Smallholding
Argyll & Bute
We have no availability left in 2026. Our Farm is the home of an organic tea plantation. We'd like to invite wwoofers to learn about the organic growing and processing of tea and vegetables. We are committed to nurturing a productive and sustainable ecosystem and are careful to consider the environment in all operations. We think it's important to promote small scale farming in within the current industry landscape in the UK and enjoy growing an organic beverage that is pioneering in Scotland.
Helping hours are 9-5 Mon-Thur with a half day 9-1 on Fridays. From lunchtime on Friday you are off for the weekend and can enjoy the area. We have a canoe you can use and sometimes the bicycles are in working order to get into the village otherwise it is an hour each way to walk into the village. We are remote, the farm is 3 miles from Tighnabruaich village along a rough forested, coastal track. We cook vegetarian meals at the farm and although we also sometimes eat local fish if our visitors eat fish, otherwise we are happy to cater for vegans. At weekends we can drop people off and can lend out a tent if people would like to go to Arran or somewhere camping for the weekend.
The tea we grow at Caladh is picked by hand and processed using traditional techniques. We also have a large poly tunnel where we have all our nursery tea plants. When they have all been planted outside we will begin to grow vegetables and floral infusions. We have plans to regenerate the woodland and to grow fruits. Islay was brought up on Wheems Organic Farm in Orkney where her family grew a wide range of organic vegetables for the local market. We enjoy a lifestyle that involves self sufficiency practice and like to share these skills with volunteers.
Our Farm is situated 3 miles along the coast from Tighnabruaich and was originally part of Caladh Estate, it looks out onto the shores of loch Riddon and the Kyles of Bute, a famous sailing area in Scotland. When we moved here the farm and farmhouse was not in production nor maintained for over ten years so there are many repairs and renovations to do.
We are currently undergoing our 5 year organic certification and all operations are run organically.
The main arable land stops around 50m from sea level leaving rough grazing and forest up to 250m.
The farm is based on around 16.5 hectares. Around 10.6ha of this is steep forestry and 4.2ha is rough grazing. Both are sheltered. 1.7ha is good arable land benefitting from the sun all year round. In contrast to the hill land, it is on a slight gradient.
In May 2018 we planted 1500 tea plants on the front sloping pasture beside the sea with heavy rainfall, good drainage and appropriate soil acidity. Tea is our main crop. We are planting salads and vegetables too and are looking forward to living with volunteers and sharing self sufficiency practice and organic production skills. We now have around 6000 tea plants and are aiming to move them all outside over the coming years.
We currently have no livestock but plan to put animals on the hill grazing to aid our organic farming practice. We also have cats who are of some farm benefit but mainly for cuddles. If you are allergic to cats then this isn't the best choice for you I am afraid.
We installed a 23kW micro hydro scheme when we moved in. We have a liveable farmhouse, which we are currently putting a new roof on the South gable end and we run on the hydro scheme. Until we are able to renovate part of our byre into a bunkhouse, wwoofers stay in the farmhouse in the 2 rooms and a caravan that we have available until this byre conversion is completed. We also have a workshop, Duncan is a good mechanic and has an interest in vintage land rovers and other farm vehicles. Access to the main arable fields needs to be improved. There will be work in the tea plantation, vegetable or flower and fruit work outdoors/ poly tunnel work and building and maintenance jobs. Cooking also is greatly appreciated.
Certifications: New farm - working on 5 year accreditation plan aiming to achieve organic status in 2026
Current projects: Building and renovation, tea plantation work outdoors, mowing and weed control, taking cuttings, growing veg and flowers in outdoor crops and polytunnel work in the tea nursery - transplanting, weeding, mulching, harvesting.
Our goal is to create a sustainable organic tea plantation. Our organic conversion involves practicing techniques on the land to both feed the tea crop with organic mulches and to regenerate the forest and hill land to increase biodiversity for flora and fauna. There will be fencing, ground prep and planting green manure crops as well as work in the tea field.
Duncan and I also run Tighnabruaich Boatyard at the end of our track so Duncan is mostly working at the yard but he also works at the farm and does most of the tractor jobs.
Duncan and I enjoy meeting and hosting people at the farm. Internet access available.
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Bakery
Renewable energy production
Food justice / sovereignty
Methods or systems
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Production farm
16.2
Hectares
|
40
Acres
Accommodation
Islay
Member since 2018
Languages spoken:
English
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 98%
Response time: typically within 8 days
Argyll & Bute
Glen Caladh Farm is at the very end of a 3 mile track looking East onto Loch Riddon. It is marked on google map. From Glasgow take the train to Gourock and the ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. We can either pick you up in Dunoon or even better you can take
Reviews
Milo
United Kingdom
•
September 2025
I had a great time whilst at Islay and Duncan’s place. Very welcoming and genuine people. The food was fab. Islay managed to cater for both gluten free and vegan in every meal!! The whole experience was a good way of spending some time in one place and seeing the area whilst helping out and learning stuff too! Cheers, would definitely come again given the opportunity.
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YIFAN
China
•
October 2024
My 10-day stay at Islay and Duncan's is unforgettable. It was interesting to learn about the tea gardens in Scotland and Islay and Duncan were happy to share their knowledge, experiences, and already super tasty and creative meals. They were also very chill, and if there was great weather or terrible weather they graciously let us stop working for the afternoon and lent us their paddleboard to enjoy the sunshine or relax indoors to escape the wind and rain. I hope to try their tea in the future in faraway places too!
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Felicia
United States
•
May 2024
Islay and Duncan are incredibly welcoming and generous hosts! The work on the farm was meaningful, the food was delicious, and the stay was very comfortable. This was my first wwoofing experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to be outside doing rigorous, earthy work in a breathtakingly beautiful place!
Selina
Germany
•
March 2024
It was my first WWOFing experience and I spent some amazing weeks at Islays and Duncs. I couldn't recommend them more!They were great hosts, the food was delicious (especially the fresh baked bread) and I loved the conversations. We had varied and interesting jobs and I learned a lot about tea. The farm is a lovely place, everyone was so kind and the nature is amazing! Thank you for this experience!
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Minnow
United Kingdom
•
March 2024
Had a great few weeks staying with Islay and Duncan, they were lovely hosts and our work was varied and I learnt a lot. It's a beautiful part of the world and a really lovely farm. Thanks for having me!
Maya
Switzerland
•
November 2023
We loved our 3 weeks at Glen Caladh farm. We stayed in the little caravan in the garden and shared all the meals with Duncan, Islay and the other volunteer. We enjoyed learning about tea and fencing and had a great time working outside for most of the days. While having amazing food we also appreciated the good and also very fun conversations with our hosts. We always felt welcomed in the common areas but also felt like we could get enough private space if needed. The surrounding area is beautiful and so many placed to discover. We would love to come back one day!
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