Agritourism Case Studies

Lennox of Lomond

Established in 1750, Lennox of Lomond has seen eleven generations of the Lennox family running the sheep and cattle farm on the western shores of Loch Lomond.  Since the 1970s the farm has operated self-catering cottage accommodation and more recently added glamping ‘Bonnie Barns’ to their range of accommodation offering.

Lennox of Lomond also offer a range of activities on the farm including adventurous Quad Bike Trailer Tours, showcasing farming skills such as Dry Stone Diking, Live Lambing sessions and experiencing a day in the life of a farmer on the working farm. These experiences engage with a wide range of individuals and groups including schools and corporate groups.

Lennox of Lomond highlight the value of the agritourism experience in offering an escape from the hectic pace of the modern world and providing a retreat for visitors to get away from the noise and stresses to really experience Scottish farm life.

For those reasons, Lennox of Lomond have grown in recent years as a popular destination for everyone wanting to enjoy a taste of rural Scottish life. Additionally, they were the west central Scottish Enterprise Agritourism Monitor Farmers for 2019 – 2022.

Kay Wilson, owner of Lennox of Lomond said “We couldn’t farm here without our agritourism business. My parents couldn’t farm on their own and it wouldn’t work without the agritourism income. My husband would be back working off farm, I would be working off-farm”

“We are finding we have so much demand for farm tours that we sometimes don’t have the time to fit it all in. Folk want that rich experience of being on the farm, they want to really get the feel of a farm. We show them where we are coming from as farmers, and what the land has been used for. It’s about immersing themselves into something that has a deep history. And there’s a feeling after the pandemic that they want to be outdoors.”

“When visitors come to experience life on the farm they will learn about our farming heritage, how we as farmers care for our animals, the land and the environments. This all help reconnect the generally public with where their food comes and the importance of buying local foods”.

Portnellan Farm

Portnellan Farm, located at the south-eastern shore of Loch Lomond near Gartocharn, has been owned by the Scott-Park family for over 65 years. The farm produces high quality organic beef in an environmentally sensitive way with native breeds (Aberdeen Angus and Shorthorn cattle) that are born and reared on the farm and grown slowly on a diet of organic grass.

In 2010, due to consistently low milk price and cost of production, the family decided that dairy farming was no longer sustainable. This saw the start of the farm’s journey in diversifying in several ways both converting to organic beef farming and developing within the Agritourism sector. With stunning views on Loch Lomond, the farm’s location made it an appealing place to develop accommodation. They set to work converting the Old Farmhouse into a 4-star self-catering cottage and establishing glamping tents, all set within 230 acres of private farmland.

After returning to the farm in 2014, Chris Scott-Park added to the tourism arm of the business, renovating the old jetty and setting up a range of water-based activities for guests staying on the farm and visitors to the local area. Activities include a range of speedboat tours, kayak and stand-up paddleboard hire. Moorings are also available for rent in Portnellan Bay along with winter boat storage.

More recently the Scott-Parks have added farm tours to the list of activities on offer as people become more interested in sustainability and food production.

Chris Scott-Park said “we are very proud to be a working organic farm and what we have achieved to diversify, putting our business on a more sustainable financial footing through agritourism.  We have been able to re-invest in projects on the farm such as installing a biomass boiler to help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and are currently looking at installing electric car charging points. However perhaps more importantly, Agritourism has made it possible for the next generation to come into the family business; something that would not have been possible without diversification.”