Longtown
C AND D Auction Marts held its second sale of hill breeding sheep alongside lowland breeding sheep where all classes were easier on the year.
The sale of 3653 hill sheep peaked at £98 for black South Country Cheviot ewes from Messrs Weir, Mainside, with Blackfaces to £80 for gimmers from Monkridge Hill.
Lowland females (1289) sold to £148 for a pen of Texel ewe lambs from Messrs Bell, Kirkton, followed at £135 for Beltex gimmers from Albieirgg.

LEADING prices:

Hill females – Ewes – SCC – £98, £87 Mainside; £96, £82, £76 Wardlaw; £59 Glendinning; £58 Clenries. NCC – £96, £84 Capelfoot; £86, £74 Harelawhill; £78 Springfield; £67 Sorbie; £56, £55 Milton of Farr. BF – £72, £54 Miltonise; £49 Rowhope; £46, £44 Penchrise; £45 Bayles. NCC x EC – £56 Milton of Farr. Swale – £46 Harelawhill. Gimmers – SCC – £92 Chapel; £72 Clenries; £70 Blackburn. BF – £80, £75 Monkridge Hill; £78 Mill View. Ewe lambs – SCC – £58 Chapel; £48.50 Parkhill; £46, £43.50 Glendinning; £45 Glengeith; £43 Clenries. BF – £50 Crookburn; £44 Bowanhill; £44, £40 Queensberry.
Lowland females  – Ewes –Tex – £114 Searigg; £78 Patties Hill. Cross – £90 Patties Hill; £82 Eden Grove; £67 Lynedale. Lle x NCC – £74, £71, £67, £65, £64 Castle Clanyard. Chev Mule – £70 Springfield. Romney – £56 Willowford. Gimmers – Belt – £135, £132 Albierigg. Tex – £132 Skelfhill; £128 Searigg; £126 Patties Hill. Suff – £90 Howahill. Cross – £88 Howahill; £70 Hole of Lyne. Lle x NCC – £72, £70, £69, £67 Castle Clanyard. Chev Mule – £70 Dykecrofts. Ewe lambs – Tex – £148, £122, £118 Kirkton; £90, £82 Kinninghall; £82 Westhills; £80 Gilston. Cross – £74, £66 Monk; £73 Barvennen; £70 Albierigg; £67 Netheroakshaw; £66 D’Mainholm. Chev Mule – £73 Gilston; £67 Scotcher Gill.

Thainstone
A SPECIAL entry of native store cattle at Aberdeen and Northern Marts saw bullocks sell to 246.9p per kg for a pen of eight Aberdeen-Angus cross bullocks from Home Farm, Pitmedden, and £1410 for a pair of 678kg Angus crosses from Ord, Rhynie.
The 154 Angus and native bullocks cashed in to average 204.8p (+0.9p on the year).
Angus and native heifers (129) were also topped by Angus crosses from Ord, this time weighing 634kg and selling for £1290, with a 458kg Aberdeen-Angus cross from Hilton Farm, Balfour, at 229.3p. They averaged 184.4p (-12.3p).
Also on offer were 1494 sheep from the Orkney and Shetland islands, where the 1049 lambs reached £64 for Cheviots from Mousa Cottage while the 445 other sheep peaked at £75 for Texel ewes from Mousa Cottage, Leebiton.

LEADING prices:

