Scottish farmer finds new purpose with on-farm gym

After years in top-tier rugby and farm management, Scottish farmer Peter Eccles has found purpose in an unexpected place: opening a fitness gym on his family farm in Dumfries and joining a rural wellbeing movement.

In 2020, Peter was recognised as Farmers Weekly’s Farm Manager of the Year and went on to take the overall title of Farmer of the Year for his work at Saughland Farm, Midlothian.

Around the same time, he stepped away from both rugby and his role as a manager, taking on the family farm, Carlaverock, and facing what he called “a tough time where I struggled mentally to find my new purpose”.

See also: Tips for farm fitness from last year’s Britain’s Fittest Farmer winner

The 40-year-old former Melrose and Heriot’s back row forward, who earned Club International honours, said: “I was at a stage in my life where I felt it was important to pursue my dreams and build something for myself.”

The answer came in the form of a new gym. Combining his love for routine, fitness, and community, Peter opened Fitness Farmyard in late 2023.

“Exercise and routine, along with the social side of sport, had been such a huge part of my rugby-playing days,” he said.

“This inspired me to want to start my own gym back home on the farm.”

The gym, which runs high-intensity interval training and strength classes from 6.30am most weekdays, sits within repurposed farm buildings.

Alongside farming 80ha of cereals under contract and managing a herd of pedigree Hereford cattle, Peter now trains clients and supports two additional personal trainers.

The shift hasn’t come without challenges. Diagnosed with osteoarthritis in both hips, Peter said: “It is amazing how much of my mobility I have managed to maintain through careful selection of exercise and daily stretching.”

Now a vocal advocate for Farmstrong Scotland, a rural wellbeing organisation, Peter credits the initiative with helping him reconnect and stay grounded.

“I got back on track by learning more about myself and re-evaluating my priorities, such as my family and the importance of managing my mental health and physical fitness,” he said.