The UK's top dog walks for spring
ten favourite trails for a springtime adventure
If you ask us, spring is the best time of year to be a dog owner. After what’s felt like a never ending winter of mud and rain, life is creeping back into our daily dog walks. From the budding of leaves to the tottering first steps of baby lambs, spring is the season that dog owners look forward to more than any other. Besides the welcome splash of colour and new life, who wants to finish off every dog walk with a bath and mopping the kitchen floor? Not us! We’d much rather spend that time exploring a new dog walk or re-visiting an old favourite. We’ve rounded up our top ten UK dog walks to explore this spring here:
Rhosili Headland, Gower
Brush away the winter cobwebs with a bracing coastal walk at Rhosili. From the fantastically photogenic Worm’s Head to the remains of the Helvetia shipwreck, Rhosili is the ideal choice for anyone with a love of photography. There’s a good chance of spotting wildlife too, with seals often basking on the beach at Worm’s Head. This limestone headland is so named after a ‘wyrm’ or sea serpent, rather than the earthworms you might find in your back garden.
Dogs will love the three miles of sandy beach for unlimited zoomies and splashing in the sea. The beach here is dog friendly all year round: just be mindful of wildlife and livestock when walking across to the beach from the car park.
Route: Rhosili Headland
Farndale Daffodil Walk, North Yorkshire
There’s nothing that announces the arrival of spring quite like ‘a host of golden daffodils’. In the heart of the North York Moors national park, the Farndale daffodils are one of the best displays to be found in the country.
Often referred to as the ‘Daffodil Dale’, locals say the daffodils were first planted by Medieval monks from the nearby abbey at Rievaulx. Centuries later the daffs attract visitors from near and far: up to 40,000 people visit during daffodil season each year (compared to the local population of around 200).
A visit to the dog friendly Daffy Caffy in the nearby village of Church Houses is the perfect stop off during the walk. The best time to see the daffodils is from mid-late March until the middle of April: the Farndale – Daffodil Valley page on Facebook posts regular updates in daffodil season to keep visitors updated on the bloom.
Route: Farndale Daffodil Walk
Flatford & Constable River Walk, Suffolk
Is there anything cuter than a gaggle of fluffy ducklings paddling furiously to keep up with Mother Duck as you stroll along a river? The walk along the river at Flatford is a bucolic idyll, with this patch of the Suffolk countryside inspiring many works by the celebrated artist John Constable.
Constable grew up in the area, and he captured life on and around the river in many of his paintings, including The Hay Wain. Today, many of the visitor attractions around Flatford and nearby Dedham are managed by the National Trust, and dogs can join you inside as you explore the Boat House Galley, the Constable exhibition and Bridge Cottage.
Outside, dogs are welcome to join you on all of the countryside trails (please keep them on leads due to grazing livestock and water birds), or why not try something different with a boat trip down the river? The River Stour Trust runs dog friendly trips where dogs can join you for a small fee.
Route: Flatford River Walk
Pollnagollum Cave Walk, County Fermanagh
Follow in the footsteps of the Brotherhood Without Banners from Game of Thrones with a walk in the Marble Arch Caves Geopark. County Fermanagh’s cave country is a myriad of caves and potholes, and this route in the Boho-Belmore mountain area offers an opportunity to visit both a Game of Thrones location and experience scenic forest trails.
Periodic gaps in the trees reveal views of Lower Lough Erne and Cuilcagh Mountain, while the 12 metre drop waterfall at Pollnagollum Cave conjures up images most often seen in a fairytale. Pollnagollum Cave translates to ‘hole of the doves’, and wildlife watchers should keep their eyes peeled for both birds and bats around the entrance of the cave.
Spring offers a botanical feast too, with wild garlic, strawberries and orchids peeping through the forest floor. The cave itself not safely accessible and is best seen from the purpose built viewing platform, but the rest of this walk passes through forestry where well behaved dogs can safely explore off-lead.
Route: Pollnagollum Cave Walk
St Boswells and the Tweed, Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders are one of Scotland’s hidden gems, and a gentle stroll along the River Tweed encapsulates the best that this criminally underrated area has to offer. Starting in the bustling village of St Boswells, the walk offers lovely views of the Eildon Hills, a visit to the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey (resting place of Sir Walter Scott) and several opportunities for dogs to have a paddle in the river (be cautious of strong currents).
