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  4. Developing an agritourism business

Developing an agritourism business

7 minute read• Last updated: 22 June 2026

In recent years, with an increased interest in sustainable and authentic experiences, Agritourism has emerged as one of Scotland’s most important tourism sectors – worth almost £300 million to the Scottish economy.

Whether you offer customers farm-based accommodation or experiences, or sell your own produce on site, agritourism provides working farms, crofts and estates the opportunity to grow sustainably and support their local, rural communities.

Maybe your business is at the start of its agritourism journey, or perhaps you’re considering developing your existing agritourism product. This page offers information and guidance to help you get the most out of agritourism. Read on to find out more.

In this article:

  • Ambitions for the agritourism sector
  • Peer-to peer agritourism support
  • Case studies
  • General advice on growing your business
  • Agritourism partner support

Ambitions for the agritourism sector

A family try their hand at picking strawberries

Cairnie Fruit Farm

© VisitScotland / Graeme Macdonald

“In just a few years, the sector has grown in size, value and importantly, public demand. Almost half of businesses offering agritourism and farm retail started post-2020.”

Vicki Miller

Chief Executive, VisitScotland

Agritourism is defined as “tourism or leisure on a working farm, croft or estate which produces food or fleece” by the official sector body Scottish Agritourism.

Agritourism businesses come in all shapes and sizes including:

  • accommodation sited on a working farm
  • farms tours
  • selling farm produce in on-farm shops
  • using farm produce in on-farm cafés
  • farm animal-related experiences, such as highland cows, lambing and sheepdog demonstrations
  • hosting events and festivals, such as farm weddings and pumpkin festivals

The strategy

Scottish Agritourism 2030 is a strategy and shared vision for the sustainable growth of the agricultural sector.

It outlines some key ambitions including:

  • Be a national and international destination for agritourism
  • Boost sales and marketing of farm produce
  • Help visitors understand responsible tourism
  • Help sustain the future of the family farm in Scotland

Find out more about the Scottish Agritourism 2030 strategy and ambitions for agritourism.

Results so far

The Scottish Agritourism Growth Tracker surveyed Scotland’s farm, croft and estate businesses during August and September 2025. The results provided a better understanding of the sector and how it might grow.

The survey found:

  • Visitor numbers have hit 2.5 million – already achieving the target for 2030 in both visitor numbers and value.
  • £553 million has been invested across agritourism and farm retail by businesses with a further £200 million planned over the next 2 years.
  • Almost 900 agritourism businesses across Scotland, supporting 8,000 full-time equivalent jobs.
  • The most common activities are self-catering accommodation (67%), farm tours and experiences (40%), and on-farm café s and food offerings (25%).

Find out more on the results of the Scottish Agritourism Growth Tracker.

Peer-to peer agritourism support

Two kids and an adult are enjoying being pulled along in trailers by a tractor

Westerton Farmers, Laurencekirk

© VisitScotland / Mat Hay

Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme

Funded by the Scottish Government, Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme is a three-year initiative designed to support economic growth across the agritourism sector. The programme offers specialist guidance and peer-to-peer support, encourages knowledge sharing, and helps agritourism and rural businesses throughout Scotland build their skills, capability and confidence.

The programme includes four Monitor Farms and two Satellite Monitor Farms, with each one representing a distinct area of Scotland. A further 34 businesses are involved through the Core Community Group, where they receive tailored advice and support.

A series of meetings takes place each month, exploring a range of learning topics through a mix of face-to-face and online sessions.

Find out more about the programme and register for upcoming events on the Scotland’s Agritourism Monitor Farm Programme website.

Case studies

Take inspiration for developing your own agritourism products with these case studies. Discover the experiences of other agritourism business – the benefits they’ve seen and the challenges they’ve faced.

  • Lunan Bay Farm

    This Angus-based goat farm offers farming, food and textile activities to customers. It bases its agritourism business around:

    • sustainability
    • accessibility and inclusivity
    • employee engagement and satisfaction

    Find out more about how Lunan Bay Farm grew their sustainable agritourism business.

  • Solsgirth Farm

    This family-run farm in Clackmannanshire diversified from being a traditional dairy farm into offering a range of agritourism experiences including:

    • farm tours
    • hosting farmers’ markets
    • creative hands-on workshops
    • a range of on-site accommodation options

    Discover more about how Solsgirth Farm went from dairy to diversity.

