By Hugh Boag
Glenkiln Farm won the top award at the inaugural Scottish Agriculture Awards 2023 held in Glasgow last week.
The Lamlash farm, which has been in the Bone family since 1911, had already been named diversified farm of the year at the ceremony only to follow that up with the overall champions of champions prize at the end of the night, beating the 12 other category winners.
Kenneth told the Banner: “I am thoroughly delighted the farm business has been recognised for this award. This has been achieved through the hard work of a dedicated team of staff members and family over the past 20 years when we began our first diversification project.
“Over this period, we added further enterprises such as hydro power generation, an indoor arena, housing as well as venturing into hospitality and we are now working on the pre-development of a solar farm.
“We were quite chuffed for Glenkiln to be shortlisted for the finals of the diversified farm of the year and to win this category was completely unexpected considering the number of farm businesses which have diversified over the years. To then be judged champion of champions was incredible.
“We have been invited to a further event in Edinburgh at AgriScot next month to be presented the farm of the year award by the cabinet secretary for rural affairs Mairi Gougeon.”
The Lamlash farm is run by Kenneth and his wife Eleanor with the help of their three children, Cameron, Euan and Hannah, along with stockmen Angus Duncan, Rab Walker and trainee Fergus West.
The farm has a herd of 120 Aberdeen Angus spring calving cows and youngstock and a flock of 600 blackface and cheviot ewes. Spring barley is grown which makes the farm self-sufficient in feed and straw and 110 acres of silage and haylage are grown for the livestock.
In 2004, the business initially diversified into horse liveries run by Eleanor. Later, farm cottages were upgraded to accommodate long-term lets.
Further housing was provided by converting redundant farm buildings into residential units and later new build houses were developed to accommodate local families. Eighteen new long-term rental houses are currently being developed by Arran Development Trust with assistance from Glenkiln at Rowarden.
A further diversification was a hydro-electric scheme on the farm which Euan was involved in. It was completed in 2016 and supplies around 400 homes in the village. Euan designs other renewable projects as a civil engineer and the business is working on the pre-development of a four mega-watt solar farm in conjunction with Arran Community Renewables, as previously reported by the Banner.
Kenneth, along with two partners, bought the Drift Inn in 2017 and the farm supplies beef, lamb and venison to the restaurant in Lamlash which is run by a management team employing up to 28 staff.
In 2020, Cameron established the agricultural contracting business which he operates from the farm along with the hedge cutting he does round the island.
Last year, Glenkiln completed the building of a new indoor riding arena on Arran to augment the livery business which Eleanor runs with Hannah.
The arena hosts riding events and training, not only for riders but for the local rugby club with a view to holding further social events there. The Arran Farmers Society is given courtesy of the fields and the annual Farmers’ Show has been held there since 2009.
The Scottish Agriculture Awards are held in partnership with AgriScot, RHASS and The Scottish Farmer.
Kenneth and Eleanor Bone and son Euan collect their diversification award from Sascha Grierson, principal consultant at sponsor SAC, with compere Cammy Wilson. Photograph: Rob Haining, The Scottish Farmer NO_B44glenkiln01_23_kenny_bone
Euan Bone and compere Cammy Wilson at the awards night. NO_B44glenkiln02_23_euan_bone