Strolling through 8,000 blooms of vibrant, fragrant lavender on a sunny day in Kinross, it’s easy to feel like I’m somewhere on the Spanish coast. But Tarhill Farm, located just past Milnathort, is the home of Scottish Lavender Oils – and it’s the only lavender oil production base in Scotland. It’s also a wee haven of sleepy summer for just over four weeks each year, when the plants are in bloom and the field is open to the public, with hourly tours showing visitors how the farm’s high-quality lavender oil is made.
And on the day I visit, the farm is showing its very best colours. The sun has been wheeled out from behind the clouds to brighten the deep purple and muted violet flowers of the English and French lavender plants, whose beautiful blooms attract pollinators and influencers in equal measure. To be fair, it’s a particularly Insta-worthy spot.
No wonder there’s been multiple proposals and even a DIY wedding here. As I wait to take part in the tour, I wander around the fields, where lavender blooms laden with bees are stacked in neat rows up the hillside. A serene-looking influencer dressed from head-to-toe in crisp white linen films herself doing Tai Chi against the calming backdrop, while many well-trained boyfriends snap photos from all angles as their sundress-clad girlfriends frolic photogenically.
Such is modern life. I join in the photo-taking fun, but quickly discover that despite the skills of our long-suffering photographer Kenny, I’m no nat.