Flower grower, tree nursery, woodland, house and garden

Moray

32 • Updated 2 days ago

DUE TO CANCELLATIONS, WE NOW HAVE THE FOLLOWING AVAILABILITY REMANING FOR 2026: 9th October - 13th December Our calendar is also now open to 2027 dates. Please note we do book up quickly so get your dates secured early. The estate has been in the family for over 100 years and 15 years ago I started to transform 60 acres of my woodlands into an arboretum. The main idea is to plant trees from all over the world. The aim of the project is to understand the needs of the trees that can take the place of lost native species in the future due to climate change but also to create a beautiful amenity. The Burgie Arboretum is my personal stand against climate change. All trees and shrubs are grown from hand collected seeds and cuttings. The work varies from planting, weeding, labelling, estate maintains including fencing, road repairs, water works,... WWOOFers will stay in simple accommodation with private bathroom and share the kitchen and lounge area. A washing machine is available. WWOOFers will be self catering and eat their meals independently, but food of your choice will be provided. I can take up to 6 WWOOFers at any one time. 3 pairs provided they are prepared to share a room. 4G is bad here but it is possible in certain parts of the estate. There are a lot of activities that can be done from this part of Scotland of outstanding beauty and mild climate such as cycling, walking, canoeing and dolphins watching. Touring at the week ends is encouraged and there is a vast amount of adventures that can be done. There is a good bus and rail services locally. Cheap car rental can be arranged too but you will have to have the necessary documentation for driving. The whole object of coming to BURGIE is to have FUN! Organic methods: Planting, seeds propagating, weeding, mulching, ... Current projects: The arboretum is on going with lots of planting, developments, planning and some constructional work most of the time Internet access available

Learning opportunities

Vegetable farming

Forestry

Flower farming

Seed saving or production

Traditional crafts

Host type

Self-sufficiency property

485.6 Hectares | 1,200 Acres

Accommodation

4+ WWOOFers

Bedroom

Children not accepted

Pets not accepted

Meals

Omnivore

Vegetarian

Vegan

Length of stay

1-2 weeks

3-4 weeks

Over a month

Hamish

Member since 2011

Languages spoken: English, German

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Response rate: 100% Response time: typically within 3 days

Protomaps | © OpenStreetMap

Moray

Fly or Train to Inverness or Aberdeen. Train or Bus to Forres, then A96 by car to Elgin - 4 Miles on A96 road to south sign posted in wrought iron "Burgie Mains". Further details as to House etc by phone.

My past WWOOFers

Fiona

October 2026 • Berlin, Germany

Julie

October 2026 • New York, United States

Darcy

October 2026 • Alabama, United States

Amit

September 2026 • Israel

Cameron

September 2026 • South Carolina, United States

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Feedback

Cyril

France • August 2026

I had a really great time at [Host] with Hamish and the other WWOOFers. I stayed for two weeks, but I could have stayed for two months if it had been possible! We did so many fun things, and every moment came with a great story told by Hamish! Hamish, you are such a kind and lovely person. Thank you for everything! I hope I can come back to kill some weeds, remove some algae, and have a lot of fun with you again!

Vinciane

France • August 2026

Hamish is very friendly, passionate, and welcoming. I had a great time with you and the whole WWOOFing team. Thank you so much for this first WWOOFing experience! It was a pleasure to be part of the team and I’ll always remember it. 😊

Simone

Netherlands • August 2026

Hamish is super lovely and the estate beautiful! There are always plenty adventures and it is super fun to hang out with lots of other wwoofers, since the place seems to be always full! There was a lot of maintenance work and weeding, but Hamish made sure the jobs were diverse and we spent enough time in the arboretum. Prepare yourself for some chaos, loads of fun, and a beautiful quiet place 😊

Alejandro

France • June 2026

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with Hamish and his team, one I won't forget anytime soon. From the moment I arrived, I was welcomed with such genuine warmth and care. Hamish is a truly incredible person: knowledgeable, generous, and passionate about what he does. The place itself is beautiful, and the diversity of plants, trees, and approaches you encounter there is something quite special. He has a gift for sharing that knowledge and always has a laugh for everything! Highly, highly recommended — thank you, Hamish, and take care of yourself!

Rebecka

Sweden • May 2026

What a wonderful place to wwoof at!! The arboretum is absolutely beautiful aswell as well as the general surroundings. The working hours are fair and you're free on the weekends, where you can easily take bus, bike or train from Forres (ask Hamish about where to visit). There is loads to do at the estate and Hamish is very accommodating and varies the tasks so that it's never too much. I learned lots about tree planting, both specialized trees for the arboretum and commercial trees, as well as growing trees from seed. I would most of all like to thank Hamish for being such a lovely host. He made me feel welcome right away and always shared a good laugh with me and the other wwoofers. I will truly miss his stories and his prescence. I hope to come back someday!!

Robbie

United States • April 2026

Our stay at [Host] was short, only about a week. It had been something very last minute as our previous plans had been canceled and had needed to reschedule somewhere else right away. Despite the short stay we had such a wonderful time! The Arboretum is really quite incredible. Not only did we get to spend some time working in the Arboretum, we got to help out with other odd jobs around the estate as well. It ended up being a really special few days. Hamish, thank you for making us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. The work was wonderful and it was fun learning about the trees and hearing all your wonderful stories!