The varied scenery is ever changing but always beautiful, and the mostly level paths make this the perfect wander to start building up your fitness after a winter limited to shorter walks. Before leaving St Boswells, call in at the Main Street Trading Company, a dog friendly book shop and café which includes cosy reading alcoves where you can chill out with a book and your coffee (and perhaps a slice of cake, too).
Route: St Boswells and the Tweed
Hatchlands Park, Surrey
Hatchlands Park is a green oasis between Guildford and London. With more than 400 acres to explore, as well as a dog friendly café, it’s the perfect place for a spring dog walk.
There are four trails of varying lengths to choose from, but if you’re visiting in spring make sure to choose a trail heading through Little Wix Wood: from the end of April to the middle of May this is one of the best places in the South East to find bluebells. These delicate flowers blanket the ground from entry to exit, while a detour up nearby Wix Hill offers far reaching views across London, with Wembley Stadium visible on a clear day.
On the wider estate helpful signage keeps you informed as to which fields have livestock in and which fields you can let dogs off lead, as well as providing doggy water bowls in the courtyard area.
Route: The Long Walk at Hatchlings
Cadair Idris, Gwynedd
Mountain peak, or giant’s chair? Cadair Idris translates from Welsh to mean ‘Chair of Idris’, named after a local giant who supposedly used the lake at Llyn Cau as an armchair. Situated in the south of Eryri national park, Cadair Idris clocks in at 893 metres and makes for a cracking dog walk.
There are three main routes to tackle the mountain, all of which fall into the strenuous category, but which all offer outstanding views and a grand day out. Spring provides better weather days, without the crowds of people on their summer holidays. It’s a popular peak and weekends are the busiest time, so if you’re in search of a quieter walk it’s best to visit mid-week.
At the summit, keep your eyes peeled for planes flying on the local Mach Loop, but the views are outstanding whether you spot a plane or not. Legend has it that if you spend the night on the mountain, you’ll either become mad or a poet, although we’d recommend returning to sea level and cosying up in a dog friendly cottage instead.
The Quiraing, Isle of Skye
Skye’s mind blowing landscapes draw visitors from across the world, but visit in spring and you’ll avoid both the worst of the crowds and the worst of the midges, as well as having a good chance of nice weather (although we can’t make any promises).
Our top recommendation would be a visit to the Quiraing, part of an enormous landslip along the Trotternish Ridge, which has some of the most beautiful scenery you’ll find in the British Isles. The Quiraing has a number of unique and fascinating features such as the Prison (resembles a Medieval tower), the Needle (tall and pointy) and the Table (large and flat, and reputedly a prior location for games of shinty, a Scottish game similar to hockey and hurling).
Most people opt for an out-and-back route along the first section of the path, but if you’re fit enough it’s worth continuing on to loop up onto the top of the ridge, where you’ll get the best views and probably have them to yourself.
Route: The Quiraing
Marloes Peninsula, Pembrokeshire
Fresh coastal breezes and an abundance of wildflowers make a spring walk around the Marloes Peninsula a delight. As well as the stunning natural scenery, keep your eyes peeled for the local wildlife, with seals and porpoises frequenting the waters and puffins starting to arrive on nearby Skomer island throughout spring. And if that’s not enough, you might even run into some Welsh Mountain ponies carrying out conservation grazing on the peninsula (make sure to keep dogs under close control).
Finish off your walk with a visit to the pretty, sandy beach at Marloes Sands which is dog friendly year round. On a sunny day, the beer garden at the nearby Lobster Pot Inn in Marloes is the perfect spot for sandy pups to dry off, or call in to the dog friendly café at Runwayskiln.
Route: Marloes Peninsula Walk
Grey Mare’s Tail, Kinlochleven
It turns out TLC were wrong, and you really do want to go chasing waterfalls. One of Scotland’s finest, the Grey Mare’s Tail is an easy short walk from the village of Kinlochleven. Despite being so accessible it’s a peaceful spot, with many walkers congregating a few miles down the road in the hallowed landscapes of Glencoe instead.
A quiet woodland stroll on a good path takes you most of the way, then in an adventurous twist, the final few metres are completed on a narrow plank. If you miss your footing it’s not far to fall, but you may end up with wet feet as the board traverses the river flowing away from the falls: dogs may opt for a paddle as the most fun approach.
The waterfall itself is a stunning, 40 foot drop coming off the hillside, and is widely regarded as one of the most impressive waterfalls in the West Highlands.
Route: The Grey Mare’s Tail Walk
