Located in the Howe of the Mearns in south Aberdeenshire, Murray, Rhoda and their son Ross, have been growing fruit for over 20 years and are now one of Scotlands biggest commercial growers.

The Mitchells moved to Castleton in 1992, buying it from within the Mitchell family who had farmed here since 1900. Murray brought their dairy herd to the farm and continued to grow the existing strawberry crop that was already established.

In 1999 the decision was made to stop dairying and to expand the 15 acres of strawberries into a commercial scale.

The first poly tunnels were erected in 2000, eliminating many of the weather related risks involved with growing strawberries outdoors in Scotland.  Since then we have introduced raspberries, blueberries and cherries.

We supply many of the large retailers, with the majority of our fruit going to Marks and Spencer and Tesco.   We employ over 600 seasonal workers each year, with 450 living and working on the farm at the peak of the season.

 

Work For US

We employ over 600 EU workers each year with 450 being here over the peak of our season.

We grow strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cherries with our picking season spanning April until mid November. We have work all year round. Tasks at the farm include:

  • Strawberry / Raspberry / Blueberry / Cherry Picking
  • Tunnel Work
  • Packhouse Work
  • Planting
  • Irrigation

Whilst working at Castleton, we want you to have a good experience and the opportunity to earn money. Many of the jobs are paid using a piece rate system, meaning the more productive you are, the more money you earn.

We generally pick six days a week and working hours vary dependent on crop timing and weather.

 

Accommodation

We have a campsite for workers to live in while working at Castleton. The caravans have central heating installed, powered by the heat produced by a biomass boiler. Each caravan has a living room, bathroom, kitchen and has crockery, pots and pans.

We want you to enjoy your time at Castleton and our HR team are here to ensure you are made welcome. We will liaise with you prior to arrival as to Contracts, Employee Handbooks and Caravan Allocation so that when you arrive you have as much information as possible about Castleton Farm, your job and the surrounding area