Emma Gray and Ewan Irvine made a comeback on “THIS FARMING LIFE” for our viewing pleasure. They started a thrilling farming endeavor on the Isle of Bute.
For the young couple who signed a 20-year lease for a property seven times the size of their 100-acre farm in Northumberland, it is a make-or-break year. The show follows them as they adjust to island life, grow their sheep herd, and try out new businesses.
Viewers may anticipate seeing familiar faces from the previous season and getting to know a variety of new families, from Stranraer in the south to Orkney in the north. The series, as usual, promises to highlight the spectacular scenery Scotland has to offer and depict the realities of rural life in some of the most isolated regions of the nation.
This Farming Life: Emma Gray And Husband Ewan Irvine
Emma Gray published a book on her experiences living on a farm in the midst of nowhere with no neighbors within miles. However, Emma, known as Britain’s loneliest shepherdess, wed firefighter Ewan Irvine in 2018, sharing their union with friends, family, sheepdogs, and sheep.
After taking over the 150-acre Fallowlees Farm near Northumberland for the National Trust, Emma from Hawick in the Scottish Borders made headlines. She claimed at the time that the breakup with her fiance was the catalyst for her decision and prophesied that she would live alone in the hills forever.
A few years later, Emma married Ewan at Kelso Town House before hosting a reception at her parent’s farm in Hawick. However, real love can flourish in the unlikeliest of places.
The couple first started a school for preparing working dogs and offering courses for owners while farming in a remote area of Northumberland. They tried to develop the notion of providing that service to those who lived far from the farm, but they could not do so since they lacked a phone or internet connection.
This changed when they were granted a 20-year lease on a 283 ha (700 acres) parcel of land on the Isle of Bute, allowing them access to the 4G network and the opportunity to connect with a global audience.
Together, Ewan and Emma create the self-produced online tutorials. While Ewan takes pictures and captures the music, Emma shares her expertise in working dog training. Their product has been so well received that it accounts for half of the farm’s income.
The farm’s first goal was 100 subscribers to pay start-up expenditures and ensure a steady stream of cash throughout the year. They currently have more than 650 subscribers, and almost all of them are farmers and shepherds.
Eighty-five percent of these customers are based in the UK, but they also have subscribers from far-off places like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa.
Viewers filed a police complaint against the couple
When Emma, her husband, Ewan Irvine, and their small son Len relocated to the Isle of Bute in 2021, she shared on her Instagram stories that the police had visited them regarding the complaint.
She informed the followers that a kind anonymous complaint had been received over Len’s presence on the quad in the show.
Then Emma uploaded a scene from the previous episode where Len and Ewan are seen riding a quad carefully while checking on ewes & lambs while wearing helmets. Emma shared a photo of herself, Ewan, and Len sitting on a quad with two of their sheepdogs the following day.
Ewan left his job as a firefighter to pursue farming full-time, and they relocated from their modest 100-acre farm in Northumberland to their lifetime farm on the Isle of Bute.
The move to the larger farm has faced the couple with many obstacles, including growing their cattle, taking on a sizable debt, and adjusting to island life. The pair have agreed to a 20-year tenancy.
Meet The Other Family of This Farming Life Season 5
The Frasers & the Girvans, Loch Ness
The previous year’s series welcomed two new farming families, the Frasers and Girvan, who both operate traditional hill farms west of Inverness.
On the shores of Loch Ness, Donald Fraser and David Girvan, cousins who farm side by side, share many innovative ideas for diversifying their operations and generating more income.
A crossbreed of red & dark Angus, Gelbvieh, and Simmental that fans refer to as the “perfect suckler cow,” David Girvan’s Stabiliser cattle and his 900 ewes are his life’s work. Barbara, David’s wife, is working on the farm’s sustainable cut flower production while preparing for the largest pumpkin celebration Loch Ness has ever seen.
Donald Fraser’s cousin works with his father on their traditional hill farm. Donald Fraser Sr. Donald’s partner, Joanna, participates in agricultural work for the first time this year as audiences follow her journey of firsts.
The Cursiter family, Laga, Orkney
The Cursitor, an Orcadian farmer who won the title of “Britain’s fittest farmer,” joins the series, with 33-year-old Sean at the center of attention.
Sean is waiting for his turn as his father, Michael, and uncle Martin shares ownership of the family farm, Laga, in the west of Orkney. Neither have any immediate plans to retire.
He works with a starter flock of NZ Romneys, goes on a shearing road trip, and accepts contract employment with other young farmers on Orkney throughout the course of the year to carve out his own path.
The Love family, Bridge of Aird, Stranraer
The Stranraer-based Loves were the fourth family to join the series. A nearby creamery receives milk from 130 pedigree Holstein dairy cows that are cared for by dairy farmers Andy and Christine.
On the borders of Stranraer’s former ferry port, Andy and Christine Love expanded their dairy farm from a seven-cow byre to a contemporary milking parlor. 180 Holstein Fresian dairy cows with pedigree supply a nearby creamery. At this time, Andy is getting ready to give over the company to his daughter Kayleigh, who has enormous hopes for the farm.
She intends to shift production in-house and offer their milk directly to locals in order to eliminate the middleman and boost their revenues, along with her husband, Rab. Viewers will follow the new company from its inception to its launch throughout the series, as well as a more intimate, more localized tale.
The “Black” family, Collessie, Fife
The “Black” family comprises Ronnie (73), his sons Pete and Mike, and he operates a mixed farm mostly in East Neuk of Fife, which is the last team to enter the new series.
Most of their acreage is arable and supplies their animal feed company, but their true loves are Clydesdales and purebred sheep.
Clydesdales appear on This Farming Life for the first time, and Ronnie has devoted his life to maintaining his father’s Clydesdales’ legacy. The series showed how much time and effort goes into maintaining them and how Brexit affected the sheep business.
The first six episodes of the 12-part series aired in late November 2021, after which it was webcast in two parts. Two episodes aired each week for three weeks on Tuesday, November 23, at 8 pm on BBC Scotland. Then, on Tuesday, December 21, at 7 pm on BBC2, three episodes will air each week for two weeks throughout the Christmas season.
Some FAQs
Did Emma and Ewan move to Bute?
With their participation on BBC’s This Farming Life, many people have followed their farming experience. They just relocated to the tiny Isle of Bute with their dog gang.
Where is Emma and Ewans farm?
The family started the year off by making final preparations for a major move from their farm in Northumberland to Isle on Bute. It is seven times bigger.