A real taste of rural life makes a great family holiday

Where there’s muck, there’s a fun holiday!

Enjoy work so much that you find it hard to switch off even when you’re on holiday?

If so, why not try a break on a working farm? That way you can watch others do the hard graft so you don’t have to!

Owners of working farms are starting to open up their doors to the tourist trade, offering a holiday home and experience like no other.

A typical farmer’s life is full of early mornings, rolling fields and rumbling tractors.

A farming holiday will take you closer to nature and a rural way of life but without the 4.30am starts.

And farmstays offer the perfect base for active outdoor breaks, especially if you want to get everyone involved. The kids will love getting their hands dirty and learning all about agriculture.

Twenty five years ago, the Watson family added a new string to their bow by opening their dairy farm to the public by coupling it with a B&B.

“We thought it would be a great way to bring in a bit more income and offer people a holiday they’d never forget,” Hugh Watson says.

The 53-year-old and wife Moira have lived on Laigh Tarbeg Farm in Cumnock, Ayrshire, since 1983.

Hugh comes from a long farming history his dad Hugh and grandfather James both ran one too. In fact, Hugh senior’s farm is just across the road!

“Dairy farming is what I learned when I was younger and what I moved on to as a career, as did my own son,” Hugh explains.

The Watsons have 300 cows, which have to be milked every day. But Hugh, dad to Alastair, 29, and Elaine, 27, has enlisted the help of robotic milking, which basically means the cattle milk themselves!

“This attracts quite a lot of attention from the guests,” he smiles. “It’s not something people see every day, so they find it quite a spectacle!

“It’s just one of the quirks of holidaying on a working farm. Guests can also pet and help feed the cows if they wish, which is often a huge hit with the kids.

“And it’s great for us because we welcome the opportunity to introduce people to farming and teaching them about our way of life.”

While Hugh is out on the farm, Moira, 54, runs the B&B, creating a homely atmosphere especially with her freshly baked bread, cakes and biscuits.

“I do the cooking and cleaning. I’m a jack-of-all-trades and master of none,” she laughs.

“But it hardly feels like work. We meet some great people, coming from as far as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, and many come back again and again because they’ve enjoyed spending time with our family so much.”

Aside from hanging out with the Watsons, there’s plenty to do around Laigh Tarbeg Farm.

Guests can relax on the Ayrshire farmland, or venture further afield, with Ayr Racecourse, Robert Burns Country and Dumfries House Estate right on the doorstep.

It’s the perfect location for a relaxing break, away from the hustle and bustle of life and if you miss work too much, you can always roll up your sleeves and muck in on the farm!

Fellow fantastic farmstays in Scotland

Monachyle Mhor, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs

Hidden four miles down a winding country lane on the banks of Loch Voil, Monachyle Mhor is an 18th Century farmhouse that’s been converted into a boutique hotel with 14 rooms and you can even arrive by seaplane.

Guests tour the farm, learn how to work with the animals and crops and find out how really great produce is created.

Chef/owner Tom Lewis cooks with the estate’s fresh produce, venison and Highland beef, and vegetables from the kitchen garden. mhor.net.

Bluebell Croft, Strontia, Ardnamurchan

Children can meet the resident pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and Jersey cow at pretty Bluebell Croft on the Ardnamurchan peninsula on Scotland’s west coast.

Accommodation is self-catering Rose Cottage and Honeysuckle House are linked by a conservatory and sleep up to

12 (plus four children). Owner Chrissie is happy to cook for you, and can leave a casserole in the Aga awaiting your arrival, using lots of home-grown organic veg.

The croft has its own smokehouse and you can pre-order a hamper of homemade goodies from smoked salmon to whole baked ham.

Courses in home smoking, fungi foraging and cooking (with or without the Aga) are also offered.

A giant hot tub under the stars gives added wow factor. bluebellcroft.co.uk.

Abbotshaw House, Newcastleton, Borders

Abbotshaw House Farm B&B, run by Tom Atkinson and his wife Pam, is a working sheep farm situated in the beautiful Liddesdale Valley.

There are 500 sheep, as well as Chip the sheepdog and Mr Darcy the horse.

The secluded farmhouse stands within 363 acres of private farmland and is an ideal base for those wanting peace and tranquillity or a holiday exploring the history, culture and wildlife of the Border Reivers country.

It’s a great place to visit during April and May, when lambing season is in full swing and you can watch the ewes giving birth and get an opportunity to bottle-feed the baby lambs.

The farmhouse has been renovated, yet retains its traditional country charm.

And there’s a private lake if you fancy a bit of fishing.

Breakfast is to die for, with all locally sourced Scottish produce, and should set guests up for a day of sightseeing in this scenic part of Scotland. Find out more abbotshawhouse.co.uk.