Farm Experience · Animals Glenshesk, near Ballycastle
Dunfin Farm
A real working hill sheep farm in the Glens of Antrim — meet the sheep and lambs, watch the dogs work and walk the bogland with the shepherding family, on a small pre-booked experience.
A real working hill sheep farm in one of the Glens of Antrim, where a small pre-booked group spends an hour and a half out on the land with the shepherding family — meeting the sheep, watching the dogs work, and getting a proper feel for farming life on the North Coast.
What you'll do — on the Sheep Experience you meet the flock, watch the sheepdogs working the hill, cuddle the lambs in spring and see live shearing in summer. There's also a Nature Walk & Peat Cutting experience — a guided walk over the bogland to spot dragonflies and butterflies and try cutting turf by hand.
The experience — this is a guided farm experience with the family, not a walk-in play farm. Small groups (up to 12), out on a genuine working farm, seeing the real rhythm of the seasons rather than a petting-zoo set-up.
How long — each experience runs about 1½ hours, with sessions at 10am and 2pm on the days the farm is open.
Cost — £40 per person for either experience, with a minimum of two people per booking. Confirm the current price and availability when you book.
When — open seasonally from 1 April to the end of September, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Lambs are a spring thing; shearing is a summer thing — so pick your season for what you'd most like to see.
Pre-booked only — no walk-ins. Every experience must be booked ahead on dunfinfarm.com. Turn up on spec and there's nothing to walk into.
Come dressed for a real farm. Wear a waterproof coat and boots, wellies or strong trainers — no sandals or fashion boots. It's outdoors on working ground, whatever the sky's doing.
Plan your visit
Book your experience ahead
Dunfin runs on a pre-booking system only — there are no casual walk-ins, so book your slot on dunfinfarm.com before you travel. The farm is open seasonally from 1 April to the end of September, closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, with experiences at 10am and 2pm. Both the Sheep Experience and the Nature Walk & Peat Cutting run about 1½ hours and cost £40 per person (minimum two people); groups are kept small, up to around twelve, and larger groups can contact the farm directly. What you'll see shifts with the season — lambs in spring, shearing in summer — so it's worth choosing your date around what you'd most like to catch. Prices and times can change, so confirm the current details when you book.
Accessible toilets & buildingsSome ground uneven — ask about wheelsParking on siteNo dogs on the experiences
Worth knowing:
This is a genuine working hill farm, so the experience follows real farming life — lambs are only there in spring, shearing only happens in summer, and weather is part of the day. Book ahead on dunfinfarm.com, dress for the outdoors, and check the current times and prices before you set off.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🥾Boots, wellies or strong trainersThe farm asks for proper footwear — no sandals, plimsolls or open toes. You're on real working ground, so save the good shoes.
🧥A waterproof coatBring one whatever the forecast says. A shower in the Glens just means fresh air and soft light on the hills — no bad day for it.
👖Outdoor clothes for the seasonThe farm suggests skipping jeans if it might be wet — layers you don't mind getting mucky are the way to go.
💧A hat and water on a bright dayThere's open ground and little shade out with the flock, so a hat, some water and a shady breather make a warm day all the better.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
£40 per person for either the Sheep Experience or the Nature Walk & Peat Cutting, with a minimum of two people per booking. Larger groups can contact the farm directly. Confirm the current price when you book.
Season & hours
Open seasonally from 1 April to the end of September, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Experiences run at 10am and 2pm and last about 1½ hours. Times can change — check the day before travelling.
Booking
Pre-booking online is the only way in — there are no walk-ins. Book your experience and session on dunfinfarm.com before you travel.
What you'll do
The Sheep Experience: meet the flock, watch the sheepdogs work the hill, cuddle the lambs in spring and see live shearing in summer. The Nature Walk & Peat Cutting: a guided walk over the bogland to spot dragonflies and butterflies, hear the farm's history and try cutting turf by hand.
Best for
Families and animal lovers, and anyone curious about real hill-farming life. It's an unhurried, hands-on experience led by the family rather than a play-park day, so it suits children who'll enjoy being out among the animals.
Group size
Small groups, up to around twelve for the Sheep Experience and Nature Walk. Larger or private groups can arrange directly with the farm.
Accessibility
The toilets and buildings are fully accessible. Some areas of the farm can be difficult underfoot, so wheelchair users are asked to contact the farm ahead to talk through what's possible on the day.
Dogs
No dogs on the experiences — it's a working farm with livestock and sheepdogs at work.
Parking
Parking is available on site. If you'd rather not drive the country lanes, a taxi from Ballycastle is an option — the town is about ten minutes away.
How long
Each experience is about 1½ hours. Many people pair it with Ballycastle, the beach or a run along the Glens to make a full day of the North Coast.
Questions
Before you go
Do I need to book?
Yes — Dunfin runs on pre-booking only, with no walk-ins. Book your experience and time slot on dunfinfarm.com before you travel, and remember there's a minimum of two people per booking.
Will I get to see the lambs?
Lambs are a spring thing on a real working farm, so you'll meet them earlier in the season. Come in summer and it's shearing you're more likely to catch. Pick your date around what you'd most like to see.
Is this a walk-in play farm?
No — it's a guided experience with the shepherding family on a genuine working hill farm, kept to small groups. You're out on the land seeing real farm life, rather than wandering a petting zoo, which is what makes it feel authentic.
What should we wear?
A waterproof coat and proper footwear — boots, wellies or strong trainers. The farm asks you to skip sandals, fashion boots and open toes, and suggests avoiding jeans if it might be wet. Dress for the outdoors and the season.
Can I bring the dog?
Afraid not — dogs aren't permitted on the experiences, as it's a working farm with livestock and sheepdogs at work.
Is it accessible?
The toilets and buildings are fully accessible, though some of the ground can be difficult underfoot. If a member of your group uses a wheelchair, contact the farm ahead of your visit to talk through what's possible.
Getting there
Glentop Road, Ballycastle, Co. Antrim, BT54 6QF — up in Glenshesk, one of the Glens of Antrim, about ten minutes from Ballycastle town. It's country-lane driving with parking on site; if you'd rather not drive, a taxi from Ballycastle can bring you out.
Dunfin Farm sits up in Glenshesk, one of the nine Glens of Antrim, a short run inland from Ballycastle where the green fields give way to open bog and the hills roll on toward the coast. The same family has farmed this ground for over seventy years, and hill sheep have always been at the heart of it — the horned Blackface ewes that shrug off the Glens weather and raise their lambs on the high, rushy fields.
The idea behind the experiences is simple: let a few people at a time come and see how it really works. So you're not handed a leaflet and pointed at a pen — you're out with the family, watching a dog read a whole flock from a single whistle, meeting the lambs while they're still finding their legs, seeing the fleece come off a ewe in one clean piece at shearing time. On the nature walk, the story widens out to the bog itself — the dragonflies and butterflies it holds, the old craft of cutting turf, and the quiet part these wet hills play in the wider landscape.
The family are honest about what it is: a real working farm, and they want the experiences to reflect that. Nothing is dressed up for show. The reward is the real thing — an hour and a half in a working Glen, learning a way of life that's carried on here for generations, with the North Coast waiting just down the road.