Dougal's Dog Blog - Culloden Moor, near Inverness

May 2014

Bone Rating: 4/5

When a site is right next to a forest, you know it's going to be a goody. The Human That I Own started blathering on about the fab view from the pitch, but I was more interested in what smells lie in yonder wood.

There's a gate that leads directly from the site into the forest, which offers miles of walks. The Human did comment that it is very uneven underfoot in places with all the tree roots and things, so it wouldn't suit humans who need flat conditions underfoot.

A couple of minutes wander from the site leads you to a forestry vehicle access road. That means there's no traffic but lots of opportunities for games of ball, albeit linear games of ball.

Finally, what about pooch-friendly refreshment for humans? We adore Scotland but notice that once you get away from the Central Belt, finding pubs and cafes that allow dogs is a rarity.

Well, thanks to the help of the very lovely wardens and my favourite website, doggiepubs.org.uk, we found not one but two pubs, but sadly they were both about 15-20 minutes drive away.

On the road to Beauly is the Clachnaharry Inn but we didn't go there as the Human That I Own couldn't find anywhere to park his wagon. Tsk! However, after a visit to Cawdor Castle (where I wasn't allowed into the building but we had a great walk to make up for it in the grounds) we went to the 'local' there, The Cawdor Tavern.

Good parking here, and no problem with me accompanying the Human into the Public Bar to indulge in my favourite sport of catching the bits of food that he drops. He's such a messy eater, but I don't mind a bit - more for me! He was impressed that the bread with his hearty Ploughman's was completely home made, none of this industrial par-baked frozen bread just finished off in the oven.

So, being the pernickety pooch that I am, the fact that you have to drive to the pubs means that Culloden Moor gets an excellent four bones out of five rating, mainly thanks to all the brilliant walks within easy reach of the site. It's definitely one to take your humans to some time.