Farm
Argyll & Bute
We are an extensive family-run traditional hill farm on the Scottish west coast island in a National Scenic Area, covering 2500 acres of mostly hill land (our highest hill is 424m), with a little "in-by" (better quality, low-lying) land situated at sea-level. Myself and my partner Josh run Highland cross cattle as well as Cheviot and Hebridean sheep in a traditional system. Part of our farm is designated SSSI. The farm is a haven for wildlife and many areas of the farm are managed specifically for environmental benefit, so is a great place to enjoy nature.
Help is needed with all aspects of farm work (ideally experienced, though please don't let lack of experience prevent application) and with our kitchen garden and polytunnel.
We are very interested in permaculture and regenerative faming, however we are inexperienced, have lots to learn, and would love to learn from anyone who has already been involved in developing permaculture systems. We're particularly keen to use seaweed harvested from the nearby shore to mix with the farmyard manure from in-wintered livestock to use as fertiliser. We continually strive to reduce our environmental impact, doing all we can to protect and enhance the land and natural systems we look after.
We have two gypsy cobs which we plan to train for work on the farm, e.g. harrowing and bracken crushing, as well as rounding up stock, to reduce our carbon footprint and access areas which cannot be safely reached by vehicles.
Jobs, workload and hours vary depending on the time of year. We love sharing our experience and knowledge, anything from tips on lambing and calving, through to scything technique, and Josh will teach you how to grow the best tomatoes!
A clean and comfy caravan with toilet, shower and living area is provided to relax and cook in (fully-equipped for self-catering) plus there are two small but comfortable un-serviced shepherd's huts for sleeping in (one has a small double and the other has one single bed).
We will provide you with food for you to make your own, with occasional meals shared with the family.
Wi-Fi is available, and there's a TV in the caravan. Board games are available plus plenty of interesting books.
Occasional help with cooking and some household chores in the farmhouse would be very much appreciated.
Very sorry, but we are unable to welcome dogs as we have so many farm dogs. Exercising the dogs is part of the daily routine for volunteers. Please be aware that they do bark and can often be very noisy so please don't expect perfect peace and quiet!
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Poultry farming
Cattle farming
Sheep or goat farming
Host type
Production farm
1,011.7
Hectares
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2,500
Acres
Helen
Member since 2015
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 29%
Response time: typically within 11 days
Argyll & Bute
Train or bus from Glasgow to Oban. Ferry from Oban to Craignure. Bus to Salen, then hitch or we will pick up :-)
Reviews
Timothy
United Kingdom
•
September 2025
I had a tremendous time at [Host] Farm staying for several weeks whilst completing fieldwork.
It's hard to meet more hard working and kind people in such a magnificent part of the world.
I will greatly miss the whole family and would recommend it to anyone as a great experience.
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Ruby
New Zealand
•
August 2025
I had a wonderful time with Helen and Josh! They, and their family, were ever patient and enthusiastic, and the farm is beautiful. I will miss all of the dogs! Thank you guys.
Ramon
United States
•
November 2024
We cannot possibly say enough good things about our time here! We stayed for just over two months, and our experience was above and beyond what we could have hoped for. We learned a lot about the joys (and frustrations!) of working with cattle and sheep on a hill farm, and really enjoyed getting to see the day-to-day work involved in raising livestock on an island (moving cattle on foot down the road, rounding up sheep for shearing, going to the auction market on the mainland, and so much more). The accommodation in the caravan was lovely, and when we weren’t relaxing in there in our spare time, we had a lot of fun messing around in the garden and polytunnel, plus there were always walks to be had on the shoreline or up the hills behind the farm…as long as you don’t confuse “Hill Park” or “the Wee Hill Park” with “the Hill park” :) Of course, the Isle of Mull is stunning in its own right, but Helen, Josh, and the whole extended family are the real reason why the experience was so wonderful. Sharing stories and jokes over many, many wonderful meals together was the highlight. If you visit, be sure to have Helen make her famous mince and tatties!
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Chloé
France
•
August 2024
I want to thank everyone at [HOST] : Helen, Josh, Kirsty, Rez, Kris, Eilidh, Kate and the lovely crazy dogs for giving me such an amazing experience during 3 weeks!
Helen and her family are incredibly kind and friendly hosts, they made me feel very comfortable staying in their home.
Farm life can be of course unpredictable, adding work to them and making them busy but they always take the time to explain everything and make sure we are okay.
I had the chance to do different tasks as gardening, sheep related work, farm work, all in a joyful atmosphere and a breathtaking landscape that is the island of Mull.
Accommodation was really nice and Helen make sure that we have everything we need.
I had the most amazing time here, lots of laughs, and wonderful evenings making music and singing together.
I couldn’t recommend more and I would definitely come back only if Helen promises to play the bagpipes ;)
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Ina
Germany
•
August 2024
Our wwoofing-experience on Mull was amazing. We stayed three weeks in July 2024, and helped with sheep related work, gardening and farm work. The farm is located in a scenic bay with lots of things to do in your free time.
The family was super welcoming, the work was good and there was always a positive atmosphere. Part of the fam are also five lovely and a bit crazy dogs which we really loved and a lot of hens (how many are there now, Helen? ;) ).
The accommodation is good and there is always plenty of very good food around.
We can totally recommend anybody to stay there, as long as you are happy to live and work with farm animals. We would definitely come back!
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Perle
France
•
August 2024
The first reason to go to Laggan Ulva is because Mull is an incredible place, beauty everywhere you look, stunning landscapes and such a peaceful island.
But… all of this would mean nothing without the extraordinary human beings you will meet there!
Josh and Helen (and all their family really) are the most welcoming, kind and sweet people… and they’ll make you feel at home instantly!
They are also very busy but will always take the time to explain everything and you will learn so much working with them.
I had the chance to be there during shearing time so we went collecting the sheep in the hills, and it was such a privilege to see the dogs working hard. We were a brilliant team of wwoofers and we had so many different task, with the animals or in the garden, that it was never boring!
We also had plenty of free time to explore and rest, and so many fun evenings playing music and having a good time.
I really felt emotional leaving and I really hope I will have the chance to come back!
I couldn’t recommend more!!!
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