Glamp it up with a ‘Hobbit’-style break in bonny, rugged Buchan
Glamp it up in a luxury pod surrounded by all creatures great and small
WE’RE cooking sausages over an open fire as curious cows peer over the fence, craning their necks for a better view.
If we feel guilty now about our carnivorous intentions we quickly realise it could be much worse.
Cue Buttercup and Frosty, little lambs out for a walk on a leash with doting owners Isobel, 9, and Thomas, 7.
This pint-sized duo have hand-reared their little bleaters from birth, helped by mum and dad, farmers Carole and Matthew Short.
And as our kids fall over themselves to cuddle the woolly bundles, we heave a sigh of relief that we don’t have lamb chops on the grill.
That’s the joy of being ‘Down On The Farm’ – you just don’t know when nature is going to surprise you next.
The Shorts have a 200-acre plot overlooking the rugged Buchan coast in Aberdeenshire. It is dedicated to a herd of beef cows and a sprinkling of sheep, peacocks, hens, ferrets and dogs. And it’s a real retreat for anyone wanting to escape busy urban life.
But it’s also handily located on the edge of the village of New Aberdour and only five miles from the busy fishing port of Fraserburgh and its shops and entertainment.
And it’s easy to get to, too. A relaxed drive from Aberdeen takes only about 90 minutes, the latter part of which is along narrow, twisting country roads where the pace is necessarily slow and the views are to die for! The only hold-up we hit is due to some peacocks strutting their stuff in the middle of the road.
Down On The Farm offers four luxury camping options which include the Harvest Hut, an off-grid shabby chic revamp of former farm workers’ accommodation and the Coastal Carriage, a tastefully remodelled vintage mobile home. Both are beautifully decorated and come with log burners.
We watch – a little green-eyed – as a footloose and kid-free couple, late arrivals from Canada, settle peacefully into their carriage with candles and champagne, and stay up to watch the sun rise on the marvellous Moray Firth.
Meanwhile, as night advances, our kids are still a-hootin’ and a-hollerin’ and having fun. They hit the ground running the moment we got here, getting to know the farm puppies and feeding the chickens.
They are hardly able to contain their excitement when they discover that the outside loo – built into a giant converted whisky barrel – was the winner of the prestigious Home Throne loo award in 2012.
And they fall in love at first sight with our weekend home, a funky ‘High Seas Hobbit’. This tube-shaped and nautical-themed glamping pod comes with comfy beds and cushions, a kettle, microwave, fridge, crockery and cutlery and even a TV to fend off boredom. Not much chance of that!
Our days are spent exploring glorious New Aberdour beach, just two miles down the road. It is home to a series of caves which are safe to explore under adult supervision and subject to tides. Our wee ones pass the hours poking their noses into craggy nooks and crannies and plundering rock pools.
This area boasts a string of wonderful coastal and cliff-top walks and its waters are home to mesmerising Bottlenose dolphins, and are a mecca for divers, kayakers and sailors.
Close by is glorious Cullykhan, a horseshoe bay of golden sand which shelves gently into shallow, crystalline waters. Surrounded by cliffs – one of which is topped by the remains of an ancient Pictish fort – it is very sheltered and a perfect place for little ones to paddle or dig in the sand.
And just a little further down the road visitors can spy on a host of birdlife at the RSPB nature reserve at Troup Head.
Its high cliffs provide a spectacular setting for Scotland’s only mainland gannet colony. But there are also thousands of kittiwakes, guillemots and razor bills, along with its uber-cute puffins.
And there are plenty of boat trips available along the coast, offering a chance to get close to some of the region’s dolphins and other sealife.
If you’re game for more watery adventure, the Macduff Marine Aquarium is a fascinating place to learn about what lives just offshore. Grown-ups and kids alike are thrilled to see its divers hand feed huge fish in the giant tank, and get up to some hilarious antics at the same time.
But it’s The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses, just down the road in Fraserburgh, that best spotlights the region’s maritime past.
Here, for the grand price of just £11 for one adult and one child, visitors can experience firsthand the lighthouse built through the centre of a 16th Century castle, marvel at the sophisticated engineering that saved countless souls at sea, and be overawed by the tales of derring-do and the courage of the lighthouse keepers.
Aberdeenshire’s years of sowing seeds for a bumper tourism crop are bearing fruit. And whether you’re a lover of turf, or surf, it’s all here in abundance in this glorious corner of the north east.