I could fill a book with all the amazing memories we were privileged to experience with the WWOOFers who visited us. I reflect on some of the more intangible aspects in another post, but here I simply want to list the breadth of what we did.
May with Rowena and Dylan
Rather spontaneously, and before we had really meant to start hosting, Rowena and Dylan visited us for two weeks in May 2024. This was ideal for us because they brought their own campervan, which they had been converting themselves. It was probably the most beautiful campervan I have ever seen. Having their own space allowed us to gradually ease into hosting. We were working and living together, but they had brought their own place to sleep.
We could not have asked for a better introduction to WWOOFing. Their warmth and spirit very much set the tone for what I came to understand a WWOOFing relationship can be like.
The Chicken Palace
The main project Rowena and Dylan tackled was turning the garage into a proper home for the chickens. Using leftover wood and chicken wire, we put up a partition and installed a door along the middle line of the garage. We filled the chicken area with woodchips and furnished it with tree trunks and a chicken swing made from rope we found in one of the barns.
The annual alpaca shearing
Also happened during this time and, honestly, I don’t know if it would have been physically possible without the additional help.
June and most of July
With Ezechiel, Nicolas, Leo, Chiara, Ilaria, Celia, Mareike, Leyanne and David.
In early summer our WWOOFing season began in earnest, as did the invasion of the infamous midges. Regardless, everyone braved the Scottish environment and got stuck into making Glenshellish a more habitable place. Lengths of stay ranged from a couple of weeks to as much as eight.
French Drain
Since Glenshellish sits on the side of a hill in a temperate rainforest, there is a lot of water. The very first thing we did when we had a little more manpower was create a French drain outside the chicken house to channel water away from the garage.
Clearing the Attic
Not a glamorous job by any means, but clearing out the attic above the East Wing barn was an important step in assessing the building’s condition and getting this area ready for development. We found decades-old milk crates, the original windows, something that looked like a Dorian Gray mirror, and a lot of unidentifiable rubble.
Porch
We were lacking a protected outdoor space, so we built a porch area in the courtyard. As our numbers grew, we started using it as an outdoor eating space, although the midges made this a less-than-perfect solution.
Alpaca Socialisation
Spending time with the alpacas helped them recover from the stress of losing one of their friends. This marked a real turning point in their socialisation.
Doors
To replace the awkward garage doors, we built new ones from spare wood, designed to mirror the existing farm doors around Glenshellish.
Barn Nook Room
Out of necessity, to save two WWOOFers who had intended to camp for a couple of nights from the midges and adverse weather, we turned a corner of the barn into the Barn Nook Room. It is a slight upgrade from camping and does have the best view of all the accommodations.
Steps
The prestige project in July was breaking through a wall and building steps to connect the courtyard with the upper field. Fortunately, the weather was dry and hot enough for concrete work, although on the flip side it was so hot that work had to start early in the morning.
Fireside Benches and Dining Bench
We built four benches for the fire pit area from sleepers. We also found one of the original beams from the farm, likely removed during Forestry Commission alterations, and turned it into the sturdiest bench on the property for the outside dining area.
Late July, August and September
with Ruth, Valentin, Rochelle, Hanna and Mary, Oliver and Bianca, Marisa, Pierre and Benjamin.
This period was heavily shaped by animal care, including integrating new chickens into the flock and shepherding Missy through her final days. In mid-September I had to travel to Germany unexpectedly, and the presence of WWOOFers was essential in keeping things running.
Climbing Wall
A climbing wall was built inside the old barn, initiated by a WWOOFer with a passion for climbing. Does the space flood sometimes when it rains? Absolutely. But the climbing wall itself is well designed and sturdy. Use at your own risk.
Chicken Integration
The flock was joined by three newcomers who came from a less-than-ideal home. This meant quarantine first, followed by gradually helping them adjust to their new environment.
Steps, Part Two
While the first part of the steps in July was made from concrete, the topography allowed us to finish the second half using less intrusive materials.
Mossy Butt
A whimsical addition to the path to the upper field. Stones unearthed during digging were arranged to create a small seating area.
Alpaca Gate
Built entirely while I was away in Germany, this charming gate makes entering and leaving the alpaca field easier and more aesthetic.
Wool Work
An ankle slip meant we were looking for seated activities. We began the labour-intensive process of washing, teasing and sorting the alpaca wool from the earlier shearing.
Drain
A back-breaking task. To improve drainage and water flow in the part of the upper field immediately above the steading, we manually cleared two waterways. Because the upper field is marked for rewilding and we want to keep intervention as minimal and natural as possible, this had to be done by hand. It was not possible to do this work several days in a row, so the project stretched significantly into the next section.
October and November
with Ben, Sophie, Anouk, Zoe and Harry
Last minute news that we would be getting goats after all and the seasonal demands meant that in autumn things got more focused on infrastructure again, as well as beginning some indoor crafts and getting ready for the next season.
Goat House
We found out we were able to get goats, so the space next to the chickens was converted into a goat stable.
Tree Felling
As part of early rewilding efforts, two invasive trees were felled and processed into logs and woodchips. Some of the spruce branches were layered along the upper field paths to help establish them.
Vessel Race
The upper field drain was one of the least glamorous but probably one of the most transformative projects of the year. We celebrated finishing it with an illustrious boat race, crafting small boats and racing them along the cleared channel.
Alpaca Shed
As the weather worsened and the alpacas continued to reject their field shelter, we decided to build a new open-fronted shed facing away from the prevailing wind. It was constructed from repurposed scaffolding wood and surrounded by a French drain rather than a hard floor, which has worked out surprisingly well.
Goat Fence
Harry and Zoe brought valuable experience in setting up electric fencing. Enclosing the goat area was no small task. The fence line had to be prepared first, and then the fence installed. We also moved the alpaca tent into the goat area. The goats do not like it either, so it may have to go.
Preserves and Ferments
While not strictly building work, an honourable mention goes to the jellies and preserves made from the harvest around us. Zoe and Harry also set us up with a sourdough starter, a ginger bug and a kombucha brewing system.
The Lower Field Plan
Harry and Zoe were kind enough to offer their expertise on doing a site analysis of our lower field (spoiler alert: we are putting this into practice in 2026).
That's it, folks. Looking back, it feels like a crazy amount of projects got done (I didn't even talk about all the small lovely passion projects that wwoofers created on the side, like Spoobie, Finlay's drinking bowl, or the fairy houses). I really cannot express my gratitude enough for everyone involved and if you were here and feel like I forgot to mention something, send me message and a picture and I will rectify ;)
Much Love,
Aglaja
