The Farm & Animals
The Farm
The farm itself is very quiet and private as it is nestled deep in the Nithsdale Valley in East Ayrshire. (Hence the name of the very friendly flock of Valais Blacknose Sheep here, the Nithsdale Valais Blacknose flock.)
Once you're down the drive you could literally be in another world with the peace and tranquility you'll find down here. The views on clear days down the valley are spectacular allowing you to see all the way down to the highest village in Scotland, Wanlockhead.
At night, because we are so secluded and so near the Galloway Forest Park the night skies, when clear, are absolutely stunning. Try counting all the millions of stars just looking up from your hot tub! The 75 acres of land on the farm is yours to explore. Say hello and give cuddles over the gate to some of the friendliest sheep you'll ever meet or head off down to the fields to meet the always willing rescue horses and Shetlands. Have fun and be entertained by some gorgeous and very amusing goats. We offer a more in depth time on the farm with a personal farm tour experience where you can go around the farm with Cat, the owner, finding out more about the animals, their stories, as well as give them some allowed treats. During certain Seasons there is also bottle feeding experiences available where you may be able to feed some very cute lambs. (Experiences available at extra cost)
The farm land is bordered by the stunning river Nith which you can walk along, taking a break at scenic points, or even take a picnic blanket from the lodge down to enjoy the stunning scenery and wildlife in peace. Fishing is also available, upon request, so if you fancy giving it a go you can bring your own equipment and go in search of the Salmon, Trout and Pike the river Nith is teaming with in the appropriate fishing seasons. Why not use the complimentary fresh farm eggs ( seasonal availability) in your lodge to make something you can take down to the river with you to enjoy the peace and stunning views down there? There are a couple of woodland areas on the farm land which means we also have a fabulous selection of wildlife on the farm which guests have sometimes been able to spot, including, otters, Roe deer, kingfishers and an abundance of grey Herons. Over 40 species of birds have been recorded as living on or using the farmland. An animal and wildlife photographer's haven!
Meet The Animals
Horses, Ponies & Shetlands
I have a collection of horses, ponies and Shetlands on the farm, most of them rescues, ranging from two wee Shetlands to a big 18hh with a couple of ex-racers, Warmbloods, a cheeky Welshie and a Cob in between! They are all very friendly and love their cuddles. Some of them have come from horrific previous lives but are now living a life of relaxation and pampered retirement surrounded by their friends. Please note as these horses are rescue they are not rideable but love getting cuddles from guests. If you would like to ride there are plenty of riding schools in the area that can be recommended.
The Peafowl
The farm welcomed some peafowl, Dave and Spangles, in 2023 and they have since become an integral part of the farm. Dave, an Indian Blue peacock, is quite the character and has learnt how to entertain guests with his showing off. He loves coming over to the lodges, walking along the balcony and decking and fanning his tail out for guests to admire. Many guests have amazing photos that Dave has posed perfectly for. They like their space so will move away if guests come up to them so they are all best to admire from afar. Dave and Spangles became first time parents in 2025 with two chicks who you can see travelling around the farm with their parents.
The Cats
Raffy and Bodhi are the farm's friendly kitty cats. Raffy will expect to be worshipped by just about everyone who comes to the farm. He arrived as a kitten to the farm in 2019, just a wee bundle of fluff and the doggies took to him immediately, quickly and firmly acknowledging him to be the best cushion in the house! He comes on walks with the doggies and me around the farm and has meetings of world domination with the coos and the sheep. If you ever see him with wet ears, he's been with the sheep and let them suck his ears. He needed some other feline companionship so Bodhi then arrived at the farm. Raffy immediately took Bodhi under his fluffy wing and they both adore each other, spending hours grooming each other or chasing each other around the house. Bodhi is much shier than Raffy as he was semi feral when he arrived so you may not see him as he hangs around a lot either by himself or with his other friends, the chickens. I also have adopted 3 other rescue cats who you may see darting around the farm and yard at night but they are not interested in humans. They are from various cat rescue centres as they are feral cats that were found on rubbish dumps and in abandoned houses and are terrified of humans but are happy staying on the farm keeping their distance but being well fed with a warm and comfy hay barn for a bed.
