The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Kirkhouse Forest

Our guide features a selection of four excellent dog-friendly hiking trails in the Kirkhouse Forest area, ranging from easy strolls to more moderate adventures. These routes offer a variety of landscapes for you and your canine companion to explore.

Yes, for an easier option, consider the Jubilee Woods Forest Path – Cademuir Forest loop from Peebles. This 6.5 km route is rated as easy, making it perfect for a relaxed outing with your dog, offering pleasant woodland paths.

The trails in Kirkhouse Forest and its surroundings offer a beautiful mix of natural features. You'll encounter diverse woodlands with both coniferous and deciduous trees, gentle hills, and meandering streams like the Newhall Burn. Some routes also feature lochs, such as the scenic St Mary's Loch.

For a longer, moderate challenge, the St Mary's Loch loop is an excellent choice. This route spans over 13 km and offers rewarding views and varied terrain around the loch, perfect for dogs and owners looking for a more extended adventure.

The Kirkhouse Forest area is highly rated by the komoot community, with an average score of 4.45 stars from 97 ratings. Reviewers often praise the quiet charm of the woodlands, the varied terrain, and the peaceful escape into nature that these trails provide for both humans and their dogs.

Yes, all the dog-friendly routes featured in this guide are circular, allowing you to start and end at the same point. Examples include the St Mary's Loch – Loch of the Lowes loop from Dryhope and the Cademuir Forest – Peebles Town Centre loop from Peebles.

While the immediate Kirkhouse Forest is known for its serene woodlands, the broader region features gentle hills. Dod Hill, for instance, is a prominent elevation offering expansive views across the rolling terrain of the Scottish Borders, which can be incorporated into longer hikes in the vicinity.

Absolutely. Several trails incorporate water features. The St Mary's Loch – Loch of the Lowes loop from Dryhope, for example, takes you past two beautiful lochs, providing scenic waterside walking opportunities for you and your dog.

The terrain varies, offering a good mix for dogs. You'll find well-defined forest paths, some gentle ascents and descents through hills, and sections alongside streams and lochs. The diverse woodland provides plenty of shade and interesting scents for your dog to enjoy.

While specific rules can vary, generally, dogs are welcome on trails in Kirkhouse Forest. It's always best practice to keep your dog under control, especially around wildlife or livestock, and to clean up after them to ensure the enjoyment of all visitors and the preservation of the natural environment.

Many routes in the wider Kirkhouse Forest area offer a combination of dense woodland and more open sections. For instance, trails around Cademuir Forest provide a mix of forest paths and views over the surrounding countryside, including glimpses of the patchwork of fields and pastures typical of the Scottish Borders.