The Highlanders are coming to Oban
With entries from all over Scotland and the north of England this premier sale will be well worth visiting. The Highlander has been synonymous with Oban for a great number of years, and the October sale is predominately made up of females, consisting of heifers, cows in calf or calves at foot with a small selection of males. There will also be a dispersal of the Severie fold with 67 animals on offer. Traditionally the sale of females has been held in the autumn, and the sale of males has been in February before the bulls are put out with the females. New folds, as herds of Highlanders are known, are founded every year both at home and abroad and in recent years Highland cattle societies have been started in Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Germany, Holland, Finland, France, Switzerland and Norway. There are also Highlanders in Luxembourg, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Faroe Islands. In the British Isles folds are found from the furthest south to the extreme north on many different types of ground varying from the slopes of the Sussex Downs, the fenlands of East Anglia, to the windswept machair of the Outer Hebrides. But it is on the vast areas of poor mountain land with high annual rainfall and bitter winds that Highland cattle thrive and breed where no other cattle could exist making the most of poor forage, calving outside and seldom, if ever, housed they make a real economic contribution to hill and upland areas. The breed is exceptionally hardy, with a natural and unique ability to convert poor grazing efficiently. They are remarkable for their longevity, and many Highland cows - which are great mothers - continue to breed to ages in excess of eighteen years having borne fifteen calves. The versatility of the Highlander led to a great upsurge in exports to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Austria, Holland and South America. ‘Guaranteed Pure Highland Beef’ comes wholly and exclusively from 100 per cent pure pedigree Highland cattle and commands a significant premium in specialist retail butchery outlets. The Highland Cattle Society, representing breeders, is firmly in the 21st century, with fully computerised records, and able to authenticate the complete traceability of this unique product. Highland Cattle are naturally reared, producing an excellent modern beef carcass with the lean, well-marbled, flesh that ensures tenderness and succulence with a very distinctive flavour. Highland Beef is healthy and nutritious with lower levels of fat and cholesterol and a higher protein and iron content than other beef. Judging this year’s show on Sunday October 11 will be Ewan MacKay of Killearn, near Glasgow, who will have to choose the winners from 32 competing Highland cattle folds. Mr MacKay has a number of categories to judge, including three separate heifer sections, heifer calves, cows and the bull section. From the various winners, male and female champions will be chosen. Trophies are to be presented at the Highland Cattle Society dinner and ceilidh at Oban’s Royal Hotel on the Sunday evening.
Ahead of the main event, a youth development workshop will be held on October 10 at 4pm, in Oban Livestock Centre. All keen Highland cattle enthusiasts between 11 and 18 years of age are welcome at this inaugural event. For more details contact the mart office or call 07747 610513.