Ayr

Blackface averages improved on the year at Craig Wilson's sale of 3109 breeding sheep, where draft ewes and gimmers levelled at £60.58, +£2.12 and £111.74, +£18.24, respectively.

The sale which comprised 584 Blackface ewes was topped at £82 from James Murdoch and Son, Knockdon, selling to Paul O'Lynn, Northern Ireland, while gimmers peaked at £130 from Robbie Welsh, Roan of Balcaimie.

Knockdon also topped the gimmer trade, selling a pen of three at £220, while Cheviots sold to £124 from RTand MB McTaggart, Glenauchie. Mule gimmers sold to £128 from JH Sloan and Son, Dormieston, Stair. Mungo Hunter, Pennymore, topped the cross ewe lambs at £88 per head.

Store lambs sold the same day saw the 1177 head peak at £66 for Beltex crosses from A Clark, Woodside. Suffolk sold to £62.50 from T McMillan, Eskechraggan.

LEADING prices

Draft ewes – Bf – £82, £78, £76 Knockdon; £68 (x2) Ashmark and Craig; £66 (x3) Glenwhilly, Barnvannoch and Craig; £64 Ashmark; £63 Pinvalley.

Gimmers – Bf – £130 Roan of Balcaimie; £126 (x2) Knockewart and Craig; £124 Knockewart; £122 Knockeen. Mule – £128, £126 Dormieston; £122 Pinmore Mains. Tex – £220, £170 and £160 Knockdon; £130 Yonderton; £118 (x2) Dormieston. Chev – £124 Glenauchie; £116, £112 and £106 (x3) Brisbane Mains. Chev – £106 Parclewan Mill

Ewes – Tex – £220, £180, £150 Knockdon; £122 Yonderton; £112 Beechknowe; £105 Mid Lowes; £102 Beechknowe.

Ewe lambs – Mule – £88 Pennymore; £74 Fechan; £72 Knockewart; £70 Garpel Farms and Middlepart. Chev Mule – £80 Knockewart.

Newton Stewart

Blackface draft ewes improved by £5.19 per head on the year to level at £60.10 at Craig Wilson's sale at Newton Stewart.

Topping the sale of 437 head at £71 was a pen of 36 hill ewes from J and T Scott, Garchew.

Blackface gimmers peaked at £80 from Larg Farming, Larg, Creetown

Mule gimmers peaked at £100 from J Ferguson, Rose Cottage.

The sale of 126 store lambs sold to £58 for Texels, from M Farroll, Burges Croft, with Blackfaces reaching £37 from R McKenna, Bents, Barrhill. Texel lambs (58) averaged £50.50; Suffolk lambs (10) at £56, and Blackies (58) at £33.25.

LEADING prices

Breeding sheep – BF ewes – £71, £60, Garchew, £66, £60, Drannandow, £66, £64, Lagafater, Dalnigap, £64, Lagafater, Shenna’s; £64 (x2), Markdhu, £62, Glenvernoch, £60, Challochglass, £59, Glenchamber. BF gmrs – £80, Larg, Creetown. Mule gmrs – £100, Rose Cottage.

Store lambs – Tex – £58, Burges Croft; £56.50,£51, South Clutag; £56, Barnsladie. Suff – £56, Burges Croft. BF – £37, Bents, Barrhill.

* The firm's sale of 123 breeding rams and females, was led by a Texel shearling, from J Clark, West Glengyre, at £780.

The same home also topped the Suffolk shearlings at £520, with another from J Wallace, Claycrop also making £520.

Beltex and Beltex crosses were topped at £460 and £500 respectively for shearlings from J McMillan, Carse of Clary.

Topping the lambs at £600 was a Suffolk from Jim Cannon, Redbrae, who also received £550 for a Suffolk.

Danny Hair, Drumbreddan, sold the lead priced Texel lamb at £480. Blue Texel lambs, sold to £420 from Redbrae

Females peaked at £400 for a Texel gimmer from David and Iain Walker, Laigh Alticane, and ewe lambs were topped at £120, twice, for Beltex from R McKnight, Dalhabboch.

Overall, 54 Texel shearlings averaged £430.74; 11 Suffolks at £364.55; four Beltex shearlings at £417.50; seven Beltex crosses at £428.57and four Shetland shearlings at £36.25. The three Bluefaced Leicesters levelled at £233.33.

Suffolks topped the lamb averages at £451 for 10, with 12 Texels at £317.50 and four Blue Texels at £380.

Texel gimmers (10) balanced out at £275.

FLOCK averages

Flock (No) Breed Avg £

Shearlings

West Glengyre (12) Tex 606.66

Garthlearie House (3) Tex 573.33

Laigh Alticane (7) Tex 482.85

Fineview (8) Tex 443.75

Claycrop (3) Suff 396.66

Laigh Drumdow (5) Suff 340

Carse O'Clary (7) Belt X 428.57

Carse O'Clary (3) Belt 416

Redbrae (4) Blue Tex 380

Ram lambs

Drumbreddan (4) Tex 370

Crailloch (3) Tex 316

Mid Skeog (5) Suff 472

Redbrae (5) Suff 450

Gimmers

Laigh Alticane (5) Tex 280

Glenart (4) Tex 237.50

Dumfries

Some 1500 Scotch Mule ewe lambs and breeding sheep were forward for C and D Auctions' second sale at Dumfries, where an overall average of £78.82 was achieved.

Lightshaw Farming, Muirkirk, topped the sale at £106.

The sale of 500 Blackface ewe lambs peaked at £82 from Kirkland Farming.

The firm's sale of 1572 store lambs staged the same day attracted good numbers of buyers ensuring a buoyant trade throughout.