  • Ardardan Estate

    This Argyll estate evolved from a working farm into an agritourism destination with a farm shop, tearoom, and garden experiences. They saw opportunities to grow their business by working with travel distribution partners. In doing so they have:

    • created and developed agritourism products
    • attended networking events

    Learn more about how Ardardan Estate became travel trade ready.

  • Wilson’s Farm & Kitchen

    Based at Cowbog Farm in the Scottish Borders, this agritourism business has become renowned for producing quality food experiences with their own and locally sourced ingredients. They have developed a range of agritourism products including:

    • field to fork farm tours
    • BBQ, roast lunch and curry dining experiences
    • venue hire for private functions

    Find out more about how Wilson's Farm and Kitchen became a successful agritourism business.

General advice on growing your business

A smiling lady poses in front of a Highland cow while her photo is taken by someone with mobile phone.

Thorabella Farm, Moray

© VisitScotland / Allan Myles

Ensuring your agritourism business is visible, easily bookable and offers a safe, quality customer experience is crucial. Take a look at some of the resources that are available to guide you.

Health and safety

Make sure that your agritourism business offers a safe and legally compliant environment for your customers and staff. Areas to pay attention to include:

  • on-site vehicles
  • risk of disease
  • training and accreditation

The National Farmers Union (NFU) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) offer a range of information and resources on safety in agricultural settings.

Find out more about safely running a farm-based attraction on the NFU website.

Find out more on health and safety in agriculture on the HSE website.

Browse this HSE publication on what a good farm looks like | PDF 0.5MB | PDF 0.5MB.

“Tourism has allowed us to add value to what we already do on the land, diversify income in a resilient way, and open up the farm as a place of learning, connection and enjoyment."

Jillian McEwan

Director, Lunan Bay Farm

Understanding and identifying customers

Reaching new customers and offering the experience they are looking for is vital if you want to grow your business.

Find out more about:

  • How to reach new visitor markets
  • Selling through travel distribution partners
  • Partner support opportunities

Bookings

Offering a seamless booking process makes a big difference to the customer experience. Whether your agritourism business is offering accommodation, an experience or an event, taking online bookings and payments is a must.

Check out our guidance on online booking systems.

Promotion

Make sure your agritourism business stands out by checking all your channels are offering quality content that engages and is discoverable for customers.

Read our guidance on:

  • Managing your website
  • Managing your social media
  • Creating good content
  • How to create business listings

 

Visitors at table outside Boutique farm bothy

Boutique farm bothy

© VisitScotland/Luigi Di Pasquale

Sustainability

Through sustainable practices Scottish agritourism businesses can play a vital role in responsible tourism, helping ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry and supporting local rural communities.

Find out more with our guidance on sustainability.

Check out our guidance on how to measure your climate impact.

Inclusivity

Opening up your agritourism business to be inclusive and accessible to all has many benefits, not least the increased spend you could see from disabled people, senior citizens and families with young children.

Find out more about benefits and our guidance on creating an inclusive business.

Brown tourist signs

Brown tourist signs show visitors how to get to tourist destinations across Scotland. They provide clear and safe directions for those travelling by personal or hired vehicles.

Find out more and if your agritourism business might be eligible, with our Brown tourist signs guidance.

Advice for different business types

Depending on the type of agritourism product(s) you offer, take a look at further relevant guidance for different kinds of business.

  • Accommodation

    • Short-Term Let legislation
    • Self-catering best practice
    • Serviced accommodation best practice
    • Camping and caravan parks best practice

  • Food and drink

    • Food tourism insights
    • Creating a new food and drink experience
    • Deliver quality food and drink experience

  • Attractions, activities and events

    • Visitor attractions best practice
    • Active and outdoor sector partners
    • Events health and safety

    Browse all our sector advice and support.

Agritourism partner support

Find more agritourism related support from these organisations.

Scottish Agritourism

The official body provides leadership and a strong voice, bringing together a dynamic network of entrepreneurial farmers and rural businesses.

External website

Scotland Food & Drink

Scotland Food & Drink support businesses to achieve their full potential by seeking opportunities for growth and to help them maximise their profits.

External website

Scotland's Farm Advisory Service (FAS)

Funded by the Scottish Government, FAS provides support aimed at increasing the profitability and sustainability of farms and crofts.

External website
Partner website

NFU Scotland

The member led organisation that represents the farming industry in Scotland.

External website
Partner website

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