A city I will never tire of is Edinburgh. It’s such a beautiful city with a brilliant atmosphere and any opportunity to visit, I will be there. As a lot of you know, I also love taking my dog on holiday so I was super excited to stay at the Stair Arms Hotel, just outside of Edinburgh, as they’re dog-friendly.
Nestled in the Midlothian countryside, and only 10 mins away from the park and ride to the city, the Stair Arms is the perfect place to stay if you’re wanting a mixture of a city break and a countryside break.
Finding good dog-friendly accommodation can be difficult but the Stair Arms has a stylish heritage feel so you can enjoy a little bit of luxury with your pooch.
As soon as we got to the hotel, we were greeted by the owner who was so lovely and gave Arthur a lot of attention! She helped us with information about the local area and the best way to get into Edinburgh and gave us directions to the Park and Ride.
Dog-Friendly hotel in Edinburgh | How do friendly are the rooms?
There is an effortlessly clean and minimal look when you enter the room. Cute and cosy without being over the top, there was everything you could need in the room.
There was plenty of space for Arthur to lie down and you didn’t feel cramped at all.
The floors were wooden which is always helpful when you have a dog as well!
From plenty of tea and milk to complimentary biscuits, you were instantly made to feel at home. The decor was lovely and had a really calming atmosphere.
Considering how cold it was outside, the room was lovely and warm and the beds were so comfortable – I slept like a log!
The location of The Stair Arms was perfect. I was slightly worried as we were outside of the city but it was a 10-minute drive to the Park and Ride at Newcraighill. It was 50p to park for the day and the train was every 30 minutes into Edinburgh. It was literally a 10-minute train journey and it was so easy!
There was a giant field at the hotel which was brilliant for taking Arthur for a walk – he loved running through the field!
DINNER AT THE STAIR ARMS HOTEL
There’s a beautiful dining room at the hotel where you can enjoy quality and tasty food. You can’t take your dog into the restaurant area, however there is space where you can eat with your pooch. The hotel truly is dog-friendly as they’re happy for you to leave your pooch in the room whilst you eat, if you wish to.
We decided to leave Arthur in the room as he was tired after an afternoon exploring his first-ever city!
We were taken to our table where we got our drinks and some complimentary bread and dips. The dips were a red pepper dip and a Thai green cream.
The red pepper had a bit of zing and the cream was light and fresh. Along with the fresh, warm, homemade bread, it was the perfect way to start the meal.
For my starter, I had the Haggis Fritters which came with a creamy Glenkinchie and wholegrain mustard sauce.
Let’s be honest, you can’t come to Scotland and NOT have haggis!
This sounds like it should be quite a heavy dish however it really wasn’t!
The batter was really light and the sauce complimented it perfectly. The Haggis itself was full of flavour – I could eat this all day!
It was a very cold day when we were in Edinburgh so I warmed myself up with a heartwarming steak and ale pie with mash potato and some seasonal veg.
The meat was so soft and fell apart and the gravy was lovely and rich and filled with flavour.
The mash was creamy and the seasonal veg complimented the dish perfectly.
This was up there with one of the best steak and ale pies I’ve had and was perfect for a cold, winter day!
Somehow I managed to squeeze in pudding as well (although how I’m still not sure!)
I went for a chocolate gateau which came with local ice cream and fresh strawberries.
It was such a light and fluffy cake and the icing in between the layers had actual pieces of chocolate in which was a very pleasing surprise.
Breakfast
The Stair Arms Hotel also offers breakfast to both residents (included in price) and non-residents.
There was such a brilliant selection of breakfast options with a starter of juice, cereal and porridge if you want it.
There was meat, veggie and vegan options for a full English as well as a range of eggs on toast and croissants.
I opted for the veggie breakfast, mainly because of potato cakes which I LOVE, and it did not disapoint. It was a perfect way to set myself up for a day by the sea!
OVERALL VERDICT
I absolutely loved staying here. For me, it was a perfect location as we had the car with us.
Everyone at the hotel, which is family run, was so friendly and made us feel really welcomed.
Arthur loved it and settled in straight away. It was his first time staying in a hotel and it was so easy with him. From spacious rooms to great walks on the doorstep, it was effortless.
The food here is brilliant as well. So even if you’re just passing, you should try and stop by!
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You can read my mums review at Cumbria24
