Thorpe and Elbolton Hill from Burnsall

Seven and a half miles and around four hours down one bank of the Wharfe and back up the other, through Appletreewick and on to the seventeenth-century bridge at Barden; it is easy walking on the flat, though the meadows are heavy going in winter and flood after prolonged rain. Start at Burnsall bridge car park, on the 74 bus route between Skipton and Grassington, and note that the same bus serves Appletreewick if you want to shorten it. There is water the whole way and several shallow gravel bays where a dog can swim safely, though keep well clear of the fast channel under Barden Bridge and keep the lead on for the grazed meadows, where there are cattle and calves on the Appletreewick stretch; the riverside field boundaries are crossed by a long series of narrow stone squeeze stiles, a real obstacle course for a broad-chested dog and the one reason to think twice about this walk.

A tidy two and a quarter miles in an hour, up the Dales Way from Burnsall bridge beneath the limestone cliff of Loup Scar to the Hebden suspension bridge, crossing there and returning on the opposite bank. Start from the riverside car park by Burnsall bridge, which is pay-and-display and fills early on summer weekends; there are toilets and the Red Lion is a few yards away. Good short walk for an older dog on level meadow paths, with easy shingle access to the Wharfe by the bridge for a paddle, but sheep are in most fields, several stiles are narrow stone squeezes, and the path runs along the unfenced top of Loup Scar above a deep channel.

Boutique hotel on the hillside above Burnsall with sweeping views down Wharfedale, part of the Bolton Abbey estate. All bedrooms and suites are dog friendly (up to 25kg, ten pounds per night), dogs may run off lead in the grounds, and you can dine together in the conservatory, though not the indoor restaurant. Leads required in public areas.