Farms in Angus and Orkney are among those in the running for the inaugural AgriScot Diversified Farm of the Year Award.
The accolade, run in partnership with Royal Bank of Scotland with support from SAC Consulting, recognises a farm or croft business which has diversified and added value to its prime agricultural activities.
The three finalists are Bain Farm in Orkney, Newton Farm in Angus, and Cairns Farm in West Lothian.
Bain Farm is run by Lara Hourie and her family, and the dairy farm adds value to its milk by producing a range of products under the brand The Orkney Dairy.
Newton Farm, located near Forfar, is run by Louise and Graeme Nicoll. The couple launched a farm tour concept in 2016 and people can pay to have a walk with alpacas or feed a Highland cow.
Lastly, Cairns Farm – located near West Calder and run by Caroline and Graham Hamilton – has a wedding venue and self-catering enterprise including original farm features such as a grain silo.
“Diversification and agritourism are becoming ever more important in Scottish agriculture and it’s terrific to see such great innovation all over the country,” said Sascha Grierson from SAC Consulting.
“The three finalists of this award are excellent ambassadors of the sector and should all be proud of their achievements so far.”
Royal Bank of Scotland director of agriculture, Roddy McLean, praised the quality of entries forward for the award.
He said: “There can only be one overall winner, but I think that each of the entries is a winner in what it is delivering for that individual business and family.
“I’d like to thank everyone who entered and wish them and their business continued success for the future.”
The winner will be announced at the AgriScot event at Ingliston, near Edinburgh, on February 9, 2022.