Conference Tours
Heart of Aberdeenshire Tour
Three unique agritourism businesses and farms. This tour gives a perfect mix of innovation and escape.
BOUTIQUE FARM BOTHIES
Host – Jane Foad
Agritourism
Boutique Farm Bothies was established in 2014. Four unique and individually designed bothies hand built by Jane Foad’s family include Barley Bothy, The Sheep Shed, The Dairy and Denend and Denend Farmhouse. The Bothies stand out in the marketplace due to their agricultural character and colourful design. The farm hosts up to 18 guests every night.
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Each bothy is located in a secluded spot around the farm. All units feature wood-burning stoves, wood-fired hot tubs, and wood-fired pizza ovens to promote mindfulness and encourage guests to take time to stoke the fires.
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Over the past two years, Boutique Farm Bothies has seen a marked increase in international visitors, welcoming guests from Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond.
Farm
The farm was bought in December 2011 and by Jane and her former husband, James. They started the business as new entrant young farmers. Jane lives at Newton of Begshill with her 13 and 14 year old sons, Freddie and Hector.
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The farm is 100 acres which in itself is not financially viable, hence the decision to invest in accommodation and set up the agritourism venture. The farming enterprise includes growing malting barley, some land rented out for potato production, a small flock of sheep, strawberries to sell direct to guests and extensive areas of wildflowers and grasses to enhance biodiversity and wellbeing.
Click on the logo to view their website!
THORNEYBANK
Hosts – The Stephen Family
Agritourism
The Stephen Family’s journey into Agritourism started out in the 1970’s selling surplus produce at the side of the road as a way to reduce waste and add a supplementary income to the Farm. In 2019 the business decided to bring the “honesty box” into the 21st century by investing in self service vending technology as way of expanding its product offerings and enhancing the customer experience. The Stephen family were the first in the UK to adopt this type of technology and have grown rapidly with the addition of a coffee machine, refrigerated lockers and a fresh milk machine all to meet demand and become one of the pioneers of this style of farm retailing. It is a genuine family operation with the 3 generations working to provide fresh vegetables, potatoes and home bakes alongside a large range of other local and seasonal produce.
Farm
The farm is 700 acres with the majority of land for cereal production growing malting barley and winter wheat. There is a cattle finishing operation and 250 lambing ewes, with grass used for summer grazing and winter fodder. 15 acres of potatoes and 2 acres of vegetables are grown to supply the shop and in the past 4 years 3 acres of sunflowers have been planted for on farm PYO events. Renewable energy plays a key part in the business with 2 x 11kw wind turbines, 50KW of solar panels and onsite battery storage.
Click on the logo to view their website!
FOREST FARM DAIRY
Hosts – The Willis Family
Agritourism
Forest Farm Dairy is owned and run by the Willis family. It is located on the edge of the City of Aberdeen next to one of the main road out of the City.
In 2017 the farm started selling milk directly from a vending machine. This vending machine was Scotland’s first milk vending machine. In 2018 gelato production started and in 2021 a takeaway café and gardens opened. In 2023 the farm started making and serving pizza. Over 250,000 people visit the farm each year to buy milk and other food and to enjoy the beautiful gardens and environment.
The agritourism venture employs 30 people, the farming operation employs 2 people excluding family labour.
Forest Farm Dairy is part of the Core Community Group for Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme.
Farm
Forest Farm was Scotland’s first organic dairy farm, set up and developed by Anthony and Anne Willis in 1998. The Willis family a few generations back, farmed in Wiltshire, England, and supplied milk into London in churns. In 2004 Anthony sadly passed away and today the farm is run by Anne and her sons William and Angus.
The farm is 390 acres and has 165 Friesian and Jersey dairy cows. The cows are milked twice per day. The farm is certified by the Soil Association and there is focus on the environment, biodiversity and soil health.
The farm has previously won “UK Dairy Farm of the Year” and William won “Young Farmer of the Year” for the UK in 2015.
Click on the logo to view their website!
