SATURDAY MORNING YOGA + TISANE WITH EVY
Saturday 20th December | 09.30 - 10.45
Join us for a gently energising Saturday morning yoga practice in the Granary at Guardswell Farm- gradually awakening the body with a loving yoga flow. Our nourishing practice will release into a blissful savasana.
Sip our homemade herb tisane and enjoy the views of The Carse of Gowrie post yoga, leading you into an morning feeling refreshed and relaxed. It is the perfect way to wind-down and rest for the upcoming week.
Wear clothes you feel comfortable moving in | Welcoming of all levels
A bit about Evy Koutzas (from Evy):
My yoga teacher trainings and experience include power vinyasa, restorative, and yin yoga, with additional certification as a mobility specialist.
As a teacher, I strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment- a place for people to gather, move, breathe, feel, and explore together. Spaces with a sense of community and belonging, with a heartfelt invitation for students to get curious about how their body moves and to explore a balance between effort and ease. Sometimes playful, other times precise and focused, others soft and gentle, I guide practice asking students to listen to their own body and move in ways that feel nourishing for them.
You can read more about Evy’s work and journey here
CHARITY CHRISTMAS FAMILY CEILIDH
Family Ceilidh + Christmas Gathering
Saturday 20th December
6.30pm start, arrival from 5.30pm
Carriages at 11pm
Join us at Guardswell for a family ceilidh, bring your own picnic and a chance to celebrate the season together.
A community get together- with an opportunity to jig the night away + chink glasses with your neighbours.
Band- Sporran Again (as local as they come) 3 piece- fiddle, flute and guitar.
Dress code: kilts, jumpers, party dresses, dancing shoes, jabots, swinging sporrans.
Bring your own picnic + we’ll provide a locally stocked bar.
Tables of 8, or buy a ticket and we can pop you on a shared table.
£10 Per ticket (£5 for children) with all proceeds from tickets will be going to CHAS
If you have younger children and want to get them fed a little earlier- we will be set up for 5.30pm, so please feel free to arrive from then.
Roots & boundaries: Hedgelaying for nature-friendly farms
Learn practical skills in hedge laying, tool use, and habitat-friendly farm boundary management on a working, nature-friendly farm.
We are delighted to be partnering with Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) to bring you Roots & Boundaries - a hands-on hedgelaying training day at Guardswell Farm. Join expert hedgelayer Torquil Varty for a full day of practical learning designed for farmers, land managers, and stewards who will actively use these skills on the land.
Through demonstrations and supervised practice, participants will gain confidence in laying a hedge in a regional style, while mastering essential techniques in tool use, hedge preparation, finishing, and aftercare. The course also covers the wider benefits of hedgelaying: supporting biodiversity, improving habitat connectivity, storing carbon, and offering economic advantages such as reduced fencing costs and eligibility for agri-environment support.
With a small-group format (maximum 10 participants), the day encourages peer learning, skill sharing, and practical discussion on integrating hedgelaying into modern, nature-friendly farming systems. A lunch is provided, and the course takes place on the working, nature-friendly Guardswell Farm.
Torquil Varty
Based in Angus, Torquil runs Angus Boundaries, a specialist business dedicated to the restoration and care of traditional field boundaries. With more than 25 years of hedgelaying experience, he has worked across a huge variety of farms and habitats, helping land managers bring neglected hedges back into productive, wildlife-rich condition.
To find out more and to book a place on this exciting course, click here or on the link below and head on over to NFFN’s booking page on eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/roots-boundaries-hedgelaying-for-nature-friendly-farms-tickets-1975084622273?aff=erelpanelorg
Roots & boundaries: Hedgelaying for nature-friendly farms
Learn practical skills in hedge laying, tool use, and habitat-friendly farm boundary management on a working, nature-friendly farm.
We are delighted to be partnering with Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) to bring you Roots & Boundaries - a hands-on hedgelaying training day at Guardswell Farm. Join expert hedgelayer Torquil Varty for a full day of practical learning designed for farmers, land managers, and stewards who will actively use these skills on the land.
