Like many people across the UK, we decided that after our wedding we would head off on a staycation in the UK for our mini moon.
We didn’t want luxury and fancy, just what we have every day – space, fresh air and, of course, a farm.
After a little research we decided to look for something different, with a bit of character and personality, so we jumped in the car together with our new addition to the team, Noodle, my wire haired dachshund, and crossed the border to bonny Aberdeenshire.
What a beauty of a spot we found – Graham’s Bothy, placed right in the middle of the rolling hills of a Scottish mixed farm, surrounded by lochs, cows, sheep, and wheat.
Our accommodation was completely off grid, powered by their water wheel and solar panels.
We spent our days fishing for trout, taking walks on the beach, eating ice cream and then day dreaming of how we could make something similar on our farm.
I am very much of the opinion that our time on this land is limited, we are more of a custodian rather than an owner and it’s our duty to not only leave it better for the next generation, but to also share it with our own.
COVID-19 may have brought many hardships, but I believe it has opened people’s eyes to what is on our doorsteps.
The realisation has hit home that you don’t have to go on a plane for a well deserved break, or to find crystal blue waters or rugged mountains or breathtaking sunsets.
All of these beautiful wonders can be found here in the UK.
And, of course, the rise in staycations has been massively significant for the agricultural industry because all of these experiences and places are found in the UK.
None of us are strangers to the conversation of welcoming diversification as part of our farming business to help support and bring in an additional income.
Now would be the perfect time for our industry and individual farms to take full advantage of this shift and find ways of diversifying and welcoming visitors to the farm, whether that be through glamping, a cafe, farm tours and more.
Not only would this help farming businesses but it also helps build that bridge with the general public and allows people to see the journey their food takes, which they might not see otherwise.
We loved our time staying on someone else’s farm.
It was great to support another farming business, but also it was just simply amazing to be surrounded by nature and wildlife. It let us breathe, relax and truly unwind.
And I’m not shy to admit it inspired us to think about how we can provide these opportunities for others on our farm.
