Errichel Farm Tour

Small farm, big welcome. Errichel Farm near Aberfeldy offers a friendly, hands-on hour with pigs, sheep, cattle, ponies, poultry, and ducks. I like the small group of up to eight and the chance to learn how ethical farming works while meeting the animals.

I also like that the visit is easy to pair with brunch at Thyme Bistro, coffee, cake, or a browse through the deli. The main caution is simple: this is an outdoor farm visit, and poor weather can lead to a cancellation or a change of date.

Key points at a glance

• Feed animals, not just photograph them: You may feed chickens, sheep, ducks, geese, and other farm residents during the tour.
• A genuinely small group: With no more than eight people, the visit feels personal and gives children a better chance to take part.
• Becky brings the farm to life: Her relaxed, warm approach works well for children, while her practical talk about sustainable farming also suits adults.
• A good mix of rare breeds: Large Black Pigs, rare-breed sheep, Shetland cattle, Highland ponies, horses, poultry, and ducks are part of the visit.
• Easy to extend into a morning out: The tour starts and ends at Errichel, beside Thyme Delicatessen, with a bistro and beautifully maintained grounds nearby.

Why Errichel makes a good farm visit

Errichel is not a petting zoo built around a quick photo stop. It is a working farm, and that gives the hour more substance. You meet animals, but you also hear about the work involved in caring for them and producing food to high welfare standards.

That distinction matters. Children get the excitement of feeding a pig or holding food out to a duck, while adults can think about where farm food comes from and how a small enterprise operates. The experience has a calm, informal tone rather than the feel of a large attraction.

The farm is near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, making it an easy addition to a day in the Tay Valley. You do not need to set aside half a day for the tour itself. The visit lasts about one hour, and you return to the same meeting point when it ends.

I particularly like the balance between contact with animals and practical information. The tour is not simply a list of breeds. You can learn why different animals are kept, how the farm functions, and what ethical farming means in day-to-day work.

Meeting Becky at 10:00 am

The tour begins at 10:00 am at Thyme Delicatessen, Errichel, Aberfeldy PH15 2EL. Becky, one of the farm’s co-owners, has guided many of the visits, and her style sounds ideally suited to this setting: relaxed, warm, and happy to adjust her pace for children.

Her approach is one of the most important parts of the experience. A farm can have wonderful animals, but a distracted guide can turn the visit into a dull walk around a field. Becky’s enthusiasm for sustainable farming and high-welfare meat production gives the tour a clear purpose.

Families with young children should find the informal style helpful. A one-year-old can enjoy seeing and feeding animals with an adult’s help, while an older child can ask questions and take a more active role. The tour also works for adults who want more than a children’s activity. The farming discussion gives the visit weight without making it feel like a lecture.

The small group limit helps here. With a maximum of eight people, you are not lost behind a crowd. Children have a better chance of seeing what is happening, and the guide can respond to questions instead of rushing everyone along.

Large Black Pigs and the working farm

The pigs are one of the memorable parts of the visit. The tour includes Large Black Pigs, a distinctive rare breed, and you may watch them being fed. That gives you a look at normal farm routines rather than a staged animal encounter.

Pigs are also a useful way to explain the practical side of farming. Feeding time shows their size, appetite, and behavior in a direct way. For children, it is exciting. For adults, it helps connect the pleasant farm visit with the real work and responsibility involved in animal care.

The tour also covers the farm’s ethical practices. You can expect discussion of high-welfare meat production and the choices involved in running a small farm. The visit does not present farming as effortless or purely picturesque. It offers a more grounded view of how animals and food fit into the business.

That honesty adds value to the admission price. You are paying for access to the animals, but also for time with someone who can explain how the farm operates. A short visit with useful context is better than a longer walk with no story behind it.

Sheep, lambs, and a hands-on moment

Rare-breed sheep are another central part of the tour. You may feed them, and depending on the animals available at the time, you might meet a lamb as well. One past visit included bottle-feeding a lamb, which shows how hands-on the experience can become when the timing is right.

It is important not to treat bottle-feeding as a guaranteed part of every booking. The confirmed elements are the farm tour and opportunities to meet and feed animals. Specific young animals and feeding moments depend on the farm’s needs on the day.

That small uncertainty is not a weakness. Farm life does not run like a theatre schedule. Animals have their own routines, and responsible care has to come first. If you explain this to children before arriving, they can enjoy the visit without expecting a particular animal to perform.

The sheep also add variety to the hour. Children may begin with excitement over the pigs, then settle into the gentler rhythm of feeding the flock. Adults get another chance to hear about breeds and welfare in a setting where the animals are part of a working operation.

Highland ponies, Shetland cattle, and poultry

Errichel’s animal list is unusually varied for a one-hour visit. Alongside the pigs and sheep, you meet Shetland cattle and Highland ponies, as well as horses, chickens, ducks, geese, and peacocks.

Each type of animal gives the tour a different feel. Highland ponies and Shetland cattle provide the larger, traditional farm presence. Chickens and ducks make the visit more active because they are often close to the action, especially when food is involved.

Feeding the birds is a particular highlight for children. You may get to feed chickens yourself, and ducks and geese add plenty of movement and noise. Peacocks and other poultry make the animal list feel more varied than a standard farm visit built around only sheep and cows.

For adults, this mixture helps keep the hour moving. You are not spending the whole tour in one enclosure or hearing the same explanation repeated. The pace comes from visiting different animals and learning how they fit into farm life.

Still, remember that this is a farm, not a guaranteed animal-handling session from start to finish. The tour promises opportunities to meet and feed the animals, but animal behavior, weather, and farm work can shape the exact order and length of each stop.

