An Angus alpaca-trekking business which came about by accident is flourishing.
David’s Hill Alpacas continues to expand its collection of animals, which are proving popular with the wide variety of visitors.
The popular enterprise – which has had many five-star reviews on Tripadvisor – is based at St Vigeans, Arbroath.
It is owned by former childminder Jayne Yule, whose family helps with the venture when not doing their own regular jobs.
Husband Tommy and sons Tommy, 23, and Benjamin, 18, are all lobster fishermen, while daughter Brodie, 21, works for a local estate agent.
Why own sheep when you can have alpacas?
Jayne explained how the business started.
She said: “We have been here since 2011 and the house came with six acres of land.
“We were looking for animals to keep the grass down and weren’t keen on sheep.
“My oldest son mentioned alpacas and we started to research them and found they were gentle on the land due to having soft pads on their feet.
“They just seemed to be a perfect fit for us.
“We originally bought our first four alpacas just as pets.
“We built a shelter in our garden and the alpacas had part of our land fenced off. As we got more of them we built extra shelters and fenced off most of our land.”
Alpacas originate from Peru, Chile and Bolivia. They are herd animals and should be kept in groups of three or more.
Jayne says they are very gentle, easy to handle and can be halter-trained easily. They are also hardy and relatively problem-free.
Surprise at interest in Angus alpacas
Jayne quickly found members of the public were interested in meeting the alpacas.
“People were coming down to see the alpacas over the fence and asking if we did farm visits,” she laughed.
“We decided then that we would start our trekking experiences, as it could help with feeding and vet bills.”
David’s Hill Alpacas started trading in 2019 just a few months after the alpacas arrived.
Jayne said they were shocked at the high level of public interest.
“We quickly book up during school holidays, and weekends always book up fast. We do two treks a day with up to six alpacas on each walk.
“After the mini trek, visitors get to meet the whole herd before needle felting craft working with the alpaca fleece.
“We have had people here from all over the world. There is no typical visitor – they include the likes of families with children, adult groups, mental-health groups and college visits.
“Everyone lets me know what a great time they have had.
“I must say we have had a fantastic response to our trekking experience. The venture has well and truly exceeded our expectations.”
Future plans for Angus alpacas
The collection of animals at David’s Hill continues to grow.
There are currently seven female alpacas, with three babies due this summer.
In addition, three pygmy goats have been added.
Jayne added: “The goats are already a hit with visitors, and we also have 14 chickens that children love collecting the eggs from.
“We plan to add more alpacas and do more work with their fleece. We just opened our new gift shop craft area selling alpaca products and our very popular felting kits.
“Also, my husband plans on retiring in five years’ time and joining me in working with the alpacas.”
Recently Lathallan School introduced four new alpacas to help with outdoor learning.
Conversation