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Get permission for some field shelters (or even stables for horses) and then sell the lot with the house as an equestrian property. Kerching!
Solar farm!
Landfill
Thought of that as well but the number don't stack up now the FIT has been reduced.Solar farm!
Grow barley, harvest barley, malt barley, brew beer and repeat.
Build a stable, hire to a horsey type; they chuck money about like you wouldn't believe.
This is Scotland, so 'meadow' might be stretching it a bit
No, you can have meadows in Scotland. The Northern Upland hay meadow with wood cranesbill used to be found in scotland.
This country needs houses; planning, self build and sell to someone to live in
ILW store?
An ebike, a barbecue and your friends.
A large, ride on railway.
A killing zone.
A festival.
A model village made of bacon.
A memorial to Dustin Gee.
Nude trampolining.
Your only going to get about £150 a month off the horse lot, they'll wreck your field, moan, expect water and shelter on site for the nags and swan about the place 7 days a week. No thanks!
When you come up with an alternative plan, please let me know we've got a field like yours doing nowt 😉
Hunger games arena.
Worlds first all fresco strip club? It being Scotland you could call it the blue lady.
Add some snow and make it a UK fatbike centre. 😉
Llama farm?
A few log cabins with hire bikes?
A maze using various bushes and trees?
Rare breed sheep for sheepdog training?
Dedicated BBQ spots with adventure playground for young kids?
Wind farm integrated into windmill esque holiday chalets?
run a cross race?
Its a shame the field is so flat, otherwise you could have a football pitch
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This grassy field... does it have a knoll? A library near-by?
Carbon offset appeals, what tyres trees/plants for maximum CO.2 absorption?
[url= http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/01/10-carbon-storing-trees-and-how-to-plant-them/ ]http://learn.eartheasy.com/2014/01/10-carbon-storing-trees-and-how-to-plant-them/[/url]
We've got a couple of acres of Xmas trees, not necessarily interested in making money from the land.
Form a cult add some stone pillars and a sacrificial altar
We have a similar area, albeit not at all flat.
For us it is not an exercise in making money, rather it's an exercise in finding the kind of use which will keep it in the best condition and cost us the least. Someone else's sheep, grazing for a period of months then leaving it, has been our best answer so far. They're better grazers (keep the weeds down) than the small number of cattle we had before. Our predecessors had horses and it was apparently like the Somme. While horses may represent considerably more rent, my experience of horse tenants elsewhere has not been great - more people doing more, wanting more and making more mess, so I wanted to avoid that route - but YMMV.
I am looking into grants for woodland planting, which might be relevant if planting a proper area of woodland in certain native species. Regardless of financial help this appeals to me, as does some orchard, a wildflower area and possibly a pond, as suggested above. I understand all of this can be done on agricultural land if done the right way (so it doesn't become "garden").
I do reckon I could achieve some jumps on ours but not sure they'd get management approval!
I'm still voting for donkeys.
Or a swingers festival.
Or a swingers festival with donkeys.
yearly festival?
On a serious note where abouts? If near us I'll gladly put some sheep on there for you in return for meat/cash. Could do a few kid goats too from the local goat dairy if you fancy a bit of goat meat?
Don't let horses on it. They WILL trash the land as they compact it and ruin the drainage, churn it up and you end up with loads of ugly electric fences and piles of horse poo.
The other option of fruit trees is also very good. I believe there is a scheme out at the moment to encourage more fruit trees and if the trees are protected you may still be able to put some sheep on there or get someone local to you to do so.
The other option is put it up for grass keep but specify your terms clearly - eg no horses, no livestock between 31st Oct - March etc to save the land from being trashed. Auctions have normally taken place by now but people will always be looking for grazing or fields for hay.
Also if you have a college doing agriculture nearby then you could let the students use the land for keeping livestock, planting etc. Would be a good use of the land and you might get some produce and meat from it in return.
Burial ground, plant a tree next to your loved ones remains.
Mushroom farm and 5 bed detached with an agricultural tie?
Plant a design in daffodils that once a year will really amuse the occupants of the international space station
Maybe something like this - www.itsallaboutthedog.co.uk ?
I was going to suggest Caravan Club Certified Location. 5 vans only so you might find planning permission is easy. There are certainly loads in rural locations in fields next to houses. You can put in electric hookups if you want and toilets, but many CLs don't have them. All they have is a tap and a hole for your chemical toilet.
5 acres is massive, most of them are less than an acre. This makes it a good site imo. You'd be able to charge £7 or so a night, up to £15 (depending on location) if you had hookups. That could be £500/week in the season. We often have trouble booking in, and most of the time they're full. Of course if you're way out in the sticks it might not be as good.
Wild flowers, bee farm and honey bottling?
Been further pondering this.
Fence the perimeter and setup a couple of rabbit warrens - set up in business supplying fresh organic free range rabbit meat to local pubs, restaurants and game dealers.