Through demonstrations and supervised practice, participants will gain confidence in laying a hedge in a regional style, while mastering essential techniques in tool use, hedge preparation, finishing, and aftercare. The course also covers the wider benefits of hedgelaying: supporting biodiversity, improving habitat connectivity, storing carbon, and offering economic advantages such as reduced fencing costs and eligibility for agri-environment support.
With a small-group format (maximum 10 participants), the day encourages peer learning, skill sharing, and practical discussion on integrating hedgelaying into modern, nature-friendly farming systems. A lunch is provided, and the course takes place on the working, nature-friendly Guardswell Farm.
Torquil Varty
Based in Angus, Torquil runs Angus Boundaries, a specialist business dedicated to the restoration and care of traditional field boundaries. With more than 25 years of hedgelaying experience, he has worked across a huge variety of farms and habitats, helping land managers bring neglected hedges back into productive, wildlife-rich condition.
To find out more and to book a place on this exciting course, click here or on the link below and head on over to NFFN’s booking page on eventbrite.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/roots-boundaries-hedgelaying-for-nature-friendly-farms-tickets-1975093785681
SPOON CARVING WITH LOUISE FORBES.
It’s hard to describe the pleasure you get from stirring something with your own kitchen spoon, sprinkling sugar on strawberries from a wooden teaspoon carved by yourself, or even just sitting and rubbing your thumb over the bowl of something that you lovingly spent hours crafting. Whether its a stirring spoon or a coffee scoop... you'll leave with something you'll love forever.
We have managed to pin down the amazing Louise Forbes, of Louise Forbes design fame, to run another Spoon Carving day course at Guardswell Farm. It will be a jolly affair with happy chatter, all tools and materials provided...and you'll leave with a spoon that you carved yourself!
We'll also break for a Cart Shed Kitchen lunch to ensure that tummies are not left rumbling...as well as tea and coffee flowing throughout the day.
SPOON CARVING WITH LOUISE FORBES.
It’s hard to describe the pleasure you get from stirring something with your own kitchen spoon, sprinkling sugar on strawberries from a wooden teaspoon carved by yourself, or even just sitting and rubbing your thumb over the bowl of something that you lovingly spent hours crafting. Whether its a stirring spoon or a coffee scoop... you'll leave with something you'll love forever.
We have managed to pin down the amazing Louise Forbes, of Louise Forbes design fame, to run another Spoon Carving day course at Guardswell Farm. It will be a jolly affair with happy chatter, all tools and materials provided...and you'll leave with a spoon that you carved yourself!
We'll also break for a Cart Shed Kitchen lunch to ensure that tummies are not left rumbling...as well as tea and coffee flowing throughout the day.
CAFÉ CÙIL BRUNCH BANQUET
Join us on Sunday 14th December for a brunch banquet at Guardswell hosted by Isle of Skye’s Clare Coghill to celebrate the launch of her debut book : The Café Cùil Cookbook.
Guests will be treated to an array of the café’s most iconic dishes, from the beef brisket rarebit, to our famous lobster rolls.
Clare will then share stories from her island upbringing and inspiration behind some of her recipes from the book, along with a Q&A from the audience.
The event will be in partnership with Raasay distillery who’ll be supplying welcome cocktails for all guests.
Arrival from 11.00 - Brunch service from 11.30-14.00
A LITTLE WINTER STORE
A littler version of our favourite pop up Winter Store. Small but perfectly formed.
Beautiful, useful, local, weird, interesting things- for yourself or for someone you love (or even just like a little).
Join us on the 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th of December for a little mosey around the Steading and a peruse of our “little” Winter Store, this year situated in our Provisions Store.
10am-6pm
Lovely items for gifts
Food for over the festive period- including our own Shetland beef, Hebridean hogget and mutton.
Incredible wine and other exciting drinks
A little pop up coffee bar with some sweet treats, to enjoy whilst walking, or take a wee seat and stay a while.
Come along and say hello.
THE ART OF SLOWING DOWN. MONDAY EVENING YOGA WITH EVY
Monday 8th December | 6.30pm - 7.45pm
The Winter season invites us to slow down, as the evenings darken. Join Evy in the cosy Granary at Guardswell Farm for a loving yoga practice incorporating breathwork, gentle movement, and space to release with the season.
