Last Updated on 1 October 2025 by Colette
If you’ve been following us for a while you’ll know that Amy, my youngest, has a bit of a life long obsession with cows so this post is very niche but something I’ve been researching for a while and, as always, I tend to think if it’s something I’m interested in then someone else probably is too.
It turns out that cow experience days are few and far between – I started off looking for opportunities to spend time with cows or maybe even to have a go at milking them. When I first started researching this a couple of years ago I didn’t find much at all but since then there has been a bit of an explosion in cow experiences in the UK with cow cuddling and walking becoming more of a thing. Don’t get me wrong, cow experiences are still few and far between (even more so for cow-obsessed children) but they are definitely are thing now!
One of Amy’s favourite places to go is Smithills Farm where you can watch the cows be milked and learn all about the process from Farmer Carl – Amy has been known to watch a full herd be milked for over two hours but I wanted to try and find something where she could get more involved – something a bit more personal, almost like a “zoo keeper for a day” type hands-on experience but with cows . . .
For Amy’s birthday, my Mum and Dad bought her tickets to the Great Yorkshire Show and have told her that she can just stand and watch the cows all day long if she so chooses!
There are several cow experiences available in the UK – some of them have age restrictions making them unsuitable for younger children (which is a shame for Amy but totally understandable as let’s face it, cows are pretty large animals). It’s also worth bearing in mind that some of these experiences are seasonal, opening from around March onwards – let’s face it, cow cuddling has got to be better in the spring than the depths of winter anyway!
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Cow Cuddling at Dumble Farm, Arram, Beverley HU17 7NR
My sister spotted Cow Cuddling at Dumble Farm on Facebook quite a while ago now – we both got quite excited until we realised you had to be 16 for a cuddle session!
Dumble Farm in East Yorkshire offer a range of cow experiences from Cow Cuddling to Highland Cow Safaris and whilst these are predominantly for adults, children are welcome on the Highland Cow Safari where they can meet and learn about the cows from the safety of the trailer.
Dumble Farm is a working farm so Highland cow experiences and tours are planned around this. In recent months Dumble Farm have had quite a bit of social media coverage so the demand for their experiences has increased even further. I’m hoping we can get Amy booked on the Highland Cow Safari later this year though!
Book your cow experience at Dumble Farm
Kitchen Coos and Ewe, High Airyolland, New Luce, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, DG8 0AU
Kitchen Coos and Ewe is a working farm offering Highland cow experiences where you can see Highland cows and Beltex sheep in their natural, farm environment in beautiful south west Scotland.
Kitchen Coos and Ewe offer a range of difference cow experiences including a family friendly Insta Coo Tour (hurrah a cow experience suitable for children!), a Cream Tea Coo Tour (yep a visit to the cows followed by cream tea back at the farm!), a walking tour (visit the cows on foot rather than in the trailer), a Hands-on Coo Tour (this one includes the change to groom some of the younger cows – you’ve always wanted to brush the fringe of a Highland cow right?).
All visits to Kitchen Coos and Ewes must be pre-booked.
Cow Cuddling and Brushing at Ahimsa Milk, Ahimsa Eco Farm at Chater Valley, Pinfold Ln, Pilton, Oakham LE15 9PA
Ahisma Milk in Oakham are the original and first place to offer cow cuddling / bovine therapy in the UK, as well as being the UK’s only slaughter free farm. At Ahisma Milk, it’s a point of principle to look after the cows all their lives, and the cuddling is a way to spread the message with the public.
You can book a 90 minute Cow Experience where you’ll be able to cuddle, brush and walk the cows. The experience is for two people and takes place at 9.30am each day – the experience runs all year round so the team are able accommodate most dates! There is no age restriction for cow cuddling at Ahimsa Milk but obviously younger visitors must be well supervised.
Book your cow cuddling experience at Ahimsa Milk priced at £125 for two people.
Cow Feeding and Hand-Milking at Ahimsa Milk, Ahimsa Eco Farm at Chater Valley, Pinfold Ln, Pilton, Oakham LE15 9PA
Get hands on with the cows at Ahimsa Milk in Oakham with a 90 minute Cow Feeding and Milking Experience – who knew that cows enjoyed eating carrots? As well as feeding the cows, you will be taught to hand-milk the girls – and you even get to take home what you’ve milked (which for me would probably be very little!).
The experience is for two people and takes place at 3pm each day – the experience runs all year round so the team are able accommodate most dates!
Book your cow feeding and milking experience at Ahimsa Milk priced at £125 for two people.