On a serious note where abouts? If near us I'll gladly put some sheep on there for you in return for meat/cash. Could do a few kid goats too from the local goat dairy if you fancy a bit of goat meat?
Mmmmmm, meat... I'm well up for some of that action, it's near Dundee if that's any use!
I'm going to pop round to the local farmer and see if he knows of anyone needing any grazing for sheep. I spoke to someone in a similar situation yesterday and they reckoned hay in the summer/sheep grazing in the winter was the way forward. They had tried horses for a bit and experience was as mentioned in this thread - the ground got ruined and there was a lot of mess.
If that doesn't lead me anywhere it's a flattrack nudist wakeboard trampoline cult for up to 5 caravanners.
Poplars. Take seconds to plant* and you'll have an impressive wood in 5 years.
* multiplied by about 10,000
Some seating around it and you could set up your own Running Man events
Who loves you and who do you love?
pet cemetery
If that doesn't lead me anywhere it's a flattrack nudist wakeboard trampoline cult for up to 5 caravanners.
that's a bit youn...... oh, you mean five caravaners.
How about holding a car boot sale on it every Sunday in summer?
Let the grass to about thigh height then make love to your beautiful wife in the middle of it whilst filming it from a drone. Lovely memories to keep.
That or the pond/ orchard idea sounds nice.
If you're considering caravans, you'll probably make more money and do less environmental damage by letting me and my 4X4 buddies come for some pay'n'play weekends. 8)
In case there was any doubt, no horses, they'll render it worse than a brown field site.
Just down to what you really want out of it, financially and aesthetically.
As mentioned above, tree planting - not sure of Scottish system, but probably some grant funding available, qualifying area is usually 1ha. so you don't have to plant the whole area, could sub divide it, grants will usually pay towards stock exclusion (fencing).
Easy option is to rent out as grass or grow for hay, justify the building of a barn to store it, small bale it so that you can sell at inflated prices to equine types.
Or being Scotland, drain it and remove all plant cover in hope of a midge free spot.
I was going to suggest Caravan Club Certified Location. 5 vans only so you might find planning permission is easy. There are certainly loads in rural locations in fields next to houses. You can put in electric hookups if you want and toilets, but many CLs don't have them. All they have is a tap and a hole for your chemical toilet.5 acres is massive, most of them are less than an acre. This makes it a good site imo. You'd be able to charge £7 or so a night, up to £15 (depending on location) if you had hookups. That could be £500/week in the season. We often have trouble booking in, and most of the time they're full. Of course if you're way out in the sticks it might not be as good.
The tiny little field where I camped in South Devon last year takes tents and caravan/campers, has a very basic toilet block - two loos with a sink in each, and a standpipe at the dividing hedge, is probably less than half an acre and they charge £10/night, with an honesty box system. £10-12/night seems to be the going rate down there.
I was there in October, for nine days, and most of the time I was on my own, but there were a number of campers and caravans at the weekends.
Personally I like the idea of a mixed setup of hay/wildflower meadow, native species apple orchard, and small camping and caravan area, the first two would probably prove attractive to the last group, and you could make something from selling the apples on a pick your own basis.
If you're thinking of any form of agricultural tenancy I'd recommend talking it over with a local agricultural auctioneers/land agency. Might cost a bit short term but could help you get a better price/terms and avoid some of the pitfalls.
They'll also know who to avoid like the plague locally...
I'm led to believe haylage in mini round bales is rather lucrative for selling to the sportscow crowd.
Just expect them to bitch endlessly about the price...
Mmmmmm, meat... I'm well up for some of that action, it's near Dundee if that's any use!
Bugger, bit far for us (somerset!)
If you just want low hassle and no cash (self assessment etc) then just strike a deal for some meat from the farmer. We do that on some of our land where the land owners just want the land grazing down and won't take any money (even though we are happy to pay the going rate).
Making hay can be lucrative but you need to store it. £3-4 for a small bale is the most £. You also need someone to cut and bale it but you again you could strike a deal with a farm contractor where they take a % of the bales.
Campsite - we looked a place with a 1 acre camping field but it was too close to the house and would be an intrusion. But I did want to do it on an 11 acre plot but would not get planning for a house as AONB. The place we looked at buying did yearly plots so people would pay say £1000 a year for the plot and also get to store there caravan there the rest of the time. That way you don't end up like the little campsite guy in carry on camping having to be there for guests to arrive as they can just arrive and get on with stuff and their caravan is already there and waiting for them. They must have had about 20-25 plots so a nice little earner. But you will need planning, toilets, showers, electric and water hook ups etc and be somewhere people will actually want to visit.
Someone did tell me about a scheme to encourage more fruit trees and you get paid for them. I will post any details if I find them.
Do this, Nurtures some local talent and provides a good and much needed skills area.