Squirrel Lodge, Longtown

Squirrel Lodge is a static caravan on Camelot Holiday Park at Longtown, a few miles north of Carlisle and close enough to the border that it has become a well-used overnight stop for people driving between England and Scotland. It is quiet, well maintained and properly set up for self-catering, with a full-size bath, a real kitchen and a separate lounge, which is more room than a one-night stop usually gives you.

For dogs, the draw is the decking. It wraps around the lodge and is enclosed, so it works as a holding area for getting leads on and off without a dog making for the road, and owners consistently pick it out as the thing that made the stay easy. There is a small field on the park itself for a quick walk, and Kingmoor Nature Reserve is a short drive away and makes a good longer one for dogs and their owners alike.

The hosts are responsive and helpful, and guests who have got in touch with a question on arrival say it was answered quickly. A number of dog owners book the lodge twice on the same trip, north and south, which is about as clear an endorsement as a stopover gets.

Three practical points are worth knowing before booking. A caravan loses heat faster than a house, and in cold weather guests have found that while the beds are warm for people, a dog sleeping on the floor gets cold overnight, so bring a bed and a blanket if the forecast drops into single figures. The park's servicing store sits close to the lodge and can be accessed early in the morning, which has unsettled dogs at breakfast time. And there has been a report of a lingering dog smell in the main bedroom and on the bedding, worth an early check if anyone in the party is sensitive to it.

Best suited to dog owners breaking a long drive to or from Scotland who want secure outdoor space and somewhere quiet to stop, rather than a destination in its own right.