What the ethical farming talk adds

The farm’s ethical practices are not an afterthought. You are given insight into sustainable farming and high-welfare meat production, subjects that can otherwise feel abstract when discussed away from a working farm.

Seeing the animals while hearing about their care makes the subject easier to understand. You can connect the food in the deli and bistro with the land, animals, and people behind it. The experience does not ask you to admire farming from a distance. It shows you some of the care and labor involved.

This is also why the tour is not only for children. The animal feeding keeps the visit lively, but the farming talk gives adults something to consider. If you are interested in local food, responsible production, or small-scale agriculture, this part may be as valuable as the animal encounters.

The tone appears to remain practical rather than preachy. That is a good fit for a short visit. You get a clearer picture of the farm without being buried in technical detail.

The small-group advantage

Eight people is the maximum group size, and that limit changes the experience. A child can get close enough to see the animals, and the guide has more room to answer questions. You also avoid the stop-start feel of a large coach group.

Small groups can be especially useful on a farm. Paths and animal areas may be compact, and a large crowd can make feeding awkward. With fewer people, you have a better chance of taking your turn without feeling hurried.

The trade-off is that places are limited. This tour is booked, on average, about 38 days ahead, so you should not assume you can decide at the last minute during a busy Perthshire trip. The advance booking pattern suggests that planning ahead is sensible, especially for school holidays or a fixed morning in Aberfeldy.

The mobile ticket makes arrival straightforward. You receive confirmation at booking, then meet at Thyme Delicatessen for the 10:00 am start. The activity ends back at the same point, so you do not need to arrange a separate pickup.

Making a morning of it at Thyme

The tour itself is short, but Errichel gives you good ways to extend the visit. Thyme Bistro is at the farm, and a brunch, coffee, or cake after the tour makes a natural finish.

Several people have paired the farm visit with a meal, and the combination makes practical sense. After an hour outside, a warm drink and food give you time to talk about the animals without rushing straight back to the car. The deli also provides a chance to browse local food connected to the farm’s wider identity.

The grounds are beautifully maintained, and you may want to allow extra time for a wander. Toilets and baby-changing facilities have also been described as very good, which is useful information for families with a one-year-old or a child still in nappies.

Do not confuse the bistro and deli with part of the one-hour tour. They are nearby options that can turn the visit into a fuller morning, but the advertised activity is the farm tour itself. Check any separate dining arrangements when planning your day.

Is the $19.20 price good value?

At $19.20 per person, the tour is reasonably priced for a small-group experience with admission included. You are not paying for a long attraction with dozens of exhibits. You are paying for a focused hour, direct contact with farm animals, and a guide who explains the work behind the setting.

The value improves if you care about group size and personal attention. A cheaper self-guided farm entrance might give you access to animals, but it would not necessarily include the same explanation of rare breeds, welfare, and sustainable farming.

Families should also consider what is included in the overall outing. The tour price does not include brunch or deli purchases, so a morning at Errichel can cost more once food is added. Still, the option to eat on site is convenient rather than compulsory.

For adults, value depends on your interest. If you want a long, technical farm seminar, one hour will feel brief. If you want a relaxed introduction to small-scale farming with real animal contact, the price is fair.

Weather, clothing, and practical expectations

The experience requires good weather. If poor conditions force a cancellation, you are offered another date or a full refund. That policy is reassuring, but it also tells you to keep the weather in mind when building your itinerary.

Dress for an outdoor farm visit rather than a restaurant brunch. The supplied information does not specify a clothing list, so I would simply plan for changeable Scottish weather and expect to spend time around animals and farm areas.

The tour is offered in English. Service animals are allowed, and most people can take part. There is no stated specialist fitness requirement, but the activity takes place on a farm, so anyone with particular mobility needs should confirm details before booking.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before 10:00 am are not accepted for a refund, and all cut-off times use local time.

Who will enjoy Errichel most?

This is an excellent choice for families with young children. The animals are varied, the group is small, and feeding gives children something active to do. The nearby bistro and baby-changing facilities make the morning easier for parents.

It also suits adults who want a gentle, local experience rather than a major attraction. The farming discussion, rare breeds, and emphasis on animal welfare give the visit more substance than a simple photo stop.

Food-minded visitors may get extra value from pairing the tour with Thyme Bistro and the deli. The farm, restaurant, and food shop create a clear connection between animal care, farming, and what ends up on the plate.

You may want to skip it if you dislike outdoor activities, need a fully weatherproof schedule, or expect a long tour with a large number of animals. The hour is compact, and the exact animal encounters can change with farm conditions.

Should you book the Errichel Farm Tour?

Book it if you want a personal, family-friendly introduction to farm life near Aberfeldy. The combination of rare-breed animals, feeding opportunities, Becky’s warm guidance, and practical talk about ethical farming gives the hour real character.

I would book ahead, since availability appears to fill well before the date, and leave time afterward for Thyme Bistro or the deli. Keep your plans flexible enough to allow for Scottish weather.

For a young family, this is one of the more useful ways to spend a morning in the Tay Valley. For adults, it earns its place through the honest farming context and the chance to meet animals in a working setting. It is short, friendly, and best enjoyed without expecting a perfectly scripted animal show.

FAQ

Where does the Errichel Farm Tour start?

The tour starts at Thyme Delicatessen, Errichel, Aberfeldy PH15 2EL, UK.

What time does the tour begin?

The scheduled start time is 10:00 am.

How long does the farm tour last?

The tour lasts approximately one hour.

What animals can you meet?

The tour includes Large Black Pigs, rare-breed sheep, Shetland cattle, Highland ponies, chickens, ducks, horses, geese, and peacocks.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is eight people.

What happens if the weather is poor?

If the activity is canceled because of poor weather, you are offered a different date or a full refund. You can also cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund.