Dog friendly self catering holidays

Kirkennan is a great place to bring your dog on holiday.
Key features include:

The three Kirkennan Estate Holiday Cottages are very popular with dog owners. Not only are they located in a very dog friendly area of the country but also:

• We take 2 dogs per self catering holiday cottage as a matter of course (3 for direct bookings); sometimes it is possible to bring more dogs to The Lodge by arrangement.
• We are prepared to consider other pets - just ask!
• Dogs come free: we do not charge extra for dogs.
• The Lodge and Woodsedge have their own enclosed gardens where you can let your dog out. Please contact us for more details of the boundary height and materials if required. The Mews has outside space but it is not enclosed so you cannot just let your dog out of the door in this cottage (dogs are expected to be on the lead in the main Estate gardens).
• Dogs can be let off the lead in our riverside Jock's wood adjacent to Woodsedge and The Mews and a short walk from The Lodge. Jock's wood is bounded by a stock proof fence (designed to keep sheep and cows in the field), a stream then a stock proof fence and a tidal river. It is linked to the 'new wood' making over 20 acres of woodland where your dog can roam off lead if you think it safe to do so. Whilst we allow dogs off the lead in these areas it is the owners' responsibility to assess whether it is sensible and safe to do so.
• Each self catering cottage has a dog box with old towels and other items you may find useful during your holiday. We provide bio-degradable dog poo bags.
• There are miles of walks and many beaches in the local area that your dog will love, including woodland walks in Ramshaw wood just opposite Kirkennan. Beaches recommended for dogs include Sandyhills and Red Haven. See also additional ideas of places to explore with your dog.
• All cottages are well supplied with cooking equipment for self catering, but if you want to eat out, there are many dog friendly places to eat near Kirkennan and in the wider area.

Dog friendly house rules

In order to protect livestock and wildlife and to ensure that other current and future guests are comfortable (remember they may not be dog lovers), it is a condition of your booking that you keep to the following simple rules:

• Be considerate of other people living and staying on the Estate; if your dogs tend to be noisy The Lodge will suit you best as it has no near neighbours.
• Always use throws if dogs are to go on the furniture - please bring your own (don't use the bedspreads, it can take hours to remove the hairs!)
• Dogs are not normally allowed in bathrooms or bedrooms. If your dog cannot manage without being in the same room as you at night then talk to us about arrangements and we will do our best to accommodate. We may be able to come to an arrangement whereby you bring your own bedding.
• Keep your dogs on the lead in the Estate gardens other than Jock's wood, the Link wood and the New Wood and the enclosed gardens belonging to Woodsedge and The Lodge. [Please note that if you are staying in The Mews you will need to put your dog on a lead when going outside].
• Clean up all your dog's faeces before leaving - this is particularly important in the enclosed gardens where the next guests may have young children crawling on the lawn.
• Do not leave dogs unattended in the cottage except by prior arrangement. It can be quite disorientating for dogs to be left alone in strange places and this is when damage is most likely to happen - dogs that have never done such things before have been known to chew furniture or scratch up carpets. Remember you are liable for any damage that any member of your party causes, pet insurance does not usually cover damage caused by unattended dogs, and it can rather spoil a holiday having to deal with this. Dogs left alone can also bark and disturb others on the Estate. If you want to go out for the day without your dog local dog minders are available such as Becky's Boarding & Waggy Walks.
• We do not accept dogs less than 12 months old or bitches in heat except by prior arrangement (contact us to discuss before booking).

It is a condition of booking that cottages are left in the condition in which they were found (we do not expect you to do a deep clean, but to leave the cottage undamaged and reasonably neat and tidy so we can easily get it ready for the next guests). We do not currently charge extra for dogs and we want to keep it that way. Whilst most visiting dog owners have been great unfortunately some have left us with an excessive amount of extra cleaning, damage and blood and/or faeces to clear up. If you want to keep it free for dogs to holiday with you at Kirkennan we ask you to:

• Remove excessive dog hairs from furniture and carpets before leaving - all cottages are supplied with a vacuum cleaner. These do not work when jammed full with dog hair so if your dog tends to shed you may have to empty it.
• Wipe down any floors, cupboards and walls where your dog has left muddy marks.
• Do a final check for dog poo just before leaving.

If you have any questions about your dog and a holiday at Kirkennan please just ask!

Please note that there are free range chickens and guinea fowl in the section of the walled garden next to The Lodge and during March - November there may be sheep and/or cows in our fields.