About farms
- Muirton Farm was established in 1930 when Harold Marshall purchased a small holding intending to farm raspberries. Now the third generation continues farming the family business.
The business is now run by Peter Marshall, his wife Meg along with their eldest son Rowan who has now graduated from Aberdeen University with an Agricultural Degree.
In 1928, Pitnacree, a 1.5 acre site was purchased and in 1936, Newton was rented and then subsequently purchased some years later in 1958. Additional farm land was acquired in 1938 and again in 1941 when the company purchased Muirton. Into the early 1970s the farming acreage totalled to just over 600 acres. In 1987 another land purchase was made, nearby West Jordanstone making the total acreage farmed over 1000 acres.
The farm now successfully cultivates 160 acres of raspberries, 133 acres of blackcurrants, 10 acres of blueberries, 8 acres of strawberries with the surplus land being shared between other arable crops. We have allocated 2 acres of land in the new venture of the production of cherries.
Muirton Farm can pride itself in producing to Scotland’s Quality Assurance Scheme standard covering cereal production, potatoes, and of course cane and bush fruit.
In past years local people were always available for annual harvesting of the berries and potatoes throughout the season. Buses were used on a daily basis to transport the pickers travelling to and from Dundee for the daily harvest. These days have now long gone and the berry pickers now come to us from Eastern Europe. We have pickers from Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. We can provide accommodation. Berry pickers return season after season by accessing job positions available through our web site.
Technology on the fruit field has moved forward considerably over the past 75 years since Harold Marshall first planted his berries in the Howe of Strathmore by hand, working alongside a team of Clydesdale horses, which today have been replaced by tractors and high tech machinery. Technology again has taken another leap forward allowing the production of fruit to be grown under polythene tunnels. This gives all round protection from the bracing Scottish elements in a controlled environment allowing a longer harvesting period from June until September.
We are also producing for the processed market where the fruit is mechanically harvested. But most importantly it gives continuity of supply that the market demands.
How to get to Muirton farm
Muirton farm can be found nearby a beautiful town called Alyth. Alyth is situated between Dundee and Perth. The closest airport is in Edinburgh or Glasgow. But you can fly to other cities in the UK – London, Manchester, Liverpool…etc. From Edinburgh and Glasgow you can use bus to get to Dundee or Perth (www.megabus.co.uk), train (www.eastcoast.co.uk, www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk). Buses from Dundee to Perth or vice versa are operated by Stagecoach bus No.57 (www.stagecoachbus.co.uk) - the ticket costs approx. £5. Once you get to Alyth, our farm is just 20 minutes (1.5km) walk up the hill.
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