The Nithsdale Valais Blacknose Flock
In 2020 I decided that I needed some animals that were better grazers and less picky at eating the grass than the horses. So I thought wouldn't it be amazing if I had some really friendly sheep the lodge guests could enjoy too. I quite literally Googled friendly sheep breeds and the Valais Blacknose came up as the friendliest and cutest breed of sheep in the world so I thought they sounded perfect! I got my first Valais Blacknose wethers in 2020. I was very soon addicted to the breed and now have around 70 of them with lambs born every year that guests can enjoy during certain seasons. I have also taken up showing them at agricultural shows during the Summer and have won quite a few Supreme Champions and Reserve Champion awards with my own homebred sheep which is hugely rewarding. Click on the Nithsdale Valais Blacknose Flock button to find out more about this extraordinary breed!
The Goaties
2022 and 2023 brought in some bottle fed Boer goats to the farm. These goats have such characters and as they have been bottle fed when they were younger by myself and guests they are the friendliest goats you will ever meet and will quite literally jump over fences to come say hello and get some cuddles from you. I got them for the purpose of eating the weeds around the farm as I have to be very careful with weedkiller sprays with the amount of free roaming animals here. The goats, however, are far too spoiled to do their job so are quite useless apart from being some of the biggest cuddlers here. They get very excited at feed time and Dali the Dalmatian loves singing to them to join in!
The Doggies
I have 5 dogs on the farm, my collection of Spots, as they are all either a Dalmatian or Dalmatian crosses. Whenever guests arrive, they are the Welcoming Committee, giving everyone a very friendly welcome to the farm! First is my original Dalmatian boy, Dali, with whom I arrived up in Scotland in May 2019, having been by my side since 2016. Since being in Scotland I have adopted 3 rescue spotty girls, Wilma (My little tripod, Dalmatian/Collie cross), Cally (Crazy Cally, Dalmatian/Greyhound cross) and Mina (Minamoo, Dalmatian/ Terrier cross). In Dec 2021, little puppy Schubert arrived on the farm and has settled in beautifully with the pack. Schubert is by far my most cheeky dog and is the reason guests need to open and shut car and lodge doors as quickly as possible otherwise he'll be in to see what he can find! In January 2024 the farm welcomed its new addition, Kipling, who has been an amazing addiiton and is adored by everyone who meets him. They are all extremely friendly and love saying hello to guests and getting lots of cuddles! Wilma's favourite position is on her back getting guests to pay the "tummy tickle tax"! They all free roam around the farm and land with me doing my jobs everyday, lending a paw or to be more precise, mostly getting in the way where they can! They are the most wonderful dogs and have very special relationships with myself, each other and all the animals here which has taken a lot of patience and training to achieve. Dali, Wilma and sometimes Cally sing along to the goats shouting and all of them absolutely adore the wee lambs and kids I sometimes have in to bottle feed and help mop up their milky faces.
Hairy Coos
Dec 24 welcomed Iona and Skye , two gorgeous Highland Coos, to the farm. It has always been my dream to have Highland cows and now I have the amazing opportunity to do so. These girls arrived completely unhandled and through perseverance (and lots of bribery!!) I have been able to get them to the stage where they come running over to the fence to get some treats. Guests have been instrumental in getting them friendly and strokable as they have grown so used to humans having positioned them so close to the lodges for part of the year. My goal is to increase my fold (a group of Highland coos is called a "fold" not a herd) and have all the colours and have them so friendly that I can organise "Hairbrush a Highland" experiences. This is a plan in motion so please watch this space!
The Laying Ladies
I have always wanted to be self sufficient with eggs and so, as soon as I arrived on the farm, I incubated some eggs from Ebay and hatched my own chickens. I have learnt so much about chickens since having them. When I first moved here I had no idea you could even get different coloured eggs. I did so much research into different breeds and what eggs they produced and have grown my flock with beautiful egg colours in mind. In full laying season guests are welcomed with a complimentary array of half a dozen coloured eggs in the lodges that not only look amazing but they taste delicious too as the girls are all incredibly well fed and free range everywhere on the farm so their diet is supplemented by a lot of beautiful greenery and extra protein too. Eggs are available to buy too subject to availability.