A-A and native bullocks – Up to 300kg – Home Farm Pitmedden £640, 230.2p. 301-350kg – Sandwick House, St Margarets Hope £855, 248.5p. 351-400kg – Home Farm Pitmedden £860, 231.2p. 401-450kg – Crowtaing, Longhope £890; Deystone, Kintore 211.2p. 451-500kg – Culfoichmore, Grant-On-Spey £1000; Stirlinghillock 204.1p. 501-550kg – Stonefolds, Fyvie £1165; Howan, Dounby 221.2p. 551-600kg – North House, £1230, 211.3p. 601-650kg – Ord, Meikle Toux, Cornhill £1300; Soutra, Auchinhove 211.9p.
A-A and native heifers – Up to 300kg – Home Farm Pitmedden, Dyce £630. 300- 350kg – Home Farm Pitmedden £640, 200p. 351-400kg – Elsness, Sanday £855, 217p. 401-450kg – Elsness, Sitrlinghilock, Whitecairns £870; Elsness 211.2p. 451-500kg – Hilton, Balfour £1050; Culfoichmore, Grantown-On-Spey 205p. 501-550kg – North House, Setter £1070, 200.8p. 551-600kg – Wester Manbeen, Elgin £1040; 3 Wester Arbol, Portmahomack 184.8p.
Island lambs – Chev – Mousa Cottage £64. Tex – Parkview, Bigton £62. Suff – Braehoulland, Eshaness £61. Tex X – South Lea, Vidlin £59.50. Char – Garth, Corston £59. Chev X – Swinister, Ollaberry £58. Suff X – Brough, Bressay £55. Cont – Glengarth Brae £54.
Island ewes – Chev – Kurkigarth, Weisdale £72.50. Chev X – Mousa Cottage £67. Tex X – Parkview, Bigton £63. Cont – South Lea £50. Shc – Briarlea, Sullom £46.

Castle Douglas
A SHEARLING from Glen, Gatehouse of Fleet, topped Wallets Marts’ sale of Blackface and other breed rams on Monday when it sold for £600.
Other breeds reached £560 for a Texel shearling from Fineview, Glenluce.

LEADING prices:

Breeding rams – BF – £600, £220 Glen, Gatehouse; £320, £300 Drannandow; £240 Larg, Creetown; £240 Kirkmabreck; £220 Clanary; £200 Blackloch; £200 Craignell; £200 Laghead. Tex – £560, £500 Fineview; £460, £400 West Glengyre; £440 Ochiltree Mains; £440, £400 South Qunitinespie; £400 Newmains. BFL – £220, £200 South Quintinespie; £200 Low Arkland; £200 High Borgue. Suff – £200 Newmains.

Stirling (Cal)
CALEDONIAN Marts held a sale of 239 beef breeding cattle where tops of £4000 and £3500 were paid for heifer and calf outfits from the McAlister family, Wester Thomaston.
A show of heifers with calves at foot saw the judge, Wilson Peters, Monzie, buy his champion pair from Craig and Katreen Malone, Pitcairn, for £3000. The reserve, another unit from Pitcairn, sold to Gary Bell, Haas Side, for £2500.
Included was a section for heifer calves with breeding potential where many spring-born calves sold in excess of 300p per kg. They reached £890 for Hereford heifers from Belltrees.
The second ram sale saw averages back for both sections as 164 shearlings levelled at £260 (-£35) with 56 ram lambs at £182 (-£5. Bluefaced Leciesters topped both sections when a £580 shearling from H Caldwell, East Mitchelton, and a £340 lamb from P and S Hammond, Auchenbart, both sold to AD Millar, Bridgehouse.

LEADING prices:

Breeding cattle – Heifers with calves – £4000, £2600, £2500 £3500 West Thomaston; £3000, £2800, £2600, £2500 Pitcairn; £1520 Addiewell. Cows with calves – £1320, £1200 Lochridgehills; £1300 Graystale; £1120 Ballabeg. Bulling heifers – £1500 Baluskie. In-calf females – Heifers – £1350 (x2), £1250 Baluskie; £1080 Lochlands. Cows – £1100 Iochdar (Mull); £1050, £1020, £1000 Uiskentuie (Islay). Heifer calves – Her – £890, £860 Belltrees. Sho – £840 Auchenlay; £710, £700 Stronmagachan. Lui – £800 Gilmeadowland. A-A X – £720 Low Drumclog; £650, £600 Carloonan. Sim – £750 (x2) Robertsonlane.
Breeding rams – Shearlings – Tex – £500, £480 Easter Dullatur; £450 Riverview; £440 Sunnyside; £420 Easter Garden; £400 Wester Crosshill, East Cauldcoats (x2), East Mains (x2). Suff – £380 West Carse; £300 East Mains; £300 Horn. Belt – £480, £420 Cherryfield; £420 Claylands; £400 East Cauldcoats. Chev – £360, £320 Maidencots; £220, £200 Ardoch. Lle – £140 Rosneath (x2). BFL –  £280 Ardoch; £260 Walton; £190 Maidencots (x2). Lambs – Tex – £280, £220, £200 Lochlands (6x); £200 Riverview. Suff – £300 Claylands (x2). Belt – £300 Harestanes. BFL – £210, £200 Auchenbart (x2). Berr – £200 Kirkton. Blue Tex – £300, £220, £200 Millside.

