dogs on lead can accompany you in the Priory ruins which are looked after by English Heritage, and we enjoyed a walk around the castle itself along with a look inside Window on Wild Lindisfarne. You and your dogs are welcome in The Ship Inn and The Crown and Anchor pubs along with the super dog friendly cafe Pilgrims Coffee House.

I think it is safe to say we packed quite a bit into our two days in Northumberland and as always headed home with lots of memories and three happy spaniels.