PARKHILL FARM
book a walking tour of the farm
farm walking tours
1.5 hours
£240.00 for a group of up to 6 people
Available to guests staying at the cottage — please add on when booking.
Book a 1.5 hour walking tour with our farm guide who will take you up the hills for revitalising views, across our fields, and down to the quiet of our riverbank, while filling you in on how we do things on the farm, and our fascinating history.
For centuries, our farm was known as Hyrneside. Until the end of the Middle Ages, a vast dark forest hid much of its secrets and resources. It provided stone from the Prince of Scotland’s quarries for the monks to build their ‘church by the water’; cover for one of William Wallace’s last skirmishes; timber for ship building; a playground for royalty; freshwater springs and hillside to raise livestock; and fields, reclaimed from the Tay, to grow grains and fruit.
Our farm guide will take you up our hills for stunning views — on the way up, you will traverse our Bear Hill, which is carved with the Earl of Warwick’s emblem; you will walk through our forests (where cows and sheep graze); and along segments of the Fife Coastal Path. You will wander down to our riverbank (with historic fishing bothies, remnants of the Tay Salmon industry); across our farm fields (where we grow malting barley for distilling whisky and brewing beer); and through our agroforestry apple fields (where we grow apples for cider making and juice pressing). Tours will also include our Aipple Cider and Argle Bargle Sparkling Apple Juice tastings.
Tours are subject to availability.
When you add on a farm tour to your stay at Old Parkhill Cottage, we will work out a mutually agreeable day/time for the tour during your stay. We can also offer bespoke routes to accommodate age and fitness levels.
Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear: walking/hiking shoes or wellies, as you will be traversing the farm and the ground can be muddy, depending on weather conditions.
Agroforestry Apple Field
Located in the Inner Tay Estuary, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for migratory birds, Parkhill is an innovative agroforestry farm, growing malting barley and Scottish heritage and classic cider apples over 537 acres and has been in our family for more than a century.
Our apple trees are alley cropped in an arable field and underplanted with a permanent wildflower mix, which attracts pollinators and pest eating insects that spread throughout the crops.
Malting Barley
Bordering the Holy Burn, Parkhill Farm grows malting barley for distilling and brewing on various aptly named fields, such as Priest’s Burn and Abbey Fields — the very fields where the original whisky makers of Scotland would have grown their barley.
Grazing and Forest
Cows graze throughout the summer and sheep graze throughout the year on our steep fields, finding shelter in the trees. We have 15 acres of forest, featuring newly created native tree wildlife corridors; working with the Woodland Trust, we’ve planted 10,000 trees over the past few years, including Scots Pine, Oak, Rowan, Silver Birch and Wild Cherry.
Enjoying stunning views over the River Tay, the farm attracts walkers, cyclists and horse riders looking to explore one of the most dramatic sections of the Fife Coastal Path.
