Àirigh Goats
Key produce: Goat’s cheese and occasionally goat meat.
Àirigh Goats is a micro-dairy located near Arisaig, run by Katie. Using milk from her herd of just 5 milking goats, she makes small batches of cheese seasonally from May to December.
The goats are raised as naturally as possible, spending as much time outside grazing and browsing as the weather permits (they much prefer the warm dry shed in the winter to the rain!). Willow is grown and harvested as tree-hay to supplement their winter feed. The dairy is run as a kid-at-foot dairy with kids being raised by their mums and sharing the milk.
Arkaig Community Forest
Key produce: 100% wild venison
ACF are a small community organisation helping to restore and revitalise an important Scottish rainforest, containing a key portion of the country’s remaining Caledonian pinewood around Loch Arkaig. They’re based at Clunes, where they have a tree nursery and deer larder. As part of their woodland management they run a Community Venison Project, selling 100% wild local quality venison products, including prime minced steak, prime diced steak, fillet and shin.
Craigdhu Croft
Key produce: home grown fruit and vegetables, jams, marmalades and seasonal cakes
Situated just out of Banavie, Marian and Andy grow vegetables, soft fruit, orchard fruit and potatoes in their field, garden and polytunnel. Everything is grown on organic principles with nutrients being provided by seaweed, manure and compost.
They also make jam, cakes, ice-creams and cordials from their produce and from what can be foraged on the croft. They have free range pigs and bees and produce limited firewood supplies from the mature oak and birch wood around the croft. Vegetable and salad sales are mainly May to October with potatoes going later than that. Strawberries, raspberries, black currants, gooseberries are available June, July and August. Jam and marmalades are for sale in Wildcat and Glen Nevis Shop. Produce can be ordered weekly and picked up from a box at the croft.
Darachbeg Croft
Key produce: Dexter beef, eggs, vegetables, heritage potatoes and apples, soft fruit, cereal rye
Darachbeg is a small working croft in the township of Muirshearlich, near Fort William. It’s co-run by two local families. Abi, Adam, Henry and Kathie have a fold of Dexter Cattle, and a small flock of hens and ducks. They have an orchard of heritage apple trees and soft fruit, and grow a variety of vegetables including landrace and new age kales and croft heritage potatoes. They’re also experimenting and developing a winter cereal Rye Lochaber Landrace. All production is on low input organic principles.
Doughies
Key produce: artisan sourdough bread including whole wheat, white wheat, rye, Bordinsky rye and spelt
Doughies is Abi and Adam’s sourdough micro bakery based on their croft at Muirshearlich. They bake fresh sourdough loaves weekly, delivering them by bike to customers in and around Fort William. It’s all about introducing people to real bread. They use only flour, water, salt, a sourdough culture and time to create their loaves. They believe bread should only contain the best ingredients, which is why they source and use a blend of organic flours, including some Scottish grains, as well as beautiful seasalt from Skye.
As well as wheat sourdough (their most popular bread) they also produce two rye breads that embrace a Nordic style and flavour. Abi and Adam are particularly passionate about these loaves which are a far cry from the soft fluffy breads in most UK bakeries: they’re dense but flavourful and a firm family favourite.
For tips on how best to enjoy Doughies’ loaves, please email doughies@me.com
Drover’s Croft
Key produce: vegetables, salad, herbs, seeds & preserves
Situated just north of Spean Bridge, Justin and Lucy at Drover’s Croft are cultivating new ground after a recent move. Everything is grown using organic principles, such as nematodes and companion planting to control pests.
Herbs and salad a speciality, but they’re keen to have a go at anything, especially fruit and veg that’s a bit unusual. Autumn usually sees them busy preserving the end of season gluts.
Hazel Tree Croft
Key produce: seasonal heritage and unusual vegetables and herbs
Hazel Tree Croft is situated in Banavie next to the Caledonian Canal. Carol Anne and John have a large commercial polytunnel which allows them to grow many types of fruit and veg, including unusual and heritage varieties, and they are also members of the Heritage Seed Library. They’re all organic, incorporating homemade compost, seaweed fertiliser, occasionally manure, and other fertilisers created on site. They also have a small flock of Soay Sheep for grazing.
Jahama Venison
Key produce: venison and honey
Jahama Venison source venison from Jahama Highland Estates which spans from Kinlochleven in the south to Laggan in the north, including much of the mountain range around Ben Nevis. Their venison is prepared and processed in their 3 larders located on the estates local to Lochaber and Badenoch. They produce burgers, sausages, steaks and a range of other tasty products.
With low food miles, a range of accessible products, and great health credentials, they hope local venison will become a regular feature in weekly meals. They also have Heather Honey that has been harvested from hives on the estate at Killiechonate.
Stronaba Produce
Key produce: home grown vegetables, salad leaves, allergen free baking and cooking
Alasdair and Liz live at Stronaba, just north of Spean Bridge. Over the past few years they have been developing a market garden.
No dig and organic principles are adhered to; planting with minimal disturbance to the soil, no use of fertiliser and just an annual application of manure. They have outdoor vegetable beds, a polytunnel, chickens who provide a valuable source of manure (as well as delicious free range eggs) and honey from their bees. In their commercial kitchen they process excess produce into a range of chutneys and relishes, as well as allergen-free baking and cooking (gluten free/dairy free/vegan).