February is a great time to take a break with your family and your four-legged friends. Enjoy some of the UK’s most scenic destinations without the crowds – think wild beaches to bound along, empty forest trails and plenty of dog-friendly attractions and eateries to welcome your pack. Here are some of our favourite family spots for a half-term holiday with your dog.
St Ives, Cornwall
Best for: Art and beach lovers
If you visit St Ives in the middle of summer you’ll find dog restrictions on the beaches and crowds spilling out of the shops, restaurants and galleries. Yet in February half-term it’s one of Cornwall’s finest destinations for a family break with Fido: empty white-sand beaches that welcome dogs and paw-friendly restaurants and pubs where you can tuck into local ingredients beside a roaring fire. Scamper along miles and miles of coast path with your hound at your heels, then hop on the scenic St Ives Railway when little legs and paws are tired. Once the dog has earned a well-deserved rest, fill your boots with fine art and family workshops at the Tate St Ives and other internationally-renowned galleries. It’s a wonderful destination for parents, children and dogs.
Where to stay: Not many holiday cottages in St Ives offer outdoor space, but just a mile away from the harbour and attractions you can make yourself at home in this spacious three-bedroom cottage with a large secure garden and plenty of room for up to four dogs.
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Ravenglass, Lake District
Best for: Hiking and low-fi family activities
Ideal for a digital detox, getting teens away from their screens and yomping in the hills with your dog, the Lake District brings together the best of the lakes, mountains and coast Strap on your hiking boots and spend some quality time on the trails together, then come home and dry your boots and paws by the fire while enjoying local ales, hearty fare and board games. Make your base beside Ravenglass beach and you’ve got miles of sand and shingle shoreline to explore, and well-signposted walks along the coast and into the hills. With the fells of Eskdale and Wasdale within striking distance, and the dog-friendly gardens of Muncaster Castle worth a detour (The Lake District’s top dog-friendly attraction) this really is a great escape for outdoor lovers.
Where to stay: Tucked away in a pretty village just a short walk from the beach, families of up to six and two dogs can make themselves at home in Ravenglass Haven and enjoy all the perks of a local inn and woodburning stove at the end of a day of adventures.
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Isle of Wight
Best for: Family attractions
Who says you can’t cast away for an island holiday with your dog in February? In winter the Isle of Wight is a tranquil location where you can truly get away from it all and indulge in wild winter walks, fun family activities and cosy nights in. Immerse your senses in Chinese New Year illuminations at Robin Hill Country Park between 11-18 February, step into 1,000 years of history and enjoy breathtaking vistas at the dog-friendly Carisbrooke Castle, and try all-weather go-karting. There are plenty of dog-friendly pubs and cafés to tuck into island-grown produce, but if you want to visit Tapnell Farm Park or Dinosaur Isle, which the kids will love, you’ll have to leave the pooch behind.
Where to stay: Families of up to five and three dogs will love the space and enclosed garden of The Blacksmith Shop in the beachside village of Shorwell (one of Queen Victoria’s favourite places to visit when she was on the island), with a network of footpaths and cycle trails, beach life and an 18th-century inn on the doorstep.
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Edinburgh, Scotland
Best for: City breaks
February half-term is the perfect time for a city break, and Edinburgh is the perfect spot for the dog and the rest of the family to enjoy the buzz of city life. Crowned the UK’s top location for dog-friendly holidays by tails.com, Edinburgh boasts the winning combination of green spaces, paw-fect accommodation, eateries, attractions, dog sitters and even hairdressers for your pooch. Trot around the city enjoying all the trimmings of theatres, restaurants and events with your dog in tow, and once you’ve shopped until you’ve dropped and filled yourself to the gills with haggis, black pudding and Scotch pie, climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat – the dormant volcano at the edge of the city centre.
Where to stay: Make the most of Edinburgh’s attractions from this comfy family home with a garden, sleeping up to four and one dog. If you tire of city life, it’s just a 30-minute drive to Gullane beach.
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Caswell, Swansea, Wales
Best for: Chic family beach life
Nudging the wild beaches and cliffs of the Gower Peninsula, and the cosmopolitan Mumbles area of Swansea, you can’t beat Caswell Bay for a February beach break. A surfing mecca year-round, you can step out onto the sand and try your hand at wave riding if conditions prevail and you don’t mind braving the chilly seas. If the weather’s kind head west to the award-winning beaches of the Gower – one of the UK’s top dog-friendly destinations; and if the storms roll in head east and hunker in the fancy ice-cream parlours and swanky eateries on the Mumbles promenade.
Where to stay: Grown-ups, kids and dogs will love the location of this cosy beachside chalet on Limeslade Drive, where you step out and enjoy rock-pooling, surfing and beach rambles, or follow the coastal footpath to Langland Bay and the Mumbles.
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Looking for the perfect pad for your half-term family holiday with the dog?
Check out our range of dog-friendly cottages in some of our favourite destinations for a February half-term break with your family and four-legged friend.
