Let your canine companion run free on these great seaside walks, along some exhilarating expanses of coast

By Mary-Vere Parr

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100+ walks for the owners, all over the UK

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Dogs and children alike will love pootling about the rockpools on this sand, rock and shingle beach backed by cliffs on the northern edge of Druridge Bay. The seven-mile beach is popular with twitchers, too - waders and diving ducks abound in the network of freshwater ponds and habitats created from re-landscaped, open-cast mines inland. To explore the area fully, stay in one of the pet-friendly Welcome Cottages in Amble (0870 197 6420, www.welcomecottages.com): £35 per week booked goes to support the Dogs Trust charity (www.dogstrust.org.uk).
For visitor information, call 01665 712313 or see www.alnwick.gov.uk.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Northeast

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One of the most sheltered positions on the coast made this small pebble cove, surrounded by high white cliffs, a smugglers' haven. Today, it's a quieter place with plenty of opportunity to take the air and admire the view without too much strenuous walking. Dogs are allowed on the East Beach to the left of the slipway or you can admire the fishing boats in the harbour from the garden of the Anchor Inn in Fore Street (01297 20386). If you are feeling more energetic, climb the South West Coast Path that runs through the village to Beer Head for the view to Seaton.

For visitor information, call 01297 21660 or see www.seatontic.com.

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Read more on the Southwest Coast path, and other long-distance footpaths

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Let your pet feel the wind in its tail on this three-mile stretch of sand, famed for its clean water and surf. Dogs ‘under control' can have the run of the place, are welcome at bar and restaurant The Watering Hole (01872 572888), and will have fun sniffing out the buried ruins of an oratory built by Cornwall's patron saint, St Piran, in the dunes. In July and August, dogs must be on leads. Dog waste bins are provided.

For visitor information, call 01872 575254 or see www.perranporthinfo.co.uk.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Southwest

How pets keep you healthy

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This long, sandy beach in the shadow of the Mountains of Mourne offers a perfect dog-friendly escape. Two dogs (and up to three owners, plus a baby) can stay at The National Trust's Murlough Cottage at Dundrum (0870 458 4422, www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk) and explore the 6,000-year-old sand dune system that, together with woodland and heathland, forms the Murlough National Nature Reserve. In summer and autumn, spot common and grey seals on the beach.

For visitor information, call 028 4375 1467 or see www.ntni.org.uk.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in Northern Ireland

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The late, lamented writer, film-maker and environmentalist Roger Deakin describes visiting this sand-blown beach in Waterlog (Vintage, £7.99), the tale of his swim around Britain: ‘I seemed to be the only person lacking a dog, and the only man without a bunch of keys dangling from my belt. What with the dogs and keys, it looked and sounded like a Securicor outing. [Locals] appeared to favour little dogs: Cairn terriers, poodles, dachshunds, the occasional Jack Russell.' Yet Deakin escapes for a solitary ‘two-and-a-half-hour barefoot hike along the shoreline'. From May to September, dogs are restricted on some parts of the beach and must be on leads elsewhere. Dog bins are provided.

For visitor information, call 01797 226696 or see www.visitrye.co.uk.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Southeast

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There's plenty of space for even the leggiest hound on three miles of golden sand sandwiched between two dramatic peninsulas - Baggy and Morte Points - and backed by hills and the Woolacombe Downs. From April to November, dogs are banned or must be kept on leads in some zones (check maps at the beach entrance), but elsewhere can be exercised freely.

For visitor information call 01271 870553 or see www.woolacombetourism.co.uk

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Southwest

How pets keep you healthy

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Sand, sea and skylarks - there are some five miles of sandy beach and dunes at Balmedie and seldom a soul in sight. But if you are more sociably inclined, dogs are welcome on some guided walks led by Balmedie Country Park rangers (for details, call 01358 726417). Work up an appetite looking for shells and hire a barbecue to have on the beach (April-September, 01358 742396).

For visitor information, call 01224 288828 or see www.agtb.org

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in Scotland

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Canine appreciation of the sunsets enjoyed from this west-facing beach may be limited, but any dog worth his sea salt will love the cliff walks from Abereiddy to Porthgain. The dark sand on the slipway beach is made from pounded grey slate that also colours the waters of the small harbour just to the north a brilliant blue.

For visitor information, call 01437 720392 or see www.stdavidsinfo.org.uk.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in Wales

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Frustration at not being able to find a pub where her family and their dog Millie could eat together drove Kate Crosby to set up her ‘guide to happy eating out with your dog' (doggiepubs.org.uk). The site awards three doggie stars to Cayton's pub, The Blacksmiths Arms (01723 582272): four-legged friends are welcome everywhere except the restaurant. The pub is a stroll from the sandy beach, where you can hunt for fossils or examine the World War II pillboxes built to protect the coast from invasion.

For visitor information, call 01723 373333 or see discoveryorkshirecoast.com.

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Northeast

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Timothy, Enid Blyton's ‘big brown mongrel dog with an absurdly long tail' of fictional Famous Five fame, had many adventures bounding about Dorset beaches, such as this narrow strand of mixed shingle, gravel and sand leading to the sea-eroded limestone arch. Dogs of all shapes and sizes will enjoy the circular walks from the South West Coast Path (walking guides from Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre).

For visitor information, call 01929 400587 or see lulworthonline.co.uk

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Wonderful walks for the owners, in the Southwest

How pets keep you healthy

Knit a buttoned dog jumper