Highland Cattle Experience at Colready Highlands, Colready Farm, Brackley NN13 5NR
Colready Farm is a working farm in Northamptonshire offering a Highland cattle experience for the whole family!
Groups are kept intentionally small with no more than 12 people at a time.
Your experience offers you the chance to hand feed the cattle (which Colready Highlands say is the best way to make friends with them!), you’ll get the chance to learn about the breed and ask lots of questions and you’ll even get to stroke the cows and give them a fuss. (And of course there will be plenty of photo opportunities too!)
Book your Highland Cattle Experience at Colready Farm priced at £15 per person making it one of the cheapest cow experiences I’ve found.
Cow Companions, Croes – Argoed – Uchaf, Mydroilyn, NR. Aberaeron, Ceredigion, SA48 7RA
Sri Lakshmi Gaushala Cow Sanctuary offers the first-ever cow-hugging therapy service in Wales which both benefits the visitors who interact with the cows and raises money for their care. You’ll find a few different breeds of cow at Cow Companions.
The Cow Companions Sanctuary Tour and Cow Cuddling experience gives you the opportunity to meet the cows and learn about their story and their different personalities – some were born at the sanctuary, others have retired here.
Book your Cow Cuddling session at Cow Companions priced at £10 for children and £25 for adults for a two hour experience.
Mini Cow Meet & Greet at Stantons Farm, Stantons Farm, Witham Rd, Black Notley, Braintree CM77 8NH
Guests at Stantons Farm can book a Meet & Greet with Betty and Wilma, a pair of Short Legged Dexter Cows (they’re only about 1 metre tall!)
The experience lasts around 30 minutes an includes a health and safety briefing (to keep both you and the cows safe), the chance to learn about the history of Dexters and the individual personalities of Betty and Wilma, the chance to feed the girls some treats and of course lots of opportunities for pictures!
Children must be age 5yrs and above and over 1.25m tall to take part in this experience.
Book your Mini Cow Meet & Greet at Stantons Farm priced at £7.50 for children and £12.50 for adults.
Bowland Trails Highland Coo Experience, Netheraird of Glasclune, Blairgowrie, PH10 6SF
A Bowland Trails Highland Coo Experience offers you a 1.5 hour personal tour of the Bowland Trails in an All Terrain Vehicle allowing you to interact with their large fold of breeding Highlanders and calves. You’ll learn about their habits and behaviours and, if you visiting during calving season (from April into summer) you might even get the chance to see the baby cows!
There will be plenty of chances to take photos as you hand feed the cows or stroke and groom their fur.
Book your Bowland Trails Highland Coo Experience – price per person varies depending on the size of your group. Children must be age 4yrs +
Jacksons at Jedburgh, Kersheugh, Jedburgh TD8 6QT
Jacksons at Jedburgh offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal with their Highland cows through either The Highland Cow Experience which is a farmer led, tractor and trailer tour out into the fields to meet the cows and learn all about them or The Highland Way which is a self guided walking safari to meet the Highland Cows while they graze).
The Highland Cow Experience is priced at £15 for children and £30 for adults. The Highland Way costs £7 for children and £12 for adults.
Book to see the highland cows at Jacksons at Jedburgh
Highland Cow Experiences at Highland Fold HQ, Achinreir Farm, Barcaldine, PA37 1SF
Highland Fold offer a choice of Highland Cow experiences. The Whispering Cow Walk is a 1.5 hour walk through the farm to find the cows where you’ll learn all about the cows and their surroundings and take time to be with the cows in their natural environment. Alternatively, the When The Cows Come Home Experience gives you the opportunity to learn all about how the team make ice cream on the farm with sustainable ingredients including milk from the Highland Fold HQ Highland Cows. You’ll get to meet the milk cows and their calves up close in the yard, enjoy a short farm walk and an ice cream tasting workshop, and build your own ice cream sundae from a selection of ice cream and toppings all made on the farm hand-in-hand with nature.
The minimum age for the Whispering Cow Walk is 11yrs and for the When The Cows Come Home Experience the participants must be age 5yrs +.
Book your Highland Cow Experience at Highland Fold HQ priced at £15 per person for The Whispering Cow Walk and £25 per person for the When The Cows Come Home Experience.
Highland Cow Experiences at The Ginger Cow, Long Meadow Farm, Hayton Lane, Everingham, York, YO42 4LQ
For something a bit different, The Ginger Cow offer a Highland Cattle Afternoon Tea Experience where you get the chance to meet the boys (Dave, Wonky and Roo) and learn all about them before enjoying a freshly prepared afternoon tea!
