Our kids love going to the zoo and also had so much fun at Farm in the City in Malaysia, so we brought them to Doonies Farm, a rare breeds farm in Aberdeen. The kids were dressed appropriately in their wind breakers and Wellies since it was quite a windy morning, though we were lucky as the sun was shining brightly that morning :)
Farm kids :)
Doonies Farm covers 134 acres on the southern side of Aberdeen from Nigg Bay to Cove, and it is a 15-minute journey by car from the centre of Aberdeen. Doonies Rare Breeds Farm is a member of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust and is one of only two farms in Scotland to be awarded “ Approved Conservation Farm Park Status.” Here, you can find rare and endangered native farm animals.
Entry is £10 per family of 4, and there are also buckets of cabbage for 50p each which you can purchase and feed to the animals. I think it is fair to say the animals were well-fed (by our kids). The animals are not caged up, and allowed to roam free in their boundaries. The scenery here is breathtaking (as is the rest of Scotland), on one side you can see the sea and on another lots and lots of greneery. For me, the cool weather plays an important part too and it was just a wonderful and enjoyable day for us, strolling through the farm and feeding the animals, followed by some playtime in the children's playground.
Getting ready to feed the animals
Hello little lambs. You get to pat them too if you want ;)
Oh mummy, it's a PIG! And pigs eat everything (ok they learnt this from an iPad game)
First time seeing a real pig.... exciting moment for the kids
Tamworth pig - Britain's only red pig and is the purest British breed. There are currently only 300 breeding female's left in the UK.An ideal outdoor pig, resistant to sunburn and produces some of the most prized pork.
Mille Fleur Pekins - first originated in China. Now one of the most popular breeds in UK, ideal as a back garden pet since they're good at finding slugs and worms. They have feathery legs (oh yes we noticed!).
Speckled Sussex
A place they call home
More lambs (and also the White Park)
Mummy and the kids
Want a bite?
Ducks.. quack
You jump, I jump!
The White Park calf - so white, so fluffy. A rare breed of horned cattle in UK, also the most ancient breed. This one's still a baby.
Dandelion
Eriskay ponies - rarer than pandas. A breed of pony from Scotland. Grey in colour, so magnificent. This one just loves posing for photos.
Beautiful sunny day
And cows like grass
Such a cutie! Lamb perched on a rock
Goats (they look like Golden Guernseys)
Awww isn't that cute? Snuggled up next to each other while taking a nap
Daisies growing wild everywhere.. love them
Farm kids for the day ;) And they're loving it.
Happy Family :)
Cute idea - plants in Wellington boots
Doonies Farm sell their own farm reared Longhorn beef and Tamworth pork. Longhorn Steak was chosen by Heston Blumenthal for his perfect steak meal. There wasn't much choice left, so we went for 2 rump and 2 rib eye steaks. Of course, I cooked it using the Heston method (see here) and served the steaks with some grilled British asparagus and mashed potatoes. Compared to Aberdeen Angus, I actually prefer AA over this. I think the fact that it is sold frozen loses some brownie points from me. However, it was still a satisfying steak dinner.
Pan fried Longhorn steak with British asparagus, mashed potatoes and cherry tomatoes-on-the-vine
Verdict: A fun and educational place to bring your kids to. We certainly had a nice day out here.
Opening times: From 1st March to 31st October (10.00am until 4.30pm); from November to February weekends only (10.00am until 3.00pm).
Price: £4 for adults, £2.50 for kids, £10 for family ticket (2 adults, 3 kids), under 2's free entry.
Location: Doonies Farm, Coast Road, Nigg, Aberdeen AB12 3LT
Tel: +44(0)1224 875879
GPS Coordinates: 57.131954,-2.060673
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