West Moss-side can be found just outside the village of Thornhill, which sits on the edge of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. Awarded the Rare Breed Survival Trust Scotland Small Sustainable Farm of the Year 2023, it is a shining example of sustainable agriculture.
The farm includes part of the ancient peat bog of Flanders Moss – the remnants of a vast expanse of raised bogs that once stretched along the Forth Valley. It is also home to the West Moss-side Centre and Hayloft Studio, a beautifully renovated steading that serves as a creative hub. It hosts basketry workshops, exhibitions and is available for hire for meetings and small events of all kinds.
Kate Sankey has been farming the land here with a focus on biodiversity, rewilding, and sustainability since 1999. Certified organic, the farm uses no artificial fertilisers, insecticides, or chemicals.
West Moss-side beef is a product of conservation grazing. Kate explains: “I keep rare breed traditional Shetland Cattle, which are perfectly suited to the land and play an important role in peatland restoration.
“In summer, the cattle graze the high moss, helping to manage rough grasses, heathers, and birch regeneration.
“In winter, they feed on hay and haylage made from the biodiversity-rich West Moss-side fields, which are teeming with grasses, wildflowers, and clover. That means no food miles for these cattle.”
The farm keeps around thirty head of cattle, including 8 or 9 breeding cows with their calves and followers. As a small-scale producer, beef is only available in limited quantities.
Kate says: “The beef is hung for 28 days and expertly butchered, frozen, and sold directly from the farm freezer.
“I’m also delighted to be part of the Open Food Network hosted by Weigh Ahead in Dunblane, which offers an online weekly market with local pickup options.”
Kate envisions a farm where all activities evolve in harmony with the natural rhythms of the land and environment. Her passion lies in regenerative farming and rewilding the land to support all forms of wildlife.
West Moss-side is also the heart of the West Moss-side Art Collective – a group of creative artists who gather annually to host Open Studios, hosting exhibitions and willow weaving workshops.
The farm also features a catering kitchen available for hire, where Kate hopes to host more cook school workshops and demonstrations focused on wild and foraged food.
Between 2018 and 2020, award-winning chef Andrew Barrowcliffe collaborated with Kate in a joint venture. Kate says: “He used some of West Moss-side’s exceptional produce to create innovative and traditional dishes, providing sensational meals for yurt guests and a wild harvest supper for local food enthusiasts.”
Kate is now seeking budding chefs to share the kitchen space and contribute to new culinary ventures.
In 2024, following the closure of Trossachs Yurts, one of the yurt kitchens was transformed into the Flanders Moss Dark Room, where local artist Michael Prince runs workshops specializing in medium and large format photography, cyanotypes and pinhole camera techniques.
With the right people, an exciting fusion of food and photography could be on the cards!
West Moss-side’s organic Shetland beef is available through the Open Food Network and directly from the farm by appointment.
The farm features a semi-permanent exhibition displaying her willow works, paintings by Graham Tristram and pieces from other members of the West Moss-side Collective. Farm tours can also be arranged to explore the farm, the moss, and even witness the handiwork of the resident beavers.
So why not enjoy book visit and take a look around while picking up some outstanding Shetland organic beef.
West Moss-side Organic Farm
Thornhill
Stirling
FK8 3QJ
What3Words: playback.heaven.warbler
07870156502
