Family and Farming at Westfield
The Maclean family have been living and farming here at Westfield since around 1890. The current custodians of Westfield are Hugh and Charlotte and our children Eliza, Fergus and Jock. Purple Granny (named for her purple glasses!) lives across the field in the Fort, so the children can often be found running across to Granny’s house to raid the biscuit tin (they’ve got her well trained to always keep a good supply of their favourites!).
Our Farm
The farm is currently mainly arable, growing predominantly spring barley, which is sold to the maltings in Roseisle for making whisky, and potatoes which are sold mainly to Aldi. We also have quite a few areas of land dotted around the farm which are dedicated to environmental enhancement. These include habitat for wader birds, miles of hedges, fields of “green manure” which are ploughed back into the land to help boost the soil structure organically, and areas of wild bird seed, providing excellent habitat for the numerous wild species we have here in North East Scotland. This year we have bought some lambs which are helping to eat down the grass and enhance the wader bird habitat through natural grazing, as well as producing some lovely home produced lamb for the freezer!
The Past
In the past, Hugh remembers various other crops and livestock being grown on the farm, including pick-your-own strawberries, pigs, sheep, turnips and carrots. We love looking through Grandpa Johnnie’s old photo albums which he meticulously kept to show what was going on at the farm through the years – the height of modern farming at the time, but it now all looks quite dated in comparison to modern agricultural equipment!
Aerial shot of the old steading at Westfield c1950
Johnnie harvesting with two combines aug 96
Hugh and Johnnie in “the new digger” early 90s
Hugh’s grandfather, Hugh Chapman Maclean, with his working horse
Aerial shot of the old steading at Westfield c1950
We have a small campsite for touring caravans, which welcomes guests to enjoy the tranquillity of the farm over the summer. We have a small equestrian livery – look out for the horses in the paddocks at Westfield or riding around the farm. Also our wee honesty shop – the Honeyhole shop, where we sell our own produce from right here at Westfield as well as other local suppliers.
