High Rigg Shepherd's Retreat

High Rigg Shepherd's Retreat is a hut on a hillside near Brampton, a few miles east of Carlisle on the edge of the North Pennines, and it is one of the more thoughtfully set up small stays for a dog. A dog bed, bowls and towels are already in the hut, so most guests find they need not have packed their own. The veranda and hot tub look out over open country, and there are grounds and a lake to walk in before you leave the site at all.

The one thing to weigh before booking is the sheep. The hut sits directly beside a working sheep field and the flock come right up to the fence, lambs included in spring. A steady dog will settle and watch them from the veranda. A reactive or high-prey-drive dog will turn the week into training you did not book, and if that describes yours, another hut on the site would be the safer choice. Be honest with yourself about which one you have.

The outside space is not fully enclosed either. Guests have worked around it in various ways, blocking a single gap with a chair or using a tie-out stake and a long lead, and the owners have said yes when asked about letting a dog off the lead in the field in front of the hut. There is a secure dog field nearby, and good walking at High Stand Forest and Geld Wood, where a circular route of around three and a half miles is mostly suitable for off-lead exploring. The ground gets boggy after rain.

The hut itself is small, as pictured, and the toilet is narrow. Consumables have been thin on some stays, with a single toilet roll and one bin bag for four nights, though later guests found scissors and extra loo roll had been added after that feedback. A shepherd's pie and a bottle of fizz on arrival is a fixture, and the owners respond quickly when something needs fixing.

Best suited to one or two people with a calm, stock-safe dog who want a hot tub, big views and quiet. Parties bringing more than one dog should confirm directly before booking.