Bilbster Mains is a working farm straddling the delightful Wick River in a
fertile little valley just to the east of that famous wild brown trout water
Loch Watten. It is an area of green fields and open spaces yet it is within
a fifteen minute drive of either the town of Thurso or the town of Wick.
The estate covers some 1300 acres and guests are welcome to walk in most of
the area. The atmosphere is exceptionally tranquil and offers the visitor a
relaxing and secluded holiday of a very high standard yet with the freedom
to drive quickly and easily to any of the major salmon rivers or trout lochs
within Caithness.
The family farm concentrates on rearing Aberdeen Angus beef and
prime lambs on an extensive grass based diet which is sold through the
premium Mey Selections brand. The majority of the land is grazed grass with
a smattering of arable fields which are used to grow barley and forage crops
for the livestock. Bilbster Mains has managed the environment carefully for
wildlife with trees, hedges, species rich grasses all being planted
alongside managed areas of wetland, water-margins and heather hill. The farm
also boasts a large number of registered national monuments from an
impressive standing stone, to brochs and other sites of archeological
interest. The Miller family was delighted when their efforts at conservation
were rewarded in 2005 when they were placed runner-up in the national
biodiversity awards, run by the NFUS and RSPB.
Caithness, the most northerly county on the British mainland, is a land
of contrasts with vast areas of grouse, moor, deer and forest in its
southern reaches and green fertile agricultural land throughout its northern
half. In its heart the much publicised Flow Country lies, where some of the
rarest plant and animal life in Britain can be found. The southern border
is ringed by the impressive peaks of Morven and the Scarabens. All along the
coastline the scenery is dramatic with towering cliffs and secluded coves,
and excellent roads follow the coast and weave across this small county,
linking Bilbster Mains with any area in under an hour.