I’ve written a potted insight into our lives here at Woodmill which we hope prospective visitors will enjoy.  There’s much, much more to show and tell, but here’s a ‘day in the life’ for now about a place we love with all our hearts.

Steven Wade bought Woodmill in the mid 1980s as a run-down collection of farm buildings, a derelict mill (as in Woodmill), a tumbledown cottage and a leaky draughty farmhouse.  As a batchelor with a plan to build an agricultural contracting business, ‘home improvement’ wasn’t high on his list, but as his new wife I had plenty of ideas about its potential.  From the early days of our marriage we set about rebuilding, repurposing and reviving the old farmstead, working tirelessly to create what is now a wonderful family home and a non-stop and totally involving range of businesses.

Central to the development of Woodmill has been Steven’s great passion, deer stalking.  Once the agricultural contracting side was up and running we started to entertain people wanting to come for deer stalking holidays in our home, taking great pride and pleasure in the cooking and hospitality we were able to offer. This evolved into a second business called Woodmill Shootings, which now attracts people from around the world who want to experience the sport in its most natural and authentic form around the stunning highlands and lowlands of Scotland.

As the stalking operation grew, we found ourselves with increasing amounts of venison to shift, going mostly through local game dealers.  However an idea had always been in the background to see if we could be more creative with this wonderful food source, and gradually Steven started to experiment with pies, pates, sausages and salamis made from venison.  Alongside another business plucking pheasants, this gradually grew into what is now Woodmill Game, selling premium wild game products through Farmers Markets, foodie events and a thriving home delivery service nationwide.  Chief van driver is our eldest son Edward (who is actually a West End actor but returns home to join the team when he can), and from where he also has a garden furniture restoration business.

As a further outlet for venison, our younger son Guy set up a burger van selling venison and pheasant burgers with the unlikely but catchy name Screaming Peacock.  ‘The P’ (as it is known in the family) has become hugely popular at all kinds of events from weddings to corporate events to festivals and even drive-thrus in the yard at Woodmill, and now with a fleet of 5 vans Guy plans to expand the business even further as his reputation grows across Scotland. (Instagram @screamingpcock).

On the accommodation side, as the number of people staying in the house increased over the years, our next project was to convert an old arched cart shed (originally the granary to the mill) into overflow accommodation for guests.  Thus began the restoration of Woodmill Arches, now a fabulously stylish and luxurious pied a terre for not only deer stalkers but also those who want to come to Fife for golf, cycling, walking, sightseeing, weddings or simply a break away from it all. 

So a self-catering enterprise was born – which incidentally stimulated another Woodmill business, Cat Lighting. During the building of the Arches, I felt it would be beneficial to do an interior design course where completely by chance I discovered a love of lighting, and therefore designed the Arches as a showcase for my lighting consultancy.  The lighting in the property is intended to be an experience in itself and adds to the overall sense of being somewhere really special and unique.

The family involvement continues with artist daughter Sophie, who alongside running her own business ‘Peachy’, is our photographer and brand manager, constantly stimulating everyone with new ideas and pivotal in driving the whole show forwards.  Working together like this means just about every mealtime is a board meeting where everyone contributes and discusses where to go next – which can only mean the absolutely ideal way to work from home.

And of course there’s the rest of the team who join us every day here - butchers, pluckers, deer stalkers, groundsmen, housekeepers, mechanics, handymen - all of whom help make our world go round and are part of the great Woodmill Family.

We look forward to welcoming you here!

Clare & Steven Wade