If you want to take a trip out to the beautiful Northumberland National Park and go for a walk with a twist, we definitely recommend throwing in (not literally) an alpaca or two!

This time to support local tourism, Elle and Pam took a drive out from Morpeth through the beautiful Northumbrian countryside within sight of the Kielder Dam just outside the village of Falstone. Just alongside an old railway track lies Ferny Rigg Alpacas. There was suitable parking and a warm welcome from Caroline and David who founded and run the farm. They guided the small group through the new safety measures which have been updated given the pandemic and then the real fun began.....

Along with a family group, Elle and Pam were stood amongst the alpacas for their breakfast, meeting and hand feeding them their vegetables. The alpacas were full of energy and bouncing around but everyone felt totally safe. The greeting was totally on the alpacas terms but they were easily persuaded with some of their breakfast. Once the herd had eaten, Elle and Pam were paired up with a suitable alpaca each, Elle had "Iceman", a 15 month young Male who was fantastic. Pam had "Bilbo Baggins", a very beautiful and calm chap (there was definitely some movie themed names going on).

The group walked along the old train line near the farm, the Alpacas were easy to walk although Iceman walked Elle rather than the other way around! and there was the odd stubborn moment or wanting to eat some grass. They stood beautifully for photos and played in puddles.

The group also met Matilda the sheep and her friends. Along the way the guides were hilarious and informative in equal measure (you can tell they really love what they do) and the team learned lots of facts about Alpacas as well as the farm.

At the end of the walk, there were treats for the alpacas before they are released into a paddock. The experience lasted about 2 hours. We highly recommend!

Contact Ferny Rigg Alpacas