Treats Dogs’ Love!

It’s a paws up for these delicious dog treats with a difference!

Insect treats have traditionally been made from bitter-tasting black fly larvae that were originally created for cattle feed. Besides being more bitter than a small bag of angry limes, recent research has shown that black fly larvae is disappointingly high in saturated fats! In 2021 10,000 metric tonnes of insect protein was created and conservative estimates suggest that by 2030 this number will have exceeded 500,000 tonnes.

Mr Bug is a big believer in the circular economy and the fact that insects are a truly sustainable protein source needing only a fraction of the water, land and time of traditional farmyard fayre. Mealworms are rammed with nutritional worth offering more calcium than milk, more B12 than salmon, more iron than spinach by offering all 9 amino acids.

Mr Bug comes as a: Veggie One, A Fruity One, A Nutty One & The Cheesy One

£15.96 for 320g of crumbly dog biscuity joy mrbug.co.uk

Dog friendly Aparthotel: Eden Locke, George Street, Edinburgh

We love Edinburgh. What’s not to like? A bustling city with expansive skylines stretching down to the port of Leith and a backdrop of rolling Scottish hills, including the famous Arthur’s Seat, it’s also a brilliant place to shop, sightsee and indulge all the senses. So what better way to also take in the world-famous Christmas Market and bag some other attractions that a trip to ‘Auld Reekie’ in December?

Now, where to stay? You are of course spoilt for choice with a visit to the Scottish capital, from the basic to the grandiose, Edinburgh has it covered. I was meeting a friend and also wanted to take Rufus and to stay somewhere dog-friendly. Being a city, I assumed the options would be limited and verging on the basic side, comfy but functional. However, this esteemed city with its Georgian backdrop, is cottoning on to the importance of the Pooch Pound. We were amazed at the quality on offer. But because I didn’t envisage tramping around Edinburgh all of the time with Rufus, especially in the busier evenings, we opted for an Aparthotel which has the option of leaving a dog in the room, provided you inform staff beforehand.

We decided on the fabulous Eden Locke on George Street, which is right slap bang in the heart of Edinburgh but also strangely slightly removed from the hustle and bustle right outside its front door. The very epitome of an oasis of calm.

From the get go, we were greeted warmly with concierge staff on hand to check us in, answer any questions and also suggest things to do, including a complementary tour of Edinburgh and a free yoga session (not for doggies, however! But brilliant for me.)

Once in the room, we discovered the best dog treats and gifts we’d ever encountered in any sort of holiday accommodation - from delicious (so, I’m told!) Lily’s Kitchen treats to high quality toys and even a free bandana. There was also a complementary dog bed and plenty of bowls.

Human guests are also amply catered for too and the room has a king sized bed, large shower room, very well-equipped kitchen, table and small living room area with a larger than average TV. You have your own personal wi-fi so it’s an excellent super fast connection and the TV features ChromeCast so you can stream your favourite content. The only niggle is that when we did eat at ‘home’, we wished there was a microwave instead of an inbuilt oven, which seemed a bit strange. Otherwise it was perfect. And the complementary honey from bees kept on the roof of the hotel was a lovely and very delicious touch.

The apartment was warm, quiet and just what anyone could be looking for in a relaxing city break stay.

Downstairs, there is an excellent cafe with good coffee and an excellent selection of cakes. In the centre of New Town, and minutes from the famous Princes Street, the city’s sights –including Edinburgh Castle and Dean Village – are all within easy walking distance. You’re also right in the middle of the business district, meaning you can stroll to meetings with a coffee in hand.

We were fortunate to catch an amazing tour of Edinburgh with a difference - they all delve into ‘hidden Edinburgh’ alongside pointing out some of the more well-known sights such as the history of the Royal Mile and the warren of forgotten streets shut centuries ago to confine plague stricken residents. Invisible Cities tours are run by former homeless people who receive a stipend for the tours. This one focused on Edinburgh’s women and fascinating tales of murders, witches and folklore, including the true macabre story of ‘half hanged Maggie’ who was hanged in 1720 for failing to declare the birth of her child which later died. Maggie was hanged and pronounced dead only to be found alive tapping on her coffin while being taken by cart by her family for burial. Fearing retribution, they promptly returned Maggie to the city where the generous hearted burghers pronounced that she couldn’t be tried again as her sentence had been carried out, so she was allowed to go free. Maggie became a local legend with a pub now named after her, before expiring 40 years after her hanging.

No one could fail to know about the legendary Greyfriars Bobby who was so attached to his owner that he would visit his master’s grave daily for 14 years. There is also a statue to a lesser known legend from across the pond called Bum. San Diego was twinned with Edinburgh in 1977 and it presented the statue of its characterful hobo dog to the city. Rufus made friends with him (right).

Rufus attracted lots of attention and was made throughly welcome at the hotel. The hotel features 72 rooms behind a beautiful Georgian facade and is located in the city’s New Town, a stone’s throw from the bustling Princes Street.

All in all, we can throughly recommend Eden Locke. It’s a fantastic base to explore the city, throughly VIP pooch friendly and a great place to stay in itself.

For more information and to book, visit: https://www.lockeliving.com/en/edinburgh/eden-locke