Dyffryn Bach, Llandderfel

Dyffryn Bach is a small self-catering cottage in the countryside between Bala and Corwen, on the eastern edge of Snowdonia, and it takes a dog. The setting is the draw: fields from the windows, a garden, a woodburner, and a position that puts a lot of north Wales within an hour's drive. The Berwyn hills, Bala lake and the Dee valley walks are all close enough for a morning out and back.

The property allows one well-behaved dog. No pet fee, weight limit or breed rule is published, so agree the details with the owner directly when you book. There is a lawned garden and it is enclosed, which is worth knowing, but it is shared with the owner and her own dogs rather than being yours alone. That single fact explains a good deal of what dog owners report about the place, so plan around it rather than discovering it on arrival.

The honest caveat comes next. The owner lives on the same site and keeps dogs of her own, and guests arriving with dogs have described that introduction going less smoothly than they expected. Reviews from dog owners are genuinely split. Some found the cottage spacious, well equipped and their pets straightforwardly welcome, and the owner helpful throughout. Others rated the stay poorly and cited damp, a lingering smell and cleaning that had not been done to the standard they expected. Complaints about damp, mould and dog hair left on bedding turn up in general reviews too, not only from guests with pets, so treat it as a property-wide issue rather than a one-off.

The other practical thing is the setting. The cottage sits on a main road with a petrol station next door, so it is quieter inside than out, and there is no safe off-lead space at the door. Walks here start with a car journey.

Best suited to dog owners who want an inexpensive, well-placed base for walking in north Wales, expect to spend their days out rather than in, and have a dog that is relaxed meeting other dogs in a shared garden. If you need spotless self-catering, or your dog is uneasy around unfamiliar dogs, look further afield. It carries a 3.7/5 paw rating.