Bank boss in secondment to agency
A SENIOR manager at Bank of Scotland is joining Highlands and Islands Enterprise on a 12-month secondment.
Shona Austin, from the bank’s SME unit in Glasgow, is joining the publicly funded economic development agency to help BoS better understand how the organisation works and the ways it supports companies.
During the year she will also try to help HiE better understand the funding requirements which businesses need to meet to gain bank support.
Ms Austin will be based in Inverness, but travel around the Highlands and Islands looking at different business sectors with tourism one of the areas she is expected to focus on.
Her salary will continue to be paid by the bank. UNITED Auctions sold 4,072 store lambs and feeding sheep at their opening sale of the season at Stirling yesterday.
Top prices and averages for selected breeds of store lambs were: Suffolks to £60 and averaged £54.53 (-£5.53 on the year); Texels £62.50 and £52.62 (-£9.17); BTex £57.50 and £50.52 (-£8.52); Mule £54.50 and £49.65 (+£4.68); BF £43 and £38.53 (+75p).
Wallets Marts sold a total of 248 store heifers in Castle Douglas yesterday to a top price of £1,210 per head and 250.7p per kg to average £877.98 and 219.2p (+£32.45 on last year), while 364 store bullocks peaked at £1,255 and 280.4p to level at £ 10 2 8 . 4 3 and 2 31.1 p (+£70.39).
John Swan Ltd sold 46 prime heifers in St Boswells yesterday to a top of 242p and an average of 232.2p (+5p on the week), while 15 prime bullocks peaked at 217p and levelled at 216.7p (-22p).
In the rough ring, 37 beeftype cows averaged 118.8p (-10p).
The firm also sold 1,810 prime lambs to a top of £85 per head and 177p per kg to average £66.33 and 154p (+11p).
The 589 cast sheep forward saw heavy ewes sell to £96 for Suffolks and average £52.71, while light ewes peaked at £80 for Cheviots and levelled at £46.28.
Harrison & Hetherington Ltd sold 12 prime heifers in Carlisle yesterday to a top of 238.5p and an average of 216p (+17.2p), while 25 prime, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 226.5p and levelled at 195.4p (-10.6p).
Four prime, dairy-bred bull- ocks sold to 176.5p and averaged 162.2p.
Twenty-three prime, beefbred bulls sold to 214.5p and averaged 168.6p (-2.9p), while 17 prime, dairy-bred bulls peaked at 153.5p and levelled at 137.1p (+0.1p).
In the rough ring, 72 beef cows averaged 128.1p (+0.4p) and 282 dairy cows levelled at 92.3p (-1.1p). Five bulls averaged 109.3p (-10.9p).
The firm also sold 2,614 prime lambs to a top of £93.80 and 204.3p to average 158.2p (+11.3p).
The 217 cast sheep forward saw heavy ewes sell to £94.50 for Texels and £62.50 for Cheviots.
Lawrie & Symington Ltd sold 12 prime heifers in Lanark yesterday to a top of 254p and an average of 246.5p (+10.1p), while ten prime, beef-bred bullocks peaked at 231p and levelled at 209.7p (+5.2p). Three prime, B&W bullocks sold to 146p and averaged 142.5p (-5.1p).
In the rough ring, 42 beef cows averaged 125.1p (-3p) and 51 dairy cows levelled at 90.4p (+0.4p).
The firm also sold 1,686 prime lambs to a top of £85 and 223.7p to average 155.3p (+9.7p).
The 592 cast sheep forward saw ewes sell to £124.50 for a Texel and £66.50 f or Blackfaces.