Top Dog Friendly Beaches Around the UK

As the weather cheers up, it's time to think about organising a family weekend away and this of course, includes taking your four legged best mate along too. The UK's coastline is fabulous, from John O'Groats to Lands' End and so much more in between, you'll discover coves, bays and beautiful stretches of beaches that are just perfect to take a stroll along or enjoy messing around in the waves.

Naturally, dogs adore running along a sandy beach and it's fantastic to see them having fun as they splash around in the water. However, not all beaches are dog friendly so if you don't want to be disappointed, it's definitely worth knowing where you can go with your pooch before you plan a weekend destination. Here are a few of the best beaches the UK has to offer which are dog friendly where local councils have not placed any restrictions on them.

The Best Dog Friendly Beaches Around the Coast

Babbacombe Beach - Devon

If you're heading to Devon then Babbacombe beach is a gorgeous sheltered spot that boasts a pretty beach. There's a scenic path from the top down to the sand and shingle beach which is a thoroughly enjoyable walk in itself. There's a pub as well as parking close by which makes this a great beach to take your dog for a run along!

Perranporth Beach - Cornwall

A little further west – you've got Perranporth beach which is a superb dog friendly one – lots of dunes along this sandy beach and there is parking too! The beach is around three miles long and as a bonus there is a place called the Watering Hole right in the middle where you can grab a drink – well behaved dogs are welcomed there too but have to be kept on leads!

Climping Beach – Bognor Regis

Bognor Regis has been a popular holiday destination for many Brits for a long time now. If you're heading that way and have your dog with you, then one beach that allows dogs is called Climping beach which is quite close by. Part of the beach is a nature reserve but it's a wonderful tranquil spot that dogs and owner can really enjoy.

Rhossili Bay – Gower Peninsula Wales

The Welsh coastline is fabulous and attracts loads of people when the weather warms up. Head for Rhossili Bay which is on the Gower Peninsula and you'll find a gorgeous sandy beach that seems to go on forever – it's the perfect dog friendly stretch of sand for four legged friends to really stretch their legs. The beach gets very busy during the summer months – so it's best to get there before the crowds arrive.

Durdle Door - Dorset

If your weekend away takes you to Dorset then Durdle Door is a wonderfully unspoilt stretch of shingle beach that dogs are allowed on as long as they are kept on leads. This is one stunning location with ancient rock formations and very steep paths up the cliffs that overlook the clearest of clear waters below. This is one of the most beautiful walks in the entire region – if not the whole of the UK's southern coastline.

Whitstable - Kent

If you are heading off to Kent for a long weekend away from it all with the family, then the lovely seaside town of Whitstable is a gorgeous location where dogs are welcome on the beach. At low time, The Street appears which is a half a mile strip of land ideal for walking dogs along – it takes you right along until the strip vanishes back into the water. There's a great pub along this stretch of beach where you can get something to drink and a bite to eat – it's also a wonderful place to watch the sun set – if you sit outside as long as you keep your dog on a lead and they are well behaved, dogs are very welcome.

Kingsgate – Margate

Margate is a lovely part of the country that many people enjoy visiting when the summer finally arrives. If you're planning a family outing to Margate with your dog, then head for Kingsgate which is close by. It's a smallish beach that boasts a wonderful stretch of golden sand that dogs are allowed on.

St Bees - Cumbria

Heading north to Cumbria – the lovely shingle and sand beach of St Bees is dog friendly and attracts many people to it with their dogs as soon as the weather warms up.

Danes Dyke - Yorkshire

The Yorkshire Dales are stunning with areas of outstanding natural beauty which are a dog lover's paradise when it come to hiking and trekking with their four legged friends. However, there are some lovely stretches of coastline too which are wonderful to walk dogs along. One of them is Danes Dyke, a lovely beach that's part of the Nature Reserve – it truly is a gorgeous location where owners and their dogs can really let loose and enjoy themselves.

Balmedie – Aberdeen

If you are heading to the far north and would like to spend some time exploring Aberdeen and the surrounding areas, then Balmedie beach is a stunning part of the coastline that boasts around 5 miles of sand dunes. It's a dog friendly area that dogs and their owners adore cavorting along. If you are planning a family day out, you can even hire a beach barbecue so you can cook up a meal and have a bit of family fun – the barbecues are available for hire from April right through to September.

Mellon Udrigle Beach – Northern Scotland

Scotland is a fabulous region of the country during the spring and summer months. There are some wonderful areas where dogs can really have all the freedom to run around. If you are heading up there, then Mellon Udrigle beach right in the far north is a wonderfully tranquil stretch of white sand that's dog friendly. The location is absolutely gorgeous.

Tips About Taking Your Dog to the Beach

• Always make sure you have a poop bag so you can pick up any dog poo and place it in the bins which are usually found on beaches. You may think the tide will wash away anything your dog leaves behind – but remember, the tide will come in again and so will the poo!
• Always check when it's going to be low and high tide – don't get caught out!
• Remember to take fresh water with you and a towel or two as well – dogs get very thirsty after cavorting on beaches and they get very wet too!
• Always make sure you show consideration to any local wildlife that may be on a beach!

Now all that's left to do is organise a great weekend away with the whole family and your four legged best friend. Once you get to your chosen dog friendly beach it's time for everyone to have a lot of well deserved fun! If you know of any great dog friendly beaches that we haven't mentioned, please add a comment below.