West Bastlebog Farm - The good life

Ever since Alexa and Andrew Millar moved to West Bastlebog Farm in the Scottish Borders in 2018, friends and family have been desperate to join them to sample a sanitised version of the good life. Fortunately, the couple have been happy to oblige.

“I’ve always wanted to farm,” says Andrew. “I come from a farming community, but we’d been living in Edinburgh for 15 years. Alexa is a school teacher and a yoga teacher and she was keen to have her own studio. When this opportunity came up in Duns it was the merging of a number of dreams.”

He continues: “Essentially, it’s a glorified small holding. It’s quite a mix with pigs, sheep, Angora goats and their newly-born kids, apple orchards and vegetable patches. We are also members of SOPA (Scottish Organic Producers Association), which gives credence to our approach in growing and rearing naturally.

“Not long after we moved in, we added to the existing orchards and planted 110 Bloody Ploughman apple trees – we had so many volunteers helping and this was before we decided to offer a holiday let.

“People were so keen to get involved in this wholesome version of farming. There was a real interest in farm to fork and a simpler way of life, but we were conscious of how out of touch people were with it.”

With so much enthusiasm and interest, the couple decided to look at converting the farmhouse in which they were living. “There was a section that wasn’t really used which already had its own entrance and as we were accustomed to living in much smaller accommodation it wasn’t a big issue for us to lose this extra space.”

The bonus was that as part of the conversion, Alexa would get her private yoga studio in the middle of the building which also added a degree of separation from the family’s living area.

Andrew explains that the couple’s vision was to create a holiday let specifically geared towards couples: “My parents used to run holiday cottages and marketed them for couples only,” he says. “They were adamant it was important to provide good-quality living space and the cottages were remarkably successful – I think that was the main reason.

“We’ve stayed in places where people try and max out the bedrooms but you don’t live in bedrooms, you spend time in the living areas, so the aim was always to make it as comfortable and spacious for a couple as possible.”

As well as space, the cottage also benefits from a fresh, contemporary feel which Andrew credits to his second job at Edinburgh Curtain Tracks. “I work with a number of interior designers in Edinburgh, and I have the opportunity to visit some beautiful houses and see lots of new ideas,” he explains.

“The mirror behind the stove pipe in the sitting room was inspired by a job I was working on with Emily Black Interiors. I’ve worked with her on several projects and she had used something similar in one her properties – I thought it was a nice touch. I took a little bit of that element, some ideas from Pinterest, and this is what came about.”

The gorgeously dark Hix Blue bathroom was also inspired by some Edinburgh interiors. “I’ve often seen this colour used in cloakroom WCs and I think dark interiors can often make spaces better proportioned,” says Andrews. “Here, I thought it would add a sense of warmth and along with the underfloor heating that we fitted it’s a very cosy place to be.”

In complete contrast, the dining kitchen could not be more light or contemporary. “I’m not really someone that likes a theme that runs throughout a home,” he goes on. “I like to have separate themes in different spaces but really the most important thing was to enhance the fabulous natural light and outlook that the property benefits from.

“It’s very much a property that sets you up for the day and gently closes you down for the night. I think you get that first farm feeling when you go through and make your coffee in the morning. It’s a fantastic morning kitchen – east-facing with stunning sunrises. When you’re on holiday you have time to dine and time to enjoy breakfast. Morning light is a wonderful thing to energise you and we chose a colour scheme that really maximises that east-facing morning.”

The Millar family.

To add to the relaxing holiday breakfast and offer the farm-to-fork experience, breakfast hampers are available for guests and include produce directly from the farm: flavoursome dry-cured Oxford Sandy & Black pedigree bacon, a choice of pork or lamb sausages, freshly-laid eggs, apple orchard honey, small batch apple juice, and seasonal veg.

Many guests also take advantage of a private yoga class with Alexa, which going by the guestbook comments seems another hit to help them to the land of nod. “We’ve had people say they’ve been unable to move from the sofa after their evening yoga class as it was so relaxing, which is lovely to hear.”

Such has been the success of the farm cottage, along with the opportunity for guests to engage in daily farm life, the Millars have now embarked on more holiday accommodation for couples – Plum Orchard cabin. Tucked away in a private corner of the farm surrounded by plum trees and boasting beautiful countryside views, the cabin will include a wood-fired hot tub, outdoor barbecue kitchen, and a wide, covered veranda to allow outdoor relaxing on those wetter Berwickshire summer days.

Around the farm, guests can get involved as little or as much as they like in the day-to-day farm business. Fresh air, homegrown food, evening yoga and a great night’s sleep – this really is the good life, sanitised or not.

West Bastlebog Farm Cottage is available to let through millarorganics.co.uk, coolstays.com, Airbnb and Booking.com. Plum Orchard Cabin will be available from October 2021 and can be booked via the Millar Organics website.