LEADING prices

Ewe lambs – Scotch Mule – £106, £102, Lightshaw; £90, £86, £85, Clonrae; £88, Kirkton of Crawford; £88, Nunnerie; £86, High Creoch; £85, Dornal (Guelt); £84, Wyliehole. Tex – £100, £99, Kirkbog (The Lodge). Chev – £64, Laghead Farm.

Gimmers – Scotch Mule – £134, £126, Riggheads; £128, Nisbet; £126, High Creoch. Tex – £152, Kilfaddoch; £130, Westhill. BF – £82, £70, Kirkland; £68, Chapel; £62, Sweetshawhead; £62, Earlshaugh.

Store lambs – Suff – £60, Tibbers. Tex – £58, Crookboat. Cross – £53.50, Crookboat. Chev – £53, Strathmilligan Farms. Lleyn – £43, Buittle Mains. BF – £47, Low Garleffan; £45, Bridgemark; £43.50, Snar.

Quoybrae

A single Cheviot gimmer from Biggins, Killimister, led the way at Aberdeen and Northern Marts sale of 2621 store and breeding sheep, selling for the top price of £550.

The sale which incorporated sheep from Dunbeath, Bettyhill, Forsinard and North West Sutherland areas, saw the champion pen of 10 Cheviots from J and J Farquhar, Smiddyquoy, sell for £320 per head. These were selected by the judge, Isobel Angus, Oldfield, Thurso, and sold to N Barclay, Harestone, Crathes.

Reserve was a pen of Mules from J and MM Allan, Durran Mains, Castletown, selling for £130 to JTM Mackay, Thura Mains, Bower.

Overall, 448 Cheviot gimmers averaged £126.55; 112 Mule gimmers levelled at £112.80 and 145 Texels at £102.58.

Breeding ewes (1011) averaged £62.05 from a top of £94 from Hilliclay, Thurso, with store lambs (390) to £76.50 for Texels from Long Cairn Cottage, Weydale.

Feeding ewes and rams (342) peaked at £100 for Suffolks from The Smithy, Haster, Wick.

LEADING awards

10 NCC Gimmers (Judge: I Angus). 1, J and J Farquhar, Smiddyquoy, Watten, £320; 2, J and W Mackay, Biggins, Killimster, £300; 3, HP Sleigh and Son, St Johns Wells, Fyvie, £200.

10 Mule Gimmers (Judge: I Angus). 1, J and MM Allan, Durran Mains, Castletown, £130; 2, P Ronaldson, Killimster, Wick, £135; 3, P Ronaldson, Killimster Wick, £128.

10 Texel Gimmers (Judge: I Angus). 1, W and S Mccarthy, Myrelandhorn, Wick, £130.

LEADING prices

Gimmers – Chev – £550, £240, £300, Biggins; £320 (x2), 8 Henderson Sqaure; £200, St Johns Wells, Fyvie. Mule – £135, £128, 5 Upper Dounreay, Killimster Mains; £125, Strichen Mains. Chev Mule – £140, £138, £135, Strichen Mains. Tex – £140 Balnahard, Harpsdale; £130, Myrelandhorn (McCarthy), Balnahard; £102, Thrumster Little. HB- £100, 1 Skaill, Forss; £85, Hunster. Suff – £125, Balnahard, Harpsdale; £105, Biggins, Mossburn.

Ewes – Chev – £91, Taldale, Forss; £82, Quoybrae Farmhouse. Tex – £90, Haakon, Lyth. Mule – £110, Achaguie Farm, Scotscalder.

BM ewes – Chev – £57, Lower Toftingall, Watten; £50, Brackside, Reay.

Store lambs – Chev – £64, Lynton Cottage. Cont – £61.50, Hillside, Auchengill. Tex – £60, Longcairn House.

Ewe lambs – Chev – £72, Achalone Croft, Halkirk.

Dispersal (On behalf of LP Hazell, Gansclett). Dors gmrs – £90. Dors ewes – £68. Char ewes – £61.

LEADING prices (per area)

Dunbeath – Gimmers – £100, Braemore (McGongill). WM ewes – £74, Braemore (McGonigill).

BM ewes – £50, Tacher. Fdrs – £71, Hilton. Ewe lambs – Tex – £67, Hilton. Store lambs – Tex – £58, Hilton. Chev – £48.50, Torbeg.

Bettyhill – Gmrs – £78, 98 Kirktomy, 38 Fiscary. WM ewes – £65, 108 Kirktomy. BM Ewes – £36, 98 Kirktomy. Feeding Ewes – £56, 38 Fiscary. Ewe lambs – £51, 38 Fiscary. Store lambs – £38, 38 Fiscary.

Halladale and Portskerra – Gmrs – £95, Trantlebeg. WM ewes – £84, Trantlbeg. BM ewes – £48, Golval. Fdrs – £77, Kirkton Farm. Breeding rams – Chev 2-shear – £110, Golval. Chev 3-shear – £100, Golval. Store lambs – £49, Trantlebeg.

Armadale and Strathy (Reduction from C Cook) – 2/3 crop ewes, £85; 1/2-crop ewes, £71; 4-crop, £51. Gmrs – £100, 14 Balgill. WM ewes – £61, 128 Totiegan. BM ewes – £51, 184 Armdale. Fdrs – £59, 184 Armadale. Ewe lambs – £53, 27 Brawl. Store lambs – £59, 27 Brawl

Skerray – WM ewes – £78, 3 Borgie. BM ewes – £50, 3 Borgie. Fdrs – £55, 265 Tubeg. Store lambs – £39, 65 Clashidy. Feeding ewes – Tex – £99, Long Cairn Cottage. Suff – £98, Quoybrae Farmhouse. Cont – £95, Seaview, Oldwick. Chev – £81, Achaguie. Mule – £76, Scarmclet.