Sip our homemade herb tisane and enjoy the lights twinkling over The Carse of Gowrie post yoga, leading you into an evening feeling refreshed and relaxed. It is the perfect way to begin the week.
Wear clothes you feel comfortable moving in | Welcoming of all levels
A bit about Evy Koutzas (from Evy):
My yoga teacher trainings and experience include power vinyasa, restorative, and yin yoga, with additional certification as a mobility specialist.
As a teacher, I strive to provide an inclusive and supportive environment- a place for people to gather, move, breathe, feel, and explore together. Spaces with a sense of community and belonging, with a heartfelt invitation for students to get curious about how their body moves and to explore a balance between effort and ease. Sometimes playful, other times precise and focused, others soft and gentle, I guide practice asking students to listen to their own body and move in ways that feel nourishing for them.
You can read more about Evy’s work and journey here
A LITTLE WINTER STORE
A littler version of our favourite pop up Winter Store. Small but perfectly formed.
Beautiful, useful, local, weird, interesting things- for yourself or for someone you love (or even just like a little).
Join us on the 5th, 6th, 12th and 13th of December for a little mosey around the Steading and a peruse of our “little” Winter Store, this year situated in our Provisions Store.
10am-6pm
Lovely items for gifts
Food for over the festive period- including our own Shetland beef, Hebridean hogget and mutton.
Incredible wine and other exciting drinks
A little pop up coffee bar with some sweet treats, to enjoy whilst walking, or take a wee seat and stay a while.
Come along and say hello.
PRODUCE MARKET - LOW WASTE + LOCAL
Our low-waste produce market are back and the perfect answer to your one-stop, local, weekly shop. Dates for our summer series are:
Wednesday 14th May, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 11th June, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 9th July, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 6th August, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 10th September, 3-7pm.
Whether you work all week, work all weekend or care for another individual - thinking about what you eat, and where it comes from, has to fit around your schedule. Whether we like it or not, attitudes have changed in Britain over the last few decades that have created a disconnect between shopper and the food they are purchasing.
Our 'busy' lives and shrinking budget allocation for food is pushing us towards mass retail at unsustainable prices (for both shoppers and producers), often grown in unsustainable ways, with vast waste and use of packaging.
As much as we try to shop 'local' ourselves, the above could not be more true - we find ourselves having the time to do a 'weekly' shop in the evenings, usually on a week night - and at times when the local green grocers or butchers are no longer open.
Now, this is obviously not true for everyone - an urban individual keen to support smaller retailers can nip out in the lunch break - but as a rural dweller and worker, this isn't quite as easy - incongruous as this may sound. Surely being surrounded by agriculture, we should be the ones who can get our hands on the produce the easiest, and have the closest connection to it.
Come along to our monthly market and you'll find everything you need for a weekly shop (and pop stuff in the freezer so you have it for longer!) from fruit, veg to bread and brownies, all of the basics and a treat or two.
Please remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers.
Incentives for those who walk or cycle.
PLANNING FOR CHANGE: LIVESTOCK IPM WITH DR CLAIRE WHITTLE
Join us at Guardswell Farm, Perthshire, with hosts Digby and Anna Lamotte for an engaging and practical workshop exploring what a Whole Farm approach to regenerative disease and pest management really looks like in practice. This session will focus on integrating animal health and welfare planning within a regenerative farming system.
We’re delighted to welcome Dr Claire Whittle – farmer, veterinary surgeon, and leading advocate for regenerative agriculture. Claire specialises in applying principles of ecosystem health on farms and will share insights on how regenerative practices can improve livestock resilience, reduce disease pressures, and enhance overall farm sustainability.
Through interactive discussion and practical examples, you’ll gain tools and strategies for building healthier systems from the soil up. This is an unmissable opportunity for farmers, land managers, and anyone interested in the future of sustainable livestock management.
Hot lunch included.
FREE and open to farmers, crofters, growers and land managers. Booking required.
For more information contact Colleen on 07972298576 / cmcculloch@soilassociation.org.
This event is being delivered in partnership with the Soil Association and Nature Friendly Farming Network.
