Around the markets

FORT WILLIAM, Dingwall and Highland Marts Ltd, on Friday May 26 sold 113 store cattle, 19 OTM cattle, 11 adult head of breeding cattle, and 603 sheep. Bullocks (66) averaged 251.0p and sold to 297.0p per kilo for a 165kg Charolais cross from Moy Farm, Banavie, and £995 gross a pen of 415kg Charolais crosses also from Moy Farm. Heifers (47) averaged 231.5p and sold to 261.5p per kilo for a 260kg Limousin cross from Antuim, Isle of Mull, and £1,015 gross for a 480kg Aberdeen Angus cross from Strathlinnie, Fort William. OTM cows (19) averaged 123.1p and sold to 156.0p per kilo for an 545kg Shorthorn cross from Kengharair, Isle of Mull, and £1,070 gross for a 725kg Charolais cross from Strathlinnie. Breeding cattle (11) sold to £1,500 gross for an Aberdeen Angus bull from Glendoe Estate, Fort Augustus. Store lambs (297) sold to £87 gross for Texel crosses from Meall Mo Chridhe, Kilchoan. Ewes with lambs at foot (146) sold to £132 gross thrice for Suffolk cross ewes with triplet Suffolk cross lambs at foot, Cheviot ewes with twin Suffolk cross lambs at foot from Meall Mo Chridhe and also for a Cheviot ewe with twin cross lambs at foot from Drumbuie, Drumnadrochit. Feeding ewes (130) sold to £78 gross for a Texel from Balmaglaster, Spean Bridge (Cameron). Feeding rams and wedders (30) sold to £65 gross for a cross wedder from Alcan Highland Estate. ‘All classes met an extremely firm trade.’ Other leading prices per head and per kilo: Bullocks up to 200kg – Moy Farm, £490, Greenfield, Invergarry, 221.6p; 201-250kg – Ardnamurchan Estate, Kilchoan, £680, Moy Farm, 295.6p; 251-300kg – South Laggan , Spean Bridge, £790, Antuim, 292.3p; 301-350kg – Moy Farm, £855, Monessie Farm, Roy Bridge, 275.8p; 351- 400kg – Balmaglaster, (Cameron), £940, 247.4p. Heifers up to 250kg – Keppoch Farms, Roy Bridge, £590, Insh Farm, Spean Bridge, 246.5p; 251-300kg – 2/3 Kinloid, Arisaig, £750, Antuim, 259.3p; 301350kg – Balmaglaster, (Cameron), £880, 255.1p; 351- 400kg – Rychraggan Farm, Drumnadrochit, £835, Moy Farm, 233.8p; 401- 450kg – Moy Farm, £900, 211.8p; 451-500kg – 72 Camaghael, Fort William, £940, Strathlinnie, 211.5p. Other leading prices per head Cows with male calf at foot: LimX – Kengharair, £1,000; Bsho – Insh Farm, £940. Cows with heifer calf at foot: AAX – 72 Camaghael, £1290; LimX – Tigh Airigh, Fort William, £910. Breeding bull: Lim – Lochunagan, Fort Augustus, £1080. OTM prime & feeding cows: Ardtornish Farm, Oban, (AAX), £1050; Strathlinnie, (CharX), £1010; Moy Farm, (SimX), £970. Other leading prices per kilo OTM prime & feeding cows: Kengharair, (ShoX), 151.3p; Strathlinnie, (CharX), 147.6p; Moy Farm, (SimX), 141.6p Other leading prices per head Lambs: Chev – Balmaglaster, (Cameron), £86; Cross – 12 Aultgrishan, Gairloch, £75; BF – Drumgask, Laggan, £69. Ewes with lambs at foot: Chev ewe – Benhaint, Kilchoan, £130; LynX ewe – 72 Camaghael, £128; SuffX gmr – 72 Camaghael, £122; Cross ewe – Balmaglaster, (Cameron), £120. Ewes: LynX – 72 Camaghael, £71; Chev – Isle of Muck Farms, Isle of Muck & Balmacaan, Drumnadrochit, £65; SuffX – Balmacaan, £63; Cross – Isle of Muck Farms, £60. Feeding sheep: Suff – Meall Mo Chridhe, £62; Cross – Alcan Highland Estates, £55; BF – 5 Treslaig, £55; Chev – Insh Farm, £50.

STIRLING, Caledonian Marts, Monday May 22 saw 204 breeding cattle sold. An excellent entry of cattle forward both for numbers and quality sold to one of the largest ringside of buyers ever to be seen at this centre which resulted in all classes easily sold. Heifers with calves averaged £3,117 (a record) Cows with calves averaged £1,212 Bulling heifers averaged £1,191 (a record) Cows in-calf averaged £716 The judge was R Semple, Netherton, Dalrymple. Champion Heifer with calf came from Craig Malone, Pitcairn, Cardenden which made £5000 purchased by James Mather on behalf of Haasside Farms, Lockerbie. Reserve Champion also came from Craig Malone selling at £3800 to the judge R Semple, Netherton, Dalrymple. 3rd prize Heifer from John McAlister, West Thomaston, Banknock made £5000 to Brian Harper, Greenwells, Falkirk. Leading prices outwith prize list Heifers with calves £5,100 Pitcairn £4,800 West Thomaston £4,600 Learielaw £4,100 West Thomaston £4,000 Learielaw £3,300 West Thomaston £3,100 & £3,000 Pitcairn & West Thomaston Cows with Calves £1,900 Flemington £1,700 & £1,650 (three times) Hawkhill, Auchenblae £1,550 (twice) Hawkhill £1,400 Taylorton, Over Hillhouse and Hawkhill £1,280 Blaircessnock Bulling Heifers Lim – £2,200, £1,800 & £1,600 Seggarsdean Sim – £1,350 & £1,300 Over Hillhouse Lim – £1,300 Glenside (Stranraer) High x Sim – £1,300 Ashmore & Strone Estates AAX - £1,200 Glenside

DINGWALL, the the ninth Luing spring sale was held at Dingwall Mart on May 17 with buyers from Orkney to Yorkshire travelling for the opportunity to purchase. The sale judges were Jim and Jonathan Caygill, Rystone, Skipton. Results: In-Calf Luing Heifers 1st –F S Renwick, Lochbroom Luing Bulling Heifers 1st – Messrs Scott Farming Co Ltd, Sutherland 2nd –J, J & R Cameron, Monzie Luing Yearling Heifers 1st – Mr M. J. McCall, Kilbrora Sim-Luing Yearling Heifers 1st – M Thomson, Tillyrie In-calf Luing heifers topped 1,500gns with an average of £1,365. Luing bulling heifers sold to 1,900gns for a pair from F S Renwick, Lochbroom, selling to A & C Matheson, Upper Bogrow. Average £1,458. Yearling Luings averaged £968 to top 1,050gns for Welbeck Scottish Farm. Yearling Sim-Luings topped at 1,150gns to average £1,208 for Mr M Thomson, Tillyrie. Cows and calves sold with a top of 1,800gns with a homebred cow with heifer calf from Mr M J McCall, Kilbrora to Firm of Ernest Crawford, Blarghour. Bulls sold with a top of 5,500gns for Nunnerie Topper bred by C.C. MacAuthur. Bulls averaged £3,885.