Thainstone
STORE lambs were in short supply and very keenly bid for at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale of 262, last week, where Suffolk crosses from Thorax, Cornhill, topped the trade at £74.50.
At the first breeding sheep sale of the season, well-bred gimmers met a sound trade while other classes were more selective. The 1417-strong entry peaked at £178 for Suffolk cross gimmers from 2 Ballochview, Grange, with ewes to £137 for two-year-old Mules from Mill of Fowlis. 

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Dor – Stonebriggs, Rosehearty £70. Tex – Clinterty, New Aberdour £68. Suff – Ryuan, Tulloch £67. Tex X – Brough, South Nesting £65. Cont – Clinterty £64. Suff X – East Carmont Steading £63. Down – Thorax £61.
Breeding gimmers – Tex X – Hilton of Culsh, New Deer £175. Suff x HB – South Mains of Tillymorgan, Culsamond £172. Suff X – St Johns Wells, Fyvie £168. Down X – Wardhead, Strichen £165. Cont – South Mains of Tillymorgan £166. Chev Mule – Minard, Kirriemuir £145. BFL – Newton of Crathie £140. NofE Mule – South Mains of Tillymorgan £140. Mule – Meikle Folla, Rothienorman £130. 
Breeding ewes – Belt 3yo – Clochnahill, Stonehaven £135. Suff X 2yo – Wardhead £125. Tex 3yo – Clochnahill £125. HB – Clochnahill £122. Suff wm – Clochnahill £120. Suff 3yo – Wardhead £110. Chev 3yo – Clochnahill £110. Mule 3yo – Mill of Fowlis £102.

Dingwall
TRADE was ahead of expectations and at levels similar to last year as lambs were shown in good bloom at Dingwall and Highland Marts’ sale of 3393, last week. 
Averaging £55, they sold to £79.50 for Beltex crosses from Lower Geanies, Fearn.

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Suff X – Balavil Estate, £76.50; 196 Lednabirichen, Dornoch, £64; 67 Balvraid, Dornoch, £63; Clynelish Farm, Brora, £62.50. Tex X – Fairview, Nethybridge, £75.50; Dunlichity Farm, Farr, £69; Glenavon Estate, £67.50; Easter Bulmungie Farm, Rosemarkie, £65. Belt X – Dulsie Farm, Glenferness, £67; Ivy croft, Heights of Brae, £66. Zwa – Croft 2 and 7 Burnbank, Linside, £65. Chev – Meddat Farm, Kildary, £62; Rowanbarn, Plockton, £58, £53. Char X – Balavil Estate, £75; Fairview, £60.50. Tex – Mountplesant, Rosemarkie, £59. Mule – Mountplesant, £59.

Stirling (UA)
AVERAGES were mixed compared to last year’s sale when United Auctions sold a catalogued entry of 4015 store lambs and feeding sheep at Stirling, on Monday. 
The sale peaked at £74.50 for Texels from Invervack, followed at £74 for Beltex from Wester Cameron. 
Averages included Suffolk cross, £60.62 (-£1.83p year); Beltex cross, £61.71 (-£5.70); Texel cross, £58.51 (-£4.37); Charollais cross, £60.56; Mule, £53.85 (+58); Cheviot, £53.63 (+£1.99); Blackface, £35 (-94p). 

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Tex – Invervack £74.50; Over Newton and Feall £64. Belt – Wester Cameron £74; Rashiehill £72.50; Low Tirfergus £68; Muirpark £64. Suff – Ecclaw £65.50; Over Newton £64.50; Wester Bleaton £63. Char – Fairview £64. Chev – Tulchan Croft £60.50; Corran and Grishipol £63. Mule – Knowhead £58; Gribloch £57.50. BF – Littleport £38; Duntuim £32.50. 

Stirling (Cal)
A GOOD show of 1061 lambs was forward at Caledonian Marts’ opening store sale of the season, on Monday, where many more could have been sold to advantage. 
The sale peaked at £76 for a pen of Beltex crosses from J Gray, Craigmad, as the sale averaged £59.10 (-£1.95 on the year). Breed averages included Texel, £60.99; Suffolk, £61.52; Mule, £56.80. 

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Belt – £67, £64 Lands of Drumhead. Suff X – £65 Kilt. Tex – £65 Blairlusk, Bogside and Craigmad. Mule – £57.50 East Mitchelton; £57 Shankhead and Townhead. 

Darlington
THE fine trade continued for store lambs selling through Darlington Farmers’ Mart, on Monday, where the shortage of numbers at 466 and smaller lambs were a flyer with tight-skinned sorts meeting a noticeable premium. 
Hitting the top price of £79.50 was a pen of 10 Texel-sired lambs from GH Lister, Holebeck House, Wolsingham. 
The 63 ewes on offer reached £62 from J Kelly.

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Cont – £79.50, £64, £61.50 GH Lister; £68.50, £67.50, £60.50, £59.50, £58.50 S Pybourne; £63 RG McNeal; £55.50, £47 D Lee; £53 (x2), £44.50 J Wigham; £42 JM Dickeson. Tex – £78.50 L Collingwood; £69.50, £63 J Kelly; £68.50, £67 DSM and AJ Gibson; £64 C Longstaff; £60 M Radford; £60, £58.50 P Foster; £59.50 JM Dickeson. Suff – £68.50 DSM and AJ Gibson. Belt – £55 M Radford.
Ewes – £62 J Kelly; £61, £26 C Longstaff; £49, £47, £35 J Wigham; £45 (x2), £32, £30 RW Ridley; £31 GH Lister.

Carlisle
TRADE was strong throughout at Harrison and Hetherington’s sale of store lambs, on Monday, where a pen of Beltex from B Walton, Goodlie Hill Farm, Great Asby, led at £80 per head.

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Belt – £80, £76, £67, £65, £60 Goodlie Hill; £70 Ellonby Road; £69, £68, £65.50, £63 Penlaw; £66 Ghyll House; £59 Beck Farm. Suff – £72, £62.50 Rack Beck; £61.50 Hensol; £61 Beck Farm; £60 Tathhill Farm. Tex – £67.50 Ellonby Road; £67, £63 Smithy Garth; £66.50, £63.50 Espland; £66, £64.50 How Hill; £64.50 Whitehead Brow; £64, £62.50 Rosgill Head; £62 Hensol; £60 Home Farm; £60 The Paddock. Char – £64.50 How Mill. MB – £61.50, £60.50 Long Park. BTex – £60 Ellonby Road. NCC – £58.50, £49.50 Penny Hill. GF – £54.50 Demesne Farm; £49.50 Penny Hill. BF – £44 Penny Hill.

Longtown
SMALLER lambs sold easier on the week while best quality were easy to sell at Tuesday’s sale of 3453 store lambs through C and D Auction Marts. 
They reached £82 for Texels from Chapel House. 

LEADING prices:

Store lambs – Tex – £82, £79.50 Chapel House; £79 Ridley; £78.50 Felton Demesne. Suff – £80 Felton Demesne; £75 Binks. Char – £70.50 Monk. Belt – £70 Whitstonehill. GF – £69 Crindledykes; £60 High Airyolland. Chev Mule – £66 Hownam Grange; £62 Gillesbie.