West coasters have their day in the Highland sunshine
Farmers gathered in their thousands for the Royal Highland Show, some with mixed feelings about being there when they could have been taking advantage of the good weather to clip sheep or get the first cut into the pit.
A few meetings with old friends later and all doubts were dismissed.
The weather was brilliant over the four-day event held at Ingliston near Edinburgh between Thursday June 21 and Sunday June 24.
In the livestock lines there was success for Argyll and Bute farmers.
Starting with the Blackface sheep on Thursday, J&J MacPherson from Balliemeanoch, Loch Awe secured a third prize in a strong Blackface tup lamb class behind a lamb in first place from Messrs MacArthur, Nunnerie, Elvanfoot.
The Balliemeanoch lamb is an embryo transfer by a £10,000 Auldhouseburn tup out of a homebred ewe by a £9,000 Lurg.
John MacPherson: ‘We did very well, I would say. Our two shear was placed sixth in one of the strongest classes and we got a fifth with the ewe lamb, which is quite pleasing after the way the weather was earlier in the year.’
Duncan Buchanan, Shenavallie, Benderloch won second with his north country Cheviot shearling tup.
Among the Texels, Keith, Allan and Roy Campbell from Lochgoilhead won fourth prize in the performance recorded ram lamb class.
Brian and Janet Hill had a successful trip across from Plan Farm on the Isle of Bute. In the Hampshire Down show ring Janet took second with her two shear senior stock ram. There were two third places – for an aged ewe and a ewe lamb – and a sixth for a gimmer. The star of the show for Brian and Janet, however, was a home-bred ewe which took first prize in her class and was reserve female champion.
Campbeltown’s John MacLachlan was there showing Blue Faced Leicester sheep for J&M Turner, Kildalloig with the help of Gavin Semple and Scott Thomason.
He came home with a first place and reserve male champion rosette for his tup lamb, sired by Mossvale Masterplan (AI) from a mother out of a Hazelwood ewe.
‘It’s the first time out for this lamb,’ said John, ‘and this is the first time I’ve won with a male at the Highland Show; it’s normally females we do well with.’
Kildalloig also secured sixth places for their tup and ewe lamb and fourth for a shearling tup.
In the coloured Bluefaced Leicester ring, Lochgoilhead’s Andrew Campbell came second with a tup lamb and sixth with his ewe. Andrew also secured a fourth prize in the Scotch Mules with his ewe.
From Heylipol on Tiree, Alasdair MacLean did well in the Beltex section, taking home to the island second prizes for his shearling tup, shearling ewe and ewe lamb.
Among the cattle lines, R&P McAlister from Bute were handed a third place rosette with Langalbuinoch Kojack in the beef Shorthorn class for bulls born in 2016.
The Highland cattle classes have been an area where Argyll breeders have historically done well at the show. This year Queenie Strickland’s Cladich fold from the banks of Loch Awe – brought out by farm manager Stuart Campbell – took home a second prize with one-year-old heifer Princess Mairi 4th of Cladich. There was also a third for Capleadh Buidhe Beg 4th of Cladich in the four-year-old cow section and a fourth for one-year-old bull Monadh Mor of Cladich.
A native of Kilfinan, Catherine McKechnie farms with husband Jim at France Farm, Gartocharn. Their three-year-old heifer Kirsty 2 of Gartocharn, by Brogach 1 of Balmoral and out of Kirsty Morag of Ubhaidh, won her class and also secured the reserve overall female title. The McKechnies also took home a second for a home-bred cow and her February-born calf.
Catherine said afterwards: ‘It’s satisfying when you come to the show with two beasts and they go home with red and blue tickets – and a reserve female champion – so we can’t ask for much more.’
The majestic heavy horse classes are a sight to behold, and there was a prize for a Clydesdale which has won both Kintyre and Mid Argyll shows in recent years. Garcal-Fra Sweet Chloe, from Campbeltown breeder Callum MacPhail, took third place in the class for mares with foal at foot, but Callum also took first prize in the foal class.
In the four-year-old mare section there was a fourth for John ‘Speedie’ McMillan and family from Bute with Mill Miss Keriin, and a sixth place for McFadyen Contractors, Campbeltown.