Highly regarded farming estate on the market...with a deer enterprise

A compact residential and farming estate is currently on the market in the heart of Donside. Located at Glenkindie, Alford, Aberdeenshire, is Culquoich Estate on 975.6ac, bringing with it an established deer farm and associated buildings.

Evelyn Channing and Rory Galloway, of Savills, are currently facilitating the sale of the estate.

The regions of Deeside and Donside, in which Culquoich is situated, have a rich history illustrated by the numerous historic castles and traditional sporting estates within the area.

Strathdon Deer

Strathdon Deer, the brand name in which Culquoich Estate trades under, is well-known and highly regarded for the quality of its deer and has sold breeding stock throughout the UK as well as to Europe.

The focus of the estate has always been on developing the performance of the deer enterprise through improved genetics and careful management, and this has been reflected in the high demand for deer from the farm.

The deer are free to graze on grass, clover, herbs and heather through the spring, summer and autumn with additional feed of home-grown silage and grain to help them through the winter.

Strathdon Deer is committed to the highest possible standards of animal welfare and is accredited under the Quality Assured Farm Venison Scheme administered by SAI Global.

In 2009, Strathdon Deer was a founding member of the First Venison cooperative, which supplies meat to a leading UK supermarket, and over the past 10 years has continuously featured as one of the top-performing producers in the group.

In 2014, Culquoich was selected as the Scottish Government Deer Farm Demonstration Unit and hosted five demonstration days for potential and existing deer farmers, which were designed to encourage and inform new entrants to the industry, as well as demonstrating best farming practice.

In addition to the demonstration project, the farm regularly hosts educational visits from schools, colleges and farm groups.

Deer farm

Established in 2004, the deer farm has since grown to its current size of 200 breeding hinds covering an area of about 200ac (81ha).

The enterprise produces both animals for meat as well as breeding stock for other farmers.

The farm is equipped with excellent modern deer-handling facilities, including two purpose-built agricultural sheds which provide wintering for the deer calves at the main farm.

The farm is also laid out to facilitate movement of the deer between the fields and the handling area; what with many of the fields being double-fenced with hedgerows planted between. This provides shelter for the deer as well as environmental benefits.

Additional features

In addition to the deer herd, a flock of 100 Shetland and Shetland/Cheviot ewes are run on land outside the deer farm.

The land itself extends in total to some 975.55ac (394.79ha) and includes:

247.95ac (100.3ha) of pasture;
292.42ac (118.34ha) of rough grazing and hill,
224.87ac (91.00ha) of open hill woodland grazing; and
167.61ac (67.83ha) of commercial and amenity woodland.

The areas of pasture are classified from class 3(2)to 4(2) by the James Hutton Institute for Soil Research. Furthermore, the forestry is a mix of softwoods and broadleaves.

The remaining area comprises residential property, buildings, roads, tracks and the river.

The farm buildings comprise:

Livestock building (29.1m X 20.10m);
Lean-to (16.80m X 6.00m);
Livestock shed (24.20m X 15.30m);
General purpose shed (13.40m X 24.20m);
Straw shed (25.20m X 12.40m);
Sand arena (40m X 25m);
Tack room (3.60m X 5.07m);
Stables (22.26m X 5.38m);
Cart shed (5.47m X 6.45m);
Bothy (3.48m X 7.00m).

Further information

The deer herd and sheep flock will be available by separate negotiation with the purchaser.

Culquoich House, meanwhile, is a six-bedroom residence, dating back to the 19th century. In addition to this, there are a further three residential properties included in the sale, located across the estate.