Funding for this programme is being made available through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF), which is funded by the Scottish Government.
[Photo credit Claire Fleck]
PRODUCE MARKET - LOW WASTE + LOCAL
Our low-waste produce market are back and the perfect answer to your one-stop, local, weekly shop. Dates for our summer series are:
Wednesday 14th May, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 11th June, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 9th July, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 6th August, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 10th September, 3-7pm.
Whether you work all week, work all weekend or care for another individual - thinking about what you eat, and where it comes from, has to fit around your schedule. Whether we like it or not, attitudes have changed in Britain over the last few decades that have created a disconnect between shopper and the food they are purchasing.
Our 'busy' lives and shrinking budget allocation for food is pushing us towards mass retail at unsustainable prices (for both shoppers and producers), often grown in unsustainable ways, with vast waste and use of packaging.
As much as we try to shop 'local' ourselves, the above could not be more true - we find ourselves having the time to do a 'weekly' shop in the evenings, usually on a week night - and at times when the local green grocers or butchers are no longer open.
Now, this is obviously not true for everyone - an urban individual keen to support smaller retailers can nip out in the lunch break - but as a rural dweller and worker, this isn't quite as easy - incongruous as this may sound. Surely being surrounded by agriculture, we should be the ones who can get our hands on the produce the easiest, and have the closest connection to it.
Come along to our monthly market and you'll find everything you need for a weekly shop (and pop stuff in the freezer so you have it for longer!) from fruit, veg to bread and brownies, all of the basics and a treat or two.
Please remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers.
Incentives for those who walk or cycle.
RBST SCOTLAND CONFERENCE 2025
The Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) is pleased to announce Lynn Cassells, Jane Cooper and Jan McCourt as keynote speakers for the RBST Scotland Native Breeds Conference. The conference will take place on Thursday 31st July 2025 at Guardswell Farm, Inchture (Perthshire).
The full-day conference will explore the theme of ‘Native Breeds: Their Role in Scotland’s Agricultural Future’. It will bring together farmers, smallholders and retailers with politicians and conservationists to discuss rare and native breeds as the heart of sustainable and regenerative farming in Scotland, and the opportunities and challenges associated with accessing the full environment, economic and community benefits these breeds can deliver.
The keynote speakers announced are:
Lynn Cassells - co-owner of Lynbreck Croft, a regenerative Highlands farm with livestock including Highland cattle and native breed pigs. Lynn is a conservation expert who also leads on sales, marketing and financial planning for the croft.
Jane Cooper - Owner of the ‘Lost Flock’ of rare Boreray sheep in the Orkney Islands, Jane is taking a new, community-centred approach with this ancient native breed.
Jan McCourt - RBST Trustee and native breed produce specialist, Jan was instrumental in the relaunch of London’s Borough Market. He farms with native livestock and runs an established farm shop on the Rutland/Leicestershire border.
The conference will also feature a live traditional butchery demonstration from Butchery Manager, Euan Simpson, Balcaskie Estate, using a Tamworth pig carcass, a culinary breakfast and lunch menu featuring Shetland beef and Hebridean hogget sourced directly from Guardswell Farm.
Expert panel sessions will examine rare native livestock’s role in sustainable farming, the opportunities and advantages native breeds provide, market opportunities and consumer demand, and these breeds’ role in policies for agriculture and climate goals. The expert speakers participating in these panel sessions will include, among others, Sam Parsons (Balcaskie Estate Manager), Colleen McCulloch (Senior Farming Programmes Manager at Soil Association Scotland), Rebecca McLellan (RBST Scotland Chair and owner of native breed business Chocflock), David Braithwaite (Hebridean Sheep breeder and Conservationist), and James Playfair-Hannay (NFUS Board Member and owner of Playfair Farms).
FOR TICKETS, PLEASE CLICK HERE
PRODUCE MARKET - LOW WASTE + LOCAL
Our low-waste produce market are back and the perfect answer to your one-stop, local, weekly shop. Dates for our summer series are:
Wednesday 14th May, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 11th June, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 9th July, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 6th August, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 10th September, 3-7pm.