The whole experience lasts approximately two hours and is available to book on Thursdays through the year (February to September).
Book your Highland Cattle Experience at The Ginger Cow. The Highland Cattle & Afternoon Tea Experiences are priced at £45 per person (minimum 2 people) and for accompanying children £15 (under 10s).
Highland Cattle Tour at Cladich, Cladich House, Cladich, PA33 1BQ
A Cladich farm tour offers you the opportunity to get close to the Highland Cattle in their Highland home, whilst taking in the stunning scenery. Stuart, the farm manager, would love to show you around and share his passion for his animals with you.
Highland Cattle Tours at Cladich can be arranged for groups of up to 5, taking place at 10am or 2.30pm and lasting around two and a half hours.
Book your farm tour at Cladich.
Highland Cow Cottage, 16 Brook End, Steeple Morden, Royston, SG8 0PP
For £25 per 30 minute session of up to four people, you are able to spend time hand feeding, brushing, petting and having photos taken with the beautiful highland cows. You are advised that all interactions with the cows is totally dependent on how they are behaving on the day. Children are welcome to take part but must be supervised by a responsible adult, the cattle do not like loud noises or fast movements.
Highland Cow Cottage is open Thursday to Sunday for pre-booked visits.
Book your Highland Cow experience at Highland Cow Cottage – they are already starting to take bookings for 2025!
Highland Cattle and Stud Experience at Rhosyn Stud & Farm, Scotch Hills Ln, Burton-on-Trent DE13 8BP
You are invited to meet some of the highland cattle and their calves at Rhosyn Farm – you’ll be given the opportunity to feed them, brush them and give them loads of cuddles whilst learning about this wonderful breed. Of course there will be plenty of photo opportunities too!
Book your highland cattle experience priced at £15 per person. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult, under 3s do not require a ticket. This experience lasts around an hour.
(There’s even a special Christmas highland cattle experience including the chance to meet Father Christmas and receive a highland cattle themed gift. This event charged at £30 per person)
Feed the Highland Cows at Hobbledown Heath, Staines Rd, Hounslow TW14 0HH
This is your opportunity to get up close to the floppy-haired Highland cattle at Hobbledown. You’ll join the experienced animal team to learn all about Hobbledown’s big shaggy beasts and feed them some tasty treats (or at least things the cows think are tasty!)
The highland cow feeding experience is suitable for children age 8+ and lasts around 20 – 30 minutes.
Don’t forget your camera as there will be plenty of photo opportunities!
Book your highland cow feeding experience priced at £35 per person. Your ticket price includes general admission to Hobbledown Heath.
Highland Cow Cream Tea at Windmill Retreats, Siddle Lane, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 2LT
Enjoy a hands-on experience with Bruno and Angus before relaxing in the cosy dining geodome with the surrounding herd for company.
Book your Highland Cow Cream Tea priced at £50 per person. This experience is for adults only and dietary requirements cannot be accommodated.
Windmill Retreats also offer a Highland Cow Sunset Pizza Experience – again this is adults only.
Crazy for Cattle at Tatton Park, Knutsford WA16 6SG
This is a one off event held on 5th July 2025.
This “Crazy for Cattle” workshop is a special opportunity to spend time with a member of the knowledgeable Tatton Park farm team and learn about specialist animal care.
The two hour session is suitable for everyone (age 12+) including those who are looking to keep their own animals, aspiring farmers and of course, those who have a passion for animals. During the session, your expert will go through the different breeds of cattle, general care and feeding of stock, looking after the calving cow and also care of a newborn calf.
All the cows at the farm are due to give birth around the time of this course, so there may even be a live demonstration!
Book your Crazy for Cattle experience at Tatton Park priced at £25 per person including park entry, farm entry and workshop)
UK Cow Experiences
These are just a few options for getting up close and personal with cows in the UK. Each experience offers something unique and educational, and can be a great way to connect with nature and learn more about agriculture and traditional farming practices – or you’ll just have fun and come away with some great photos!
Just a note, please don’t try to cuddle or interact with cows you see in fields on the regular – they might not be too keen on being handled in this way and you could find yourself in a pickle! Cows can be quite defensive if they feel threatened so it’s important you save your cow cuddles for planned adventures with knowledgeable guides!
If you know of a UK cow experience that I’ve missed, shout up and I’ll add them in!
Have a look at these posts next:
Open Farm Sunday near Manchester (including dairy farms)
The best farms to see cows near Manchester
Ten farms to visit near Manchester this spring
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Please also check out Peak Highland Cow Experience
Will have a look and add it in!