Caroline Millar resides in the county of Angus, in Scotland on the family farm located just north of the City of Dundee. The farm produces Scotch beef, Scotch lamb, and malting barley. She holds the position of Sector Lead for Scottish Agritourism and, since 2008, has collaborated with others to elevate the status of agritourism as a significant opportunity for Scotland. Caroline is recognized as an inspirational leader in the agritourism sector, characterized by remarkable positivity, determination, and adeptness at finding solutions in challenging contexts. She unifies the Scottish agritourism sector and has established a dynamic network of farmers who are driving the industry's advancement. Under her leadership, Scottish Agritourism has grown to encompass a membership of over 200 individuals throughout the country.
In 2012, Caroline participated in the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme and, along with three others, conceived the "Go Rural" concept aimed at encouraging urban residents to explore the countryside and visit farms. Concurrently, Caroline pursued a Nuffield Scholarship to investigate agritourism practices in 10 countries. The resulting report was presented at the Oxford Farming Conference in 2014 and has been widely disseminated to stimulate discussions on agritourism development in Scotland. Apart from managing her own working farm and agritourism business, she has provided independent consultancy services to farmers and tourism business proprietors since 2007. Her ongoing initiatives involve facilitating Scotland's Agritourism Monitor Farms Programme and contributing to a Canadian project focused on devising an agritourism strategy. Caroline has articulated specific sector goals: "We recognize that there are 500 farms in Scotland with verified agritourism offerings, but we aspire to increase this number to 1000 known businesses by 2030, with half of them incorporating local food and drink experiences." She acknowledges the challenges in achieving this ambition, especially in sourcing locally produced meat. "While there is significant demand for people wanting to purchase meat directly from farmers, there are distinct challenges associated with private slaughters due to the absence of local infrastructure. If we are narrating a story about sustainable Scottish produce, we should avoid a scenario where our livestock has to travel long distances for slaughter. The welfare aspect of this narrative is of utmost importance."
Caroline's contributions to agritourism were honored with the Bullock Award in 2021, recognizing her as the Nuffield Scholar who has made the most substantial impact on agriculture since undertaking the scholarship, particularly in the realm of agritourism. In addition to her voluntary work in sector development, Caroline has operated her own business consultancy, specializing in rural tourism and farm diversification, since 2007. Caroline assumed a role on the Board of NFU Scotland as the East Central Chair in February 2021 and represents the agritourism sector on the Scottish Tourism Alliance Council. She previously served as a director and Chairman of the Oxford Farming Conference. As a Scottish Enterprise Rural Leader, she is actively engaged with the Scottish Tourism Alliance Council and plays a vital role in the local economy of Angus and Dundee.
On the international stage, Scottish Agritourism maintains close connections with industry leaders across the globe, and Caroline engages in regular communication with leaders and business proprietors on nearly every continent. "It is imperative for Scotland's economic growth to adopt an outward-looking perspective and to draw insights from countries where agritourism significantly contributes to tourism's economic output. We are committed to international learning journeys and to ensuring Scotland's representation at forthcoming global agritourism events." "Approximately 80% of our agritourism members specialize in producing Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb, and there is a rising demand for experiences that involve savoring flavorful meat on a BBQ during a farm visit, participating in unique field-to-fork dining experiences, or having a well-stocked fridge with locally sourced produce as part of a holiday. Collaborating with QMS and VisitScotland within the framework of the Go Rural campaign will support numerous agritourism businesses across Scotland in boosting sales and elevating the profile of the Go Rural brand as a trusted resource for booking agritourism experiences."
Find out more about the finalists for the Helping it Happen Awards 2023