Well ahead of the agritourism curve at Hilly Cow Wigwams
FOR outdoor lovers looking to take glamping to the next level, Hilly Cow Wigwams is a business that was ahead of the agritourism curve when it was established by Lesley and Stewart Barr on their working farm, Leyden at Kirknewton in West Lothian, back in 2012.
The seeds for this successful diversification venture were sown when Lesley, a former nurse, enjoyed stays at another wigwam site in Scotland when her kids were young.
“The farm was doing well but I wanted to make my own contribution and add something to it,” she explained. “I thought ‘ we could do this’ and it all took off from there.”
Starting with just four wigwams, the business also received EU LEADER funding which enabled Lesley and Stewart to expand the business.
“It’s hard work but I really love it,” said Lesley, who has also received support from Business Gateway and VisitScotland among others.
“We get a lot of repeat business and through word of mouth which is really good and although there can be challenges – the unpredictable Scottish weather being one of them – it’s great to see kids, in particular, enjoying themselves and running about in the fresh air rather than being on their iPads.
“Kids love seeing the animals and we’ve got cows, sheep, pet goats, Shetland ponies, pigs, hens, ducks and rabbits,” Lesley added.
“We also do tours that we don’t charge for – they’re an added bonus for our guests – and these are mainly at Easter time as come the summer the animals are in the fields.
“However, guests can walk to the field gates and on the paths at other times.”
Lesley added: “We also do school tours working with RHET – I think it’s important for children to learn about where their food comes from and also understand what happens on a farm.
“I might be coming from the lambing shed and bump into kids enjoying themselves then they’ll see me doing something else later and ask me about it.”
Operating 11 wigwams now with accommodation to suit various budgets and accessibility needs met where possible, there are Standard, Standard Plus, En Suite, and Deluxe wigwams to choose from.
Hilly Cow Wigwams is a long-established farm diversification business that
is a prime example of the type of entrepreneurial vision that is driving agritourism in Scotland.
Looking to the future, Lesley and Stewart are considering a few options designed to add more value to the business for visitors.
“We’re at the stage now where it depends on what our children want to do,” said Lesley. “Our son, Ewan, is 24 now and works on the farm and my daughter, Lisa, also a nurse, is currently working in Australia so we need have a serious conversation about what comes next.
“We also have to consider if we want to have more people coming to the farm.
“For example, we usually do four to five weddings each year and while we enjoy them, it’s really hard work – we’ve had everything from carousels to bouncy castles in the past – and I want to take a bit of a step back from that this year.”
Lesley and Stewart also recently commissioned a mural on the end of the new grain shed which helps tell the story of the farm.
And should guests fancy a change of scenery, the bright lights of Edinburgh are just a few miles away.