Welcome to our very first newsletter from Shepherd’s Rest campsite in the Scottish Borders to all our lovely campers, glampers and campervanners who have stayed with us before. In 2026 we hope to be sending a regular newsletter each month (a new years resolution) with updates on the animals, what happening on the farm and some great offers, so stayed tuned!
We would like to thank each and every one of you for making the 2025 season an outstanding one. The fabulous sunny Spring and Summer weather made for a wonderful camping experiance with some amazing sunsets, dark skies and even the Northern Lights ! to marvel at around the campfire.
The animals on the farm that you may have met while staying here – Carlos, Lando and Kimi the goats are keeping cosy, but missing the children queueing up to feed them grass!
Katie the Shetland pony is looking very fluffy now in her winter coat, she certainly won’t be feeling the cold.
So, what are we up to on the farm? As usual, we have lots to tell you about…
Going Greener
The big reveal is that we are going even greener! There are solar panels being installed on the barn roof which will provide home-grown green electricity for the campsite for many years to come. This is a very exciting development for us and something which has been on the wish list for a considerable time. We are already buy in 100% renewable energy but we feel that this project will really align with our green journey. The solar panels will provide all the green electricity for the campsite and farm helping our journey to net zero future.
Reston Riverside Project
We have been volunteering at Reston local community riverside project, pruning overgrown hedges and coppicing willow, to allow safe access for the many people who use the riverside park. Lots of people have turned out in the mild winter days and we all enjoyed working together with the bonus of warm home-made soup with tea and cakes at break times.
It is a great place to visit, there is a play park, woodland to explore, paddling in the Eye Water and there are even fairy houses! If you time your visit right, there is an annual charity duck race!
Apples galore!!
Our apple orchard on the farm has had a bumper crop this season, helped immensely by the warm Spring bringing the pollinators out in abundance. After collecting a massive number of apples, we set about crushing and pressing them using pre-loved equipment bought locally last year. Let’s just say, we won’t be short of cider or apple juice for quite some time! A fair few apple crumbles and pies also happened, along with several batches of apple chutney – yummy!
We also held Apple Days in October for local people to bring their own apples for juicing – it was great to meet fellow apple enthusiasts and we chatted all things apple while we worked together and sampled the stunningly tasty juice as it came straight from the press. This will definitely be repeated next year.
Many apples have been left on the trees – they are much enjoyed by the wildlife on the farm with visiting hedgehogs, badgers, blackbirds, fieldfares and bramblings.
Seasons Greetings!
Well, that’s our first short newsletter for now… Mark and I would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – we hope to see you again for your next camping adventure in 2026!
Season’s Greetings
Alison & Mark
