‘It’s like crack cocaine for goats’, says Jillian McEwan, handing me a bunch of rosebay willowherb.
Right enough, the animals go wild for it.
Within seconds, there’s a goat up on my shoulders, desperately trying to get at the plant, and a group of her pals are grabbing at leaves and flowers.
Once they’ve had their fill – or at least, all I’m offering – they chill out and allow me to give them a cuddle while I sit on a hay bale.
I’m at Lunan Bay Farm, enjoying a taster of the venture’s newly launched ‘farm to fibre’ experience.
It’s themed largely around the farm’s stunning cashmere goats, with goat therapy, combing, spinning and dyeing sessions, but there’s also the chance to explore the ruins of Red Castle, dip in the sea, and sample some of the region’s produce.
Cashmere is king
I’d been to the farm in November 2022, not long after farmer Jillian and her husband Neil had started selling the first cashmere produced in Scotland for 30 years.
The supersoft fibre comes from the winter undercoat of the goats.
It’s an exciting year for the couple, who saw thousands of fans flock to the farm for the Goats in Coats Festival in Easter.
During the event, 86 baby goats (kids) wore colourful jumpers which had been lovingly hand-knitted by people in the local community.
Jillian tells me the festival’s huge popularity was what inspired them to launch the new cashmere farm to fibre experience.
“We’re running the experience in small, intimate groups of no more than 15,” she tells me.
“We’re piloting the tours this year in preparation for our full launch in 2025. The visitor feedback so far has been so encouraging.
“We’ll start off with locally-roasted coffee in our lovely new outdoor space and then head to our coastal paddocks for some goat therapy.
“After cuddles and photos, participants can help comb our goats and learn about how cashmere fibre is produced.”
Time for some goat therapy
It’s a lovely sunny day when we head down to meet the goats and they’re all super-friendly.
I have a whale of a time feeding and cuddling them, and make best friends with a cute doeling (a young goat) who’s keen to nuzzle my face, sit on my knee and climb all over me.
The experience brings a huge smile to my face – I can see why Jillian calls this ‘goat therapy’!
After a quick combing demo, we explore other areas of the farm including a tent where spinning workshops take place, and the ‘beachside bothy’ which hosts dyeing sessions.
There’s also a brilliantly preserved Second World War pillbox to explore – currently the domain of swallows – and the exterior is lined with old bottles Jillian’s goats unearthed found in their coastal fields, some of which are 150 years old.
They’ve either been washed in by the sea or dumped in the dunes.
Meeting a Lunan Mermaid
Then it’s time to meet local guide Carol Evans, a member of the sea dipping group, The Lunan Mermaids.
Having lived here 20 years, she’s well versed on the tides and safest places to swim.
But before we go dipping, Carol, who’s hot on history, takes us on a tour of Red Castle, a few minutes’ walk away.
Visible for miles around, this consists of the crumbling ruins of a 12th Century courtyard castle, to which a tower was added in the 14th Century.
Carol tells me the original castle was built by the Barclays, and used by William the Lyon for hunting before Robert the Bruce gave the castle to the Earl of Ross in 1328.
A few centuries later, it passed to the Beatons. “The story goes that Elizabeth Beaton married James Gray, but James fell in love with her daughter and his wife chucked him out,” she says.
Brutal history
The castle was then attacked, sacked and burnt by Protestants led by James Gray in 1579, 1580 and 1581, although Andrew Gray of Dunninald, his brother, was summoned for treason for the act, having seized three guards and held them in shackles.
The last occupant was the minister of Inverkeilor, and the castle was intact until about 1748, and partially roofed until the 1770s.
According to local legend, the castle dungeons remain intact.
While it’s in a state of ruin now, Carol is hopeful it won’t collapse for many years to come.
She also points out some fabulous drawings carved on the north wall of the red sandstone fortress. There’s a thistle and a boat, and a few names, one dated 1870.
What’s the story behind the poison bottle?
Then she pulls out a bag of “finds”. There’s a deer jawbone and a jug handle from the 1400s from the castle midden, plus a tiny green bottle from a midden in the dunes.
“This was carried by German aircraft during the Second World War!” she enthuses, her eyes dancing.
“It would’ve contained poison, so if they were captured, they’d glug it. But why is it here? What’s the story behind it? Did the chap drink it?”
Sea dipping
A great storyteller, Carol has many tales of smuggling, romance and war – but she’s keen to get dipping, and so off we head to the sea.
Typically, it starts to rain as we strip off, and the balmy 16C drops to around 12C. No matter – we’re heading in! Let’s just say this – it’s refreshing!
Back at base, Jillian fetches us steaming mugs of hot chocolate while we dry off and gives an insight into other things happening this summer.
Having already worked with The Elder Statesman, an LA-based luxury brand, to launch a sock range featuring Lunan Bay Farm cashmere, the farm is collaborating with Johnston’s of Elgin later this year.
And in a few weeks, six of the farm’s goats will showcase the breed when they become residents at the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie.
Deep dive into cashmere
For those planning to book one of the new farm to fibre experiences, Jillian hopes to give them not only goat cuddles and a “deep dive” into cashmere production, but also an insight into the environmental benefits the “regeneratively-managed” goats bring.
“Whether your passion is goats, fibre, wellness, wildlife, nature, history or heritage, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” she smiles.
“The goats are a highlight, obviously, but we want to give people a flavour of what’s like to live here at stunning Lunan Bay.”
- The Scottish Cashmere Farm to Fibre Experience runs from 11am to 5pm and is £160 per person. Next date is September 1.
- It includes a delicious lunch – seasonal food and drink from Jillian’s favourite food producers in Angus. lunanbayfarm.com
