Rooted heritage: rewilding and sustainable crafts and land use on a b-listed former dairy farm
Argyll & Bute
UPDATE DECEMBER 2025, LOOKING AHEAD TO 2026 (see this update for 2026 specifics and see our original profile below for general vibes)
We are now taking visit requests for 2026 :)
After spending this last year getting to know the buildings and the land, we will spend this coming year putting some of the things we have been planning into action.
What’s always going on: Caring for our three alpacas, two goats, and flock of chickens, seasonal crafts, land maintenance. Also, permission pending we will be building a couple of off-grid cabins over the year.
A rough plan of things we will be doing for most of the year:
FEBRUARY TO MARCH: We will be planting trees - a variety of hedgerows, an orchard, as well as a willow spiral. Once most of the tree planting is done we will build the beds for our herb garden and plant some seeds indoors and in the green house.
APRIL TO MAY: planting out herbs etc and ongoing maintenance of the newly planted trees. During this time our two goats should also be giving birth, so time will be spent getting their space ready and supporting them through birth and early motherhood. We will also be building a mobile off-grid shower block.
JUNE THROUGH AUGUST: We will be building infrastructure for our permaculture field (fencing, potentially some drain work, as well as setting up things like benches etc.). Hopefully we will also be milking our goats and processing their milk. Also, some foraging/harvesting and processing of plants and crops.
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ORIGINAL PROFILE:
Hello! My husband James and I (in our mid 40s and 30s respectively) have just purchased a b-listed former dairy farm. Our plan is to rewild roughly half of it and set up diversified sustainable land uses for the rest (think planting willows for basket weaving, fruit trees, some livestock). We are also restoring and transforming parts of the historic steading. Other than us two humans there's Finley the Border Collie, Meri the standard poodle, currently five chickens (about to expand), and four alpacas [December 2025 status is 7 chickens, 3 alpacas, and 2 goats] We are hoping to also be joined by a couple of goats at some point this year.
In 2025 our focus will be on establishing steady path in the area that is to be rewilded, recording ecological data to inform future rewilding strategies, as well as removing invasive plants, planting trees (in winter) and clearing some of the over grown field drains.
On an ongoing day-to day basis we care for our chickens and alpacas. Our alpacas have only recently joined us from a situation where they did not have much contact with humans so socialising them and getting them used to interacting with people is a high priority for us.
We may process some alpaca fleece or some sheep's wool (I'm a fibre artist by trade and although spinning is not my usual focus I do have a spinning wheel)
Depending on planning permission we may also begin internal restoration of the historic barn this year.
We eat dinner together most nights. For breakfast everybody usually helps themselves (although we do have the occasional pancake or otherwise cooked breakfast. There are a lot of eggs to get through). Lunch is usually either soup or sandwiches or leftovers with our main meal happening in the evening. We don't normally eat a lot of meat - if we do it's usually local beef or Venison. We can easily cater for vegetarians. Vegan food is possible in principle but we'd need to chat about the specifics.
In terms of accommodation, there is a big room furnished with two twin beds on the ground floor of the main house, as well as a caravan on the property.
This is a beautiful place for hiking and cycling (several outstanding routes from our front door), and you can canoe on the nearby loch. Generally, Argyll and Bute is a fantastic destination for those enjoying nature, wildlife, and history.
On a personal note, I'm a bit of a nerd and enjoy things like D&D and boardgames while James is into listening to and playing music. We're both interested in community projects, local history, and art. Our best nights are spent around a fire. This is also very much a queer-friendly place
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Sheep or goat farming
Raising of other farm animals
Forestry
Wild foraging
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Beer, cider, wine, or juice making
Traditional crafts
Green Building
Methods or systems
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Rotational grazing
Host type
Self-sufficiency property
14.6
Hectares
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36
Acres
Aglaja
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, German
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Mon
Tue
Wed
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Sat
Response rate: 32%
Response time: typically within 8 days
Argyll & Bute
Glenbranter bus stop / Glasgow Airport
Reviews
Harry
Australia
•
November 2025
We stayed with Aglaja and James and their sweet sweet doggos Finley, Merida and Ragnar for 2 months. They are incredibly generous hosts making sure fun group activities are always on the cards such as Aglaja DMing Dungeons and Dragons games and throwing a Samhain celebration, taking us to an annual Ceilidh, smallholding festival, local community and beautiful national park walks that are nearby. Our work was incredibly varied and fun! We set up an electric fence and created a foraging area for their future goats, we built an entire alpaca shelter from scratch led by Aglaja. It was so rewarding to learn from someone who is experienced and knowledgeable about working with wood! We also did some fermenting, foraging and jamming which was something we were keen to learn!
Our meals were communally prepared and enjoyed and we cooked lots of different cuisines.
The area is incredibly beautiful where you can go on a different walk every day of the week. This has been one of the best cultural exchanges we have experienced, and are so grateful to Aglaja and James for their generosity, time and knowledge.
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Benjamin
New Zealand
•
October 2025
[Host] farm is such a lovely place! The month I spent there was really fun, and if you're keen to pitch in and collaborate, you'll have a great time. Spending time with fellow WWOOFers was just awesome; collaborating with other WWOOFers and Aglaja on our meals was a real highlight.
I worked on a bunch of different projects over the month I spent there, from building a goat house, to felling and processing a tree, to some minor fencing, and digging a drainage ditch! In their second year on the section, I'm sure the projects will keep evolving and growing.
There are so many lovely walks to be had from the house. I went for a dip in Glenshellish burn, Loch Eck would be great in spring/early autumn for a swim, or maybe a canoe!
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Marisa
United States
•
October 2025
I had such an amazing time wwoofing at [Host]! Aglaja and James are so very kind and the animals are all very loving. I spent a lot of time working on a drainage system through the upper field but also had lots of time for jelly making, alpaca wool processing, animal care, waterfall walks, and much more! I’m very grateful for my time spent at [Host] and hope to one day return!
Oliver
Australia
•
September 2025
Loved the community that they fostered!!
Dinners were such a good time for cultural exchange and we really enjoyed eating it with everyone at the end of the day. We fed and watered the animals in the morning and evenings, worked on multiple little building project and took their amazing dogs out the play frisbee. They were so kind and welcoming. We hope the Mossy Butt gets to be thoroughly enjoyed and that the whimsy never ends.
Would 100% recommend!!
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Ruth
Sweden
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August 2025
We loved staying with Aglaja and James!! They and both of their adorable dogs welcomed us into their home with open arms from the first day on and always made us feel comfortable and appreciated.
The work on the farm was easy-going but hands on as we helped with lots of wood working projects and fixing up things around the property. Aglaja and James have tons of ideas and plans for the farm but also left lots of room for creative thinking of us WWOOFers.
We especially enjoyed the dinners & evenings that were always spend together with the other WWOOFers chatting, sitting around a fire, watching a movie or playing cards!
Thank you soooo much for the lovely time we had with you, we're already looking forward to coming back :)))
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Célia
Belgium
•
July 2025
Our experience at Glenshellish farm was super nice. The work was very fun and well communicated beforehand through conversation to know what you're most comfortable doing/learning.
Aglaja and James are always there to help and be a part of the process or let you work on your own project.
We personally learned a lot and had time to bond with them and other volunteers as well as sightseeing. The nature around the farm is breathtaking. The house is comfortable, we always felt at home and the dogs are ALWAYS available for hugs and cuddles.
Very grateful this was our first experience Wwoofing <3
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