Agritourism in the spotlight at Dingwall Seminar
Agritourism opportunities were highlighted in a seminar led by rural land agents Bell Ingram. Held in conjunction with NFU Mutual, at the Highland Farm Café in Dingwall, the event brought together farmers, landowners and industry professionals to hear from a panel of speakers with strong links to Scotland’s agriculture and farming sectors. land management, before a lively Q&A and a tour of the Highland Farm Café and the holiday home business itself.
The event was chaired by Bell Ingram Senior Partner Charlotte Gilfillan, who gave insight into future trends and what is driving tourists to rural areas post-pandemic.
Johnny Hogg of NFU Mutual covered the insurance implications of diversifying a farming business, while understanding and managing risk was the topic covered by Richie Hart of NFU’s Risk Management Department.
The event ended with a presentation from Highland Farm Café owner, Kenneth Mckenzie, who shared his first-hand experience of building a successful holiday home and eco-café business.
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Ms Gilfillan said: “Agritourism is a key growth opportunity for the Highlands, and we hope this seminar has both informed and inspired farmers and landowners to learn more about what is involved.
“I want to thank everyone who attended, our speakers and especially Kenneth Mckenzie for his fascinating insight into running an agritourism business and his warm hospitality at the Highland Farm Café.”
To tie in with the theme of sustainability, guests were given saplings of oak and aspen to offset the carbon generated by the trip to Dingwall.
Charlotte added: “We ended up donating almost 50 trees and if they were all planted, our event would have been carbon negative.”