The Castleton Farm story
A family farm shaped by fruit, food, people and ideas
The Mitchell family has farmed at Castleton for generations.
What began as a traditional family farm grew into a commercial soft-fruit business, food producer, farm shop and café.
This is the story of how Castleton developed – and why fruit remains at the heart of everything we do
Aberdeenshire roots
The Mitchells have farmed at Castleton since the early 1900s.
Over time, the farm has changed with the family, the land and the opportunities available, but its foundations have remained the same: hard work, good farming and looking after the people around it.
The current branch of the family took over the farm in 1992, when Murray and Rhoda Mitchell brought their dairy herd to Castleton, alongside the strawberry crops already growing here.
From dairy farming to soft fruit
As the business moved into the 21st century, the family decided to concentrate on soft fruit. The dairy herd was sold, allowing the farm to focus on growing strawberries on a larger commercial scale.
The first polytunnels were introduced in 2000. They protected the crops from the worst of the weather and helped extend the growing season, opening the way for further investment and new varieties of fruit.
Strawberries were followed by raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and cherries, creating the broad soft-fruit business that Castleton is known for today.
The first farm shop
In 2004, the family opened a seasonal farm shop and café in the old filling station in nearby Fordoun. It began as a way to sell Castleton fruit directly to the public, alongside local meat, cheese and vegetables.
The response was so positive that the family decided to build a larger shop and café at the end of the farm road, where visitors can still find Castleton today.
Growing the food business
As more people discovered Castleton, the shop and café grew too. In 2013, the café was extended, the farm shop was enlarged and a second kitchen was added.
This gave the team space to make more of its own products, including jams, chutneys, syrups, homebakes and ready meals. The farm was no longer only growing fruit – it was turning more of that produce into food for people to enjoy at home and in the café.
Terrific tart topping
Strawberry tarts became one of Castleton’s best-loved treats, but Anna noticed that the topping being used did not actually contain berries.
So, in 2014, she set about creating a proper fruit-based alternative using strawberries grown and picked at Castleton.
The result was the strawberry tart glaze we still make today. It contains real fruit, with no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives, and is now available both on Castleton’s tarts and in bottles from the farm shop.
A place to stay awhile
In 2020, the café’s spacious conservatory was added, giving visitors more room to enjoy the Castleton experience.
It also created easier access to the farm-themed play area and helped establish Castleton as a dog-friendly destination in the countryside.
Castleton today
Today, Castleton brings together a working fruit farm, food production, farm shop, café and visitor destination. The business continues to grow and adapt, but the connection between the land, the food and the people who enjoy it remains at the centre.
From a berry picked on the farm to a product on the shop shelf or a dish served in the café, Castleton is still about taking food from field to fork.
Meet Ross and Anna
Ross and Anna tell the story of Castleton Farm in their own words.
Castleton news
Keep up to date with what's going on at Castleton Farm
Why Castleton cherries are worth the wait
If you visited Castleton Farm for our cherry blossom tours this spring, you got a glimpse of where the magic begins. For a few short weeks, the orchards were filled with delicate white blossom, attracting visitors to enjoy coffee, cake and afternoon tea beneath the trees. But beautiful as the...
