Angus farmers and agritourism business owners Caroline and Ross Millar recently welcomed deputy first minister Shona Robison to their Balkello Farm.
Ms Robison joined the Millars to discuss direct farm retail of farm produce, agritourism and the role both can play in the Scottish Government’s new Rural Delivery Plan.
The visit included a farm walk which featured a field of Aberdeen-Angus and Hereford heifers where the cows are moved each day on to fresh pasture in a rotational grazing system.
She also received a tour of one of The Hideaway Lodges, part of the on-farm accommodation business that the couple has run for the past eighteen years.
As Scottish Agritourism Sector lead, Caroline Millar shared thoughts of what the opportunities are for rural Scotland, how agritourism in Scotland compares with other countries and how farm retail and agritourism can play an integral part of the Rural Delivery Plan, given it entails three key elements of rural Scotland – tourism, agriculture and food and drink.
A switch to shorter food supply chains of farm produce, selling direct to consumer, also supports Net Zero targets and the Good Food Nation Act.
“After meeting Shona Robison in the Scottish Parliament in May at the launch of the new Go Rural map, Ross and I were delighted to welcome her to our farm to see first-hand how food production and tourism sit together in adjacent fields, which really helped to explain the many benefits of agritourism, with food and drink at its core,” said Caroline.
“Being also a city-based MSP in nearby Dundee, we can demonstrate the benefit that a rural enterprise on the edge of a city provides to urban growth – almost all of our guests eat out in the city and use air, rail and taxi transport regularly.
“I look forward to working with the Scottish Government to develop the Rural Delivery Plan and ensuring food production and agritourism contribute significantly to sustainable economic growth.”
Ms Robison said: “It was a pleasure to visit Balkello – a chance to see first-hand a Scottish agritourism business at work, and to learn more about the sector and its plans for growth.
“Agritourism gives rural businesses important extra revenue, while providing memorable experiences for visitors and the opportunity to learn more about how Scottish food is made. That’s why we provided more than £442,000 last year to the Monitor farm project to drive the economic growth of agritourism.
“I was also pleased to use this visit to discuss our Rural Delivery plan, which will ensure we are providing the right level of support for our rural and island businesses and communities.”
Scotland’s Agritourism strategy was launched in November 2021 and aims to almost double the number of farms and crofts in farm retail and agritourism by 2030 to 1,000 businesses with 50% of those businesses selling their own produce directly to visitors or locals.
The sector aims to add an additional eighty million pounds to the rural economy in that period.