When Callum and Zara Lindsay took a leap of faith and moved to the Isle of Arran to take on a farm tenancy in 2023, they couldn’t have imagined how different their lives would be, only a few years later.
The couple and their two daughters, who are currently starring in the latest series of the BBC’s This Farming Life, had to learn a new way of life in more ways than one after Callum suffered a quad bike accident just five months into their tenancy. The accident left him with life-changing injuries and a long road of recovery; one he’s still navigating today.
Callum admits that before his accident he gave little thought to his own wellbeing, but it’s the focus on those small daily habits that he credits with getting him through the last few years.
“The reality of recovering from a brain injury is that no one can tell you how long it will take. If you break a bone, generally you know in six or eight weeks it will have healed and normality will more or less resume, but with a head injury it’s different. Nobody can give you that timeline.”
The frustration of that uncertainty was something Callum hadn’t anticipated. “Things like tiredness and brain fog, and then not knowing what my new normal even was. And the ripple effect of all of that didn’t just affect me, it affected everyone around me. If I’d had a tough day and was exhausted, not getting round to jobs I should be doing, I’d end up being irritable with the people I love most. That was probably the hardest part to come to terms with.”
Small steps, big impact
The turning point wasn’t a sudden realisation but a gradual one, a slow shift towards noticing what was actually helping.
“It took a while to see that it was the little things making the most difference. To pass time I started to take photos. I would then look back on ones from a few weeks or months before and I could see the change in the season, the progression on the farm and at the same time, in my recovery. Those things gave me a real boost – small positives, but they kept me motivated.”
“Recovery isn’t linear. Sometimes I’d take four steps back, but I still knew the direction I was heading. I just had to stay aware of my mindset and not expect too much of myself too soon.”
Being more forgiving of his changing capabilities also helped. “Once I accepted that I couldn’t do what I used to, and stopped putting pressure on myself, I felt I had permission to slow down and that made things easier.”
Nearly three years on, Callum describes his recovery as finding a new normal. He’s back working full time on the farm but has learned to read his body and his mind in a way he never did before.
“If I have a big day, the tiredness is still there. But I’m more settled within myself now, more positive about where I am. The farm is more active as a business and we’re moving forward, that does a lot for your wellbeing.”
Zara works off farm a couple of days a week, which brought an unexpected benefit. “I get the girls up and do the school run, and those slower mornings spending time with them, picking them up in the afternoon, doing farm jobs together after school, is time I really value now. I don’t get as much done as I would on my own, but they won’t be little again. Changing my mindset has made me appreciate how important it is to take that family time and really soak it up.”
Taking notice of the yearly markers
That more appreciative outlook has gradually become part of how Callum approaches every day on the farm, rather than something he has to consciously work at.
“I look for what I call yearly boosts. The first lamb born (and the last!), the first calf, letting the cows out after winter, the first cut of silage, even opening the first bale. Some people might think that sounds daft, but when you think about everything that goes into getting to that point, all the work, the weather, the worry, and then you get to that moment, it means something. Those things give me a lift, every single time.”
“It’s about appreciating the markers that farming gives you naturally throughout the year. They’re always there, you just have to notice them.”
Callum is also keen to highlight the importance of safety on the farm, particularly when it comes to wearing a helmet on a quad bike, something he admits he never used to do. RSABI and Yellow Wellies have been highlighting Callum’s accident as part of their helmet safety campaign.
“Before my accident I never wore a helmet on the bike, it just wasn’t something I thought about. Now I don’t even notice I’m putting it on, it’s become second nature, like wearing a seatbelt in a car. Nobody thinks twice about that, but there was a time when people thought that wouldn’t catch on.”
Sharing a recovery experience
The desire to help others is what drove Callum to reach out to Farmstrong Scotland – to turn his experience into something useful.
“I never wanted sympathy. What happened, happened, and I’ve never been someone who dwells on that. But if I can share my experience and it changes the mindset of even two or three people, helps them stay in the industry and look after themselves a bit better, then I’ve done my bit. I’ve taken something negative and made it positive.”
“Farming can be incredibly isolating and there are so many elements outside of your control – the weather, markets, regulations. That weight builds up and people don’t always talk about it. If someone reads this and thinks, right, I’ll try that, or even just feels less alone in what they’re going through, that matters.”
A quiet realisation
Callum and Zara made the decision to take part in This Farming Life to showcase the reality of upland farming and hopefully inspire the next generation to consider a future in agriculture at a time when the industry needs new blood more than ever. But watching it back has brought something unexpected and personal – a vivid record of just how far they’ve come.
“There are aerial shots of the yard, and I look at them and think, that looks fantastic from where it was to where it is now. That’s the thing about looking back, it gives you perspective that you just can’t have when you’re in the middle of it.”
For Callum, that quiet realisation sums up everything he’s learned since 2023 – that progress is always happening, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
“You’re never going to change anything overnight and nobody’s going to say something that makes you feel instantly better. But small steps, looking back at where you were, appreciating what’s around you – those things add up.”
To find out more about Farmstrong Scotland and the resources available, go to www.farmstrongscotland.org.uk