The local guide, from the team that walks here every day
Dog-Friendly Larne
The cafés, secure fields, parks and places to stay around Larne, the East Antrim coast and the Glens where your dog is genuinely welcome to sit alongside you — inside or in a sheltered spot. A growing local guide, added to as you tell us your favourites.
A quick note before you set off: dog policies can change, and this is a growing guide we're still calling round to confirm — so a quick call ahead is always worth it (the numbers are on each listing).
Type
Area
Secure Fields & Parks
Secure off-lead fields and standout green spaces for a proper dog walk.
Carnfunnock Country Park & Dog Fields
Coast Road, Larne
Larne's coastal country park, with secure dog fields for safe off-lead time. We walk here every week — read our first-hand guide on the blog.
Glenarm Castle Dog Park
Glenarm
A fully enclosed off-lead field with agility equipment on the castle estate — £2 per dog per 30-minute slot, bookable online, open seven days a week. Dogs are welcome in the Walled Garden and Woodland Walk too.
Larne's Parks
Larne town
Town Park, the Promenade and more — our guide to Larne's dog-friendly parks covers where the dogs of Larne actually love to walk.
Giant's Causeway
Bushmills
Northern Ireland's most famous walk, and genuinely dog-welcoming — dogs on leads are welcome across the whole site and inside the visitor centre, with water bowls provided. Worth every mile of the drive.
Crawfordsburn Country Park
Helen's Bay, Co. Down
One of NI's best-loved coastal parks — a waterfall, glen walks, two beaches and a stretch of the North Down Coastal Path, all dog-friendly on leads. A proper day out.
Cafés, Pubs & Pit Stops
Where to sit down with your dog along the coast and up the Glens — from Gleno and Ballycarry to Glenarm, Cushendall, Whitehead and Carrickfergus, plus a few worth-the-drive favourites.
Scoop Approved™Millar's Bar
Ballycarry
A warm, family-run bar serving homecooked food — including lobster the proprietors catch themselves. Dogs welcome inside, and there are dog-friendly studios above if you want to stay over.
The Prom Café
Larne Promenade
Right on Larne Promenade with panoramic seaside views — dedicated dog-friendly tables inside and out, alongside coffee, ice cream and all-day food. Your paw pals are welcome, in or out.
The Dairy
Gleno
Farm shop, butchery and bistro by the Gleno waterfall — highly dog-friendly, with dogs welcome in the walled outdoor courtyard and covered marquee, and the waterfall walk right on the doorstep.
Matties Meeting House
Cairncastle
One of the oldest pubs in County Antrim, up at Cairncastle on the coast road north of Larne — traditional food and live music, with dogs welcome inside and in the outdoor dining area.
The Greedy Gannet
The Gobbins, Islandmagee
Dog-friendly café inside the Gobbins Visitor Centre on Islandmagee — hearty breakfasts and lunches before or after a clifftop walk.
Glenarm Castle Tea Room
Glenarm
Tea room in the castle's historic Walled Garden — Glenarm Shorthorn beef, organic salmon and proper homemade cakes, with your dog by your side.
Cove Coffee
Glenarm
A cosy dog-friendly coffee shop on Castle Street in Glenarm — good coffee and baked goods (weekends mostly, so worth a quick check ahead).
North Coffee
Cushendall
Coffee shop in the heart of Cushendall on Mill Street, with a seaside coffee cart down at the sailing club too.
Johnny Joe's (McCollum's Bar)
Cushendall
A famous old Cushendall pub known for live trad music — and happy to see a dog settle in by the fire.
Coastal Coffee
Whitehead
Family-run Whitehead café since the late '80s — all-day breakfasts and Maud's ice cream, dogs welcome.
The Bank House
Whitehead
Café and gift shop on Edward Road — local food, crafts and a warm welcome for dogs.
Cups & Carriages
Whitehead
Vintage railway tea room inside Whitehead Railway Museum — 1950s-carriage afternoon teas, and dogs are welcome aboard.
Kings Road Coffee
Whitehead
Victorian gastro café on Kings Road — vaulted wooden ceiling, stained glass, and a pet-friendly welcome.
The Marine Bar
Whitehead
A traditional coastal pub in Whitehead since 1891, with live trad sessions — dogs welcome.
The Whitecliff Inn
Whitehead
Recently refurbished bar and restaurant beside Whitehead station — lunch, à la carte and Sunday roasts, dogs welcome.
The Clock Tower Cafe
Carrickfergus
Café in Carrickfergus's Marine Gardens — scones, coffee and a park right outside for the dog.
The Dancing Goat Cafe
Carrickfergus
Café at Kilcreggan Urban Farm, which offers work to adults with learning disabilities — good food, better cause, dogs welcome.
The Dirty Onion & Yardbird
Belfast
A Cathedral Quarter landmark in one of Belfast's oldest buildings — dogs welcome inside by the peat fire and out in the huge beer garden, with rotisserie chicken from the Yardbird kitchen.
The Harbour Bar
Portrush
The iconic harbourside pub on the north coast, part of the Ramore complex — dogs are welcome upstairs in the Harbour Gin Bar. A classic Causeway-coast stop.
Dog-Friendly Stays
Bringing the dog on the trip? From the Causeway Coastal Route to a Belfast day trip, these spots say yes.
Scoop Approved™The Harbourview Hotel
Carnlough
Family-run harbourside hotel on the Causeway Coastal Route, right by Carnlough's little harbour — a dog-friendly base for exploring the Glens.
Scoop Approved™The Studios at Millar's Bar
Ballycarry
Two self-catering studios above the bar with panoramic views over Islandmagee. Dogs welcome by prior arrangement for a small fee — mention your dog when you book.
Ballygally Breakaway
Ballygally
A self-contained, ground-floor apartment in Ballygally with sea views and an optional hot tub — five minutes from the beach and just up the coast from Larne. Pets welcome.
Waterfall Cottage
Carnlough
A three-bedroom dog-friendly self-catering cottage in Carnlough, on the Causeway Coastal Route in the Glens — a proper base for a coastal break with the dog.
Ocean View Pods
Glenarm
Luxury glamping pods on the Glenarm Castle estate with ocean views — one pod is dog-friendly, so your four-legged family member can join the adventure too. Ask for the dog-friendly pod when you book.
The Shepherds Rest Luxury Glamping
Carnlough
Luxury glamping on the Causeway Coastal Route, with your dog along for the trip.
The Coach House Self Catering
Carnlough
Dog-friendly self-catering between Carnlough and Glenariffe on the spectacular Antrim Coast.
ibis budget Belfast City Centre
Belfast (day trip)
The city-centre budget hotel locals still know as the Etap — dog-friendly, with up to two dogs of any size welcome for a small nightly fee. An easy base for a Belfast day trip with the dog.
The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat
Templepatrick
A stylish Georgian boutique hotel, spa and retreat about 20 minutes from Belfast, with dedicated dog-friendly rooms — quirky, comfortable and genuinely happy to have your dog along.
The Bushmills Inn
Bushmills
A historic coaching inn near the Giant's Causeway and Old Bushmills Distillery, with select dog-friendly rooms — arrange the dog room in advance, as the wider inn isn't dog-friendly.
The Best Dog Walks Around Larne
We walk these routes every single day. Our first-hand guides cover the top dog-friendly walks around Larne — where to park, what to expect, and which routes suit which dogs.
Too busy to make the most of all this?
That's what we're for. A dedicated walker, structured sessions with a purpose, and a walk report after every visit — this is where they come alive.