Thainstone
BREEDING sheep met a strong trade at Aberdeen and Northern Marts first sale of the season at Thainstone, where the entry of 1477 head saw all ages and classes of breeding females considerably dearer on the year. 
Top price was £205 paid for a Blue Texel gimmer from Weydale Mains, Thurso, with ewe lambs peaking at £86 for Suffolk crosses from Tapiken, Tyrie.

LEADING prices

Gimmers –  Tex – Hilton of Culsh, New Deer £190. Suff X – St Johns Wells, Fyvie £188. Down X – Wardhead, Strichen £172. Tex X – Weydale Mains £172. Bel X – Grange, Kinneff £172. Suff – Westerton Auchleuchries £170. Cont – Silverleys, Duncanstone £170. Chev Mule – St Johns Wells £152. Zwa – Wardhead £148. Mule – Meikle Folla, Rothienorman £136. Eng Mule – Weydale Mains £135. Chev – Bogiebrae, Rhynie £135.
Ewes – Blue Tex 3yrs – Barry House, Glenbarry £175. Suff  2yrs – Westerton £135; Suff 3yrs – Westerton £122. Cont 2yrs – Westerton £122. Tex WM – 13 Taylor Drive, Aberchirder, Hayfield Cottage, Duncanstone £118. Mule 3yrs – Mill of Fowlis, Alford £105. 
Ewe lambs – Tex – Culphin of Park, Cornhill £70; Cont – Howe of Belhinnie, Rhynie £67.

Carlisle
BEST breeding females were easily sold at Harrison and Hetherington’s annual August Fair sale where quality was very much at the forefront of purchasers mind with more commercial types proving harder to cash. 
Leading the trade at £250 per head was a pen of four Texel gimmers from Messrs Skelton, Newhall, while ewes sold to £195 for a pen of five two shear Texels from Messrs Baird, Sandlands.
A Texel two-shear ram from Messrs Struthers, Greenbank, led the small entry of rams at £700.

LEADING prices

Gimmers – Tex – £250, £225, £210, £202, £200 (x3), £198, £180(x3), £178, £170(x3), £165, £160, Newhall Farm; £210 Sandlands; £172 Upper Tinwald Farm; £165, £162, Cornhills; £162, Sceugh Farm. Belt – £230, £210 Sceugh Farm; £182, £162, £152 Dorryfield Farm. Mill Bleu – £132 No 1 Ghyll Croft. Suff – £130 Hullerbank.
Ewes – Tex – £195 Sandlands; £128 Dorryfield Farm; £120 East Cliff Farm. Suff – £132 No 1 Ghyll Croft; £130, £118 East Cliff Farm; £119 Greenah Villa. Char – £124, Glebelands. Gf – £118 Clappers Farm; £118, £115 (x2) Hesket Demain; £110 East Cliff Farm; £110 Greenah Villa.
Rams – Tex – £700, £600 Greenbank Farm. Suff – £450 Westfield House Farm. Char – £200 Buckabank