HOW could you not love this little fella? A pioneering family farm in East Yorkshire is offering Highland cow cuddling and cattle trekking as it bids to attract school summer holiday families.

Dumble Farm, three miles north of Beverley, has also launched cow safaris on a home-built ‘bus’, taking visitors across the 200-acre estate that is home to a herd of Highland cattle.

The breed was introduced as part of a wild farming project designed to boost the environment and biodiversity, creating new wetlands to help mitigate climate change and provide breeding habitats for wader birds.

As part of the move, it became home to the herd, whose browsing habits make them perfect conservation grazers.

But after realising that the cows – famous for their long horns and flowing woolly coats – loved attention, being groomed and taken on adventure walks, the farm has introduced unusual visitor experiences.

Cow Cuddling is an opportunity to enjoy quiet time with the Highlands, with time to stroke and groom them, while Cow Trekking is walking along with the animal as it grazes and meanders across the farm.

This summer, visitors can also hop aboard the Dumble Bus, a purpose-built, fully weatherproof tractor and trailer, for a Family Highland Safari and Wildlife tour or a Highlands, History and Habitats trip.

Both take visitors across grassy meadows and up to the Highland cows and their calves, while knowledgeable guides reveal facts about the breed, the animals’ names and their different personalities.

The tours also include the new wetland area, where guides outline how cow grazing is creating the right habitat for declining bird species.

On the longer Highlands, History and Habitats safari, visitors also get to learn more about the history of Dumble Farm and the local area. Both tours are followed by tea or coffee and a slice of homemade cake.

There are also ‘meet and greet’ sessions with playful goats named Nibbles and Dodgem, as well as four resident inquisitive alpacas.

Still very much a working farm, the experiences are available on selected dates and must be booked in advance, with cow cuddling £40 per person and Highland trekking from £60. The safaris cost from £9 for the Family tour and £20 for History and Habitats.

For more details, full prices and to book tickets, visit www.dumblefarm.com. General tourist information on East Yorkshire as a destination is available at www.visiteastyorkshire.co.uk