Whether you work all week, work all weekend or care for another individual - thinking about what you eat, and where it comes from, has to fit around your schedule. Whether we like it or not, attitudes have changed in Britain over the last few decades that have created a disconnect between shopper and the food they are purchasing.
Our 'busy' lives and shrinking budget allocation for food is pushing us towards mass retail at unsustainable prices (for both shoppers and producers), often grown in unsustainable ways, with vast waste and use of packaging.
As much as we try to shop 'local' ourselves, the above could not be more true - we find ourselves having the time to do a 'weekly' shop in the evenings, usually on a week night - and at times when the local green grocers or butchers are no longer open.
Now, this is obviously not true for everyone - an urban individual keen to support smaller retailers can nip out in the lunch break - but as a rural dweller and worker, this isn't quite as easy - incongruous as this may sound. Surely being surrounded by agriculture, we should be the ones who can get our hands on the produce the easiest, and have the closest connection to it.
Come along to our monthly market and you'll find everything you need for a weekly shop (and pop stuff in the freezer so you have it for longer!) from fruit, veg to bread and brownies, all of the basics and a treat or two.
Please remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers.
Incentives for those who walk or cycle.
PRODUCE MARKET - LOW WASTE + LOCAL
Our low-waste produce market are back and the perfect answer to your one-stop, local, weekly shop. Dates for our summer series are:
Wednesday 14th May, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 11th June, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 9th July, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 6th August, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 10th September, 3-7pm.
Whether you work all week, work all weekend or care for another individual - thinking about what you eat, and where it comes from, has to fit around your schedule. Whether we like it or not, attitudes have changed in Britain over the last few decades that have created a disconnect between shopper and the food they are purchasing.
Our 'busy' lives and shrinking budget allocation for food is pushing us towards mass retail at unsustainable prices (for both shoppers and producers), often grown in unsustainable ways, with vast waste and use of packaging.
As much as we try to shop 'local' ourselves, the above could not be more true - we find ourselves having the time to do a 'weekly' shop in the evenings, usually on a week night - and at times when the local green grocers or butchers are no longer open.
Now, this is obviously not true for everyone - an urban individual keen to support smaller retailers can nip out in the lunch break - but as a rural dweller and worker, this isn't quite as easy - incongruous as this may sound. Surely being surrounded by agriculture, we should be the ones who can get our hands on the produce the easiest, and have the closest connection to it.
Come along to our monthly market and you'll find everything you need for a weekly shop (and pop stuff in the freezer so you have it for longer!) from fruit, veg to bread and brownies, all of the basics and a treat or two.
Please remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers.
Incentives for those who walk or cycle.
PRODUCE MARKET - LOW WASTE + LOCAL
Our low-waste produce market are back and the perfect answer to your one-stop, local, weekly shop. Dates for our summer series are:
Wednesday 14th May, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 11th June, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 9th July, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 6th August, 3-7pm.
Wednesday 10th September, 3-7pm.
Whether you work all week, work all weekend or care for another individual - thinking about what you eat, and where it comes from, has to fit around your schedule. Whether we like it or not, attitudes have changed in Britain over the last few decades that have created a disconnect between shopper and the food they are purchasing.
Our 'busy' lives and shrinking budget allocation for food is pushing us towards mass retail at unsustainable prices (for both shoppers and producers), often grown in unsustainable ways, with vast waste and use of packaging.
As much as we try to shop 'local' ourselves, the above could not be more true - we find ourselves having the time to do a 'weekly' shop in the evenings, usually on a week night - and at times when the local green grocers or butchers are no longer open.
Now, this is obviously not true for everyone - an urban individual keen to support smaller retailers can nip out in the lunch break - but as a rural dweller and worker, this isn't quite as easy - incongruous as this may sound. Surely being surrounded by agriculture, we should be the ones who can get our hands on the produce the easiest, and have the closest connection to it.
Come along to our monthly market and you'll find everything you need for a weekly shop (and pop stuff in the freezer so you have it for longer!) from fruit, veg to bread and brownies, all of the basics and a treat or two.
Please remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers.
Incentives for those who walk or cycle.
