Crafty Crofters open visitor experiences in the Highlands and Islands 

Tourism and crofting 

Tourism can help support this important rural sector, with many crofters offering visitor experiences to help supplement and sustain their business. Crofts in many of Scotland’s islands, including Shetland, the Inner and Outer Hebrides and the Highlands are providing visitors with community-led experiences of farm hospitality using authentic people, stories, food and drink, crofting culture and heritage and traditional crafts within stunning landscapes. 

These include:  

• Garths Croft in Bressay, Shetland - focusing on traditional and heritage breeds of sheep, pig and poultry. 

• On the Croft self-catering at Edinbane, Highlands - offering visitor stays on a working croft, with chance to meet resident cows and other animals, practise yoga or take a stroll round the croft walk – up to the moor and down to the shore. 

• Long Island Retreats & Larder, on South Uist, Outer Hebrides - offering croft tours, Shetland pony experiences, island tours and have a farm shop. Recently featured on BBC’s Designing the Hebrides, where the farm shop was stylised, conveying the croft’s rich family heritage. 

• Selkie Explorers sailing holidays, based on Eigg, Inner Hebrides – where the trips often finish, offering a look at the skipper's croft where much of the produce eaten on board is grown and raised.   

To satisfy growing consumer demand, crofters are offering visitors a glimpse into croft life and how crofting can support a modern family with produce, raw materials and a nature-centred way of life. 

Such is the visitor interest in crofts, some agritourism businesses are now working with the travel trade to include crofting experiences in travel agent and tour operator packages, to introduce international visitors to their way of life.  

Shepherd surrounded by dogs herding sheep. Credit: VisitScotland/Airborne Lens