Quoybrae
SELLING at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ Quoybrae centre on Monday were 2255 sheep of all classes.
Store lambs (1428) averaged £48.92 and sold to £70 twice – for Texels from Thrumster Little, Wick, and again for Cheviots from Torbeg, Dunbeath – and the 116 ewe lambs averaged £47.46 having reached £70 for Texels from Haven View, Lower Gills.
Prime lambs (76) peaked at 154.5p for 38 continentals weighing 45.3kg and £70.50 for five continentals weighing 50.4kg, all from East Kirk (Sutherland).  
Shearling rams topped the 330 breeding sheep at £400, including a Suffolk from Stainland and Sibmister and a Texel from East Kirk, Wick, and females sold to £200 for one-crop Cheviot ewes from Oldfield.

LEADING prices:

Prime lambs – Belt – Burnside, Huna £70, 145.8p. Cont – East Kirk £70, 140p. Suff – Thirdpart £66.50, 150.5p. Tex – 3 Braal £64.50, Mid Calder 154.3p.
Ewe lambs – Tex – Haven View £69. HB – Granton Mains £62. Suff – Whiteleen, Granton Mains and Upper Catchery £56. Cont – Whiteleen £47.50. Chev – Upper Catchery £46.
Store lambs – Chev – Damside £69. Tex – Ruther Quarry £62. Suff – Upper Catchery £59.50. HB – Granton Mains £56.50. Cont – Quoybrae Farm £55.50. Char – Roadside, Killimster £54.
Dispersal from H Harper, Upper Dounreay, Thurso – Gimmers – Chev £98, Suff £82, Tex £80. Ewes – Chev 1/2cr £100, Chev 3cr £100, Chev Mule 4 cr £82, Mule 2cr £68. Rams – Chev 3sh £200, Chev shlg £140.
Breeding sheep – Gimmers – Cont – Ruther Quarry £100. Tex – Haven View and Merricroft, Mid-Clyth £92. BFL – Whiteleen £75. Suff – Haven View £75. Zwa – Merricroft £65. Ewes – Chev 1cr – Oldfield £200. Tex 1cr – Haven View £85. Shearling rams – Tex – Oldfield £380; Ha’, Auckengill £240. Suff – 1 Skelpick £300 (x2). Chev – Reaster £300; Wester £240; Haven View £200.
Feeding ewes and rams – Chev – 24 Sinclair Square £70; Chev X – Clachan, Mid-Clyth £69; Cont – Haakon £64; Suff – Smithy House, Bilbster £64; Bel – Thirdpart £60.


Oban
SMALL Blackface lambs proved hard to cash while better sorts of all other breeds enjoyed a more buoyant trade at United Auctions’ sale of 1659 sheep.
Texel crosses from Ardachy topped at £55 while Blackies sold to £39 from Fiart.
Feeding sheep reached £52 for Suffolk cross ewes from Baluachrach.

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Tex X – £55 Ardachy; £50 Croic Ur, Lismore. Suff X – £54.50 56 Tangasdale, Barra; £51 Baluachrach.Chev – £51.50 56 Tangasdale; £50 Killiechronan; £46 Newcrofts, Uisken; £40 Croig, Calgarry. Cross – £48; 56 Tangasdale; £47 Aird; £41 Baluachrach. Mule – £43.50 Ardachy. BF – £39, £33 Fiart; £34 Turnault; £34 Aird; £30 Castles Estate.
Wedders – Cross – £46 Lochbuie; £41 56 Tangasdale. BF – £37 Ensay.
Ewes – Suff  X – £52 Baluachrach. Tex X – £48 2 Kiel Crofts; £47 Fanmore; £46 56 Tangasdale. Cross – £45, £40 Baluachrach; £41 Newfield. Mule – £42 Balligarve; £40 Frackersaig. Chev – £37 Balligarve; £37 Creagnich £34Tiraghoil. BF – £30 Lagganulva; £27 Newcrofts Uisken; £26 Carnasserie.