Scotland’s Agritourism Sector Showcasing on Global Stage
Scottish farmers will play a key role on the global stage later this month, when learnings from the Scottish Enterprise Agritourism Monitor Farm programme, will be shared with an international audience at the World Agritourism Conference in Vermont, USA.
Kay Wilson, an agritourism monitor farmer from the recent Scottish Enterprise programme, along with Caroline Millar, agritourism monitor farm programme facilitator, will speak at the global conference about the success of the project, sharing learnings from the Scottish agritourism model with over five hundred delegates from forty countries.
About Kay Wilson and Lennox of Lomond
Kay and her family, farm a 1500-hectare tenanted hill farm at Shemore and Shantron Farms, near Luss, producing Scotch lamb and Scotch beef. The family celebrates 50 years in agritourism this year but through the monitor farm programme, has taken their business to a new level with hand-built luxury accommodation and “farmer for the day” experiences under the Lennox of Lomond brand.
Kay and Caroline will be joined by five other Scottish delegates, who will benefit from networking with world leading agritourism experts, bringing home knowledge to share at the upcoming Scottish Agritourism national conference in Perth in December. As well as attending three days of the conference, the group will visit around twenty farms over four days before the event, on an organised learning journey.
Caroline Millar, Scottish Agritourism Sector Lead, said: “Scotland is very much viewed by the international agritourism community as leading innovation in the sector. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the knowledge transfer and peer to peer learning from the agritourism monitor farm programme that has helped support so many farming and crofting businesses to grow agritourism in recent years. We are extremely grateful to Royal Highland Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) and Scottish Enterprise who both made a contribution to support our attendance at the event. We have a full programme of farm tours and conference sessions planned and we look forward to sharing what we learn with others on our return.”
Dr Julian Pace, Head of Place at Scottish Enterprise, said: “We are delighted to support Scottish businesses to attend the World Agritourism Conference this year. This is a great opportunity to showcase to a global audience the learning and knowledge transfer of the Scottish Enterprise Agritourism Monitor Farm programme, as well as learning from others the importance of agritourism as a sector.”
Jim Warnock, RHASS Chairman, said: “RHASS is thrilled to support the Scottish team of agritourism pioneers who are championing the growth of this important diversification opportunity here in Scotland. The team attending is a strong representation of the sector which is on track to become a major economic driver in the rural sector.”
PICTURES SHOWS:
Five of the seven Scottish Agritourism delegates who will be travelling to the global agritourism conference next week. Left to right, Fiona Pollock, Ardross Farm; Liz Phillips, Cowden Farm Holidays; Fiona Scott, Mill at Fearn Farm; Caroline Millar, The Hideaway Experience and Sector Lead; Kay Wilson, Lennox of Lomond
Those attending and representing Scotland:
Kay Wilson, Lennox of Lomond, Luss (producing Scotch lamb, Scotch beef, running glamping barns, self-catering cottage, farm tours and farm experiences – www.lennoxoflomond.com. Kay is the Scottish Agritourism destination leader for Argyll and the Isles and is on the main board of Scottish Agritourism. Kay is the first woman in her family to be named on the farm’s lease and the 11th generation of Lennox’s to be farming at Shemore and Shantron Farms).
Anne Lennox, Lennox of Lomond, Luss (former agritourism monitor farmer and celebrating 50 years in agritourism this year).
Fiona Scott, Fearn Farm, Tain (producing Scotch lamb, Scotch beef, malting barley, selling meat direct and running The Mill at Fearn Farm, luxury self-catering. Fiona is one of two Scottish Agritourism Destination Leaders for the Highlands and Islands).
Fiona Pollock, Ardross Farm, Elie (producing Scotch lamb, Scotch beef, cereals, fresh vegetables and with her family running Ardross Farm Shop, an award-winning farm shop selling the farms meat, vegetables and home baking direct).
Liz Phillips, Cowden Farm, Stonehaven (producing Scotch lamb and running Cowden Farm Holidays, a farmstay in the Aberdeenshire countryside. Liz is the Scottish Agritourism Destination Leader for Aberdeenshire).
Agnes Smith, Stralochy Farm, near Perth (producing Scotch lamb, Scotch beef and running a farm B&B for 30 years, now offering farm tours on the family farm).
Caroline Millar, Balkello Farm, Auchterhouse (producing Scotch lamb, Scotch beef, cereals, running The Hideaway Experience luxury accommodation for couples. Facilitator of the Scottish Enterprise Agritourism Monitor Farm programmes 2014/15 and 2019 to 2022. Sector lead for Scottish Agritourism).