Averages: Ring 1 – 249 shearling rams, £3045.38 (+£765.23 for 18 fewer sold); Ring 2 – 214 shearling rams, £429.49 (-£71.85 for three fewer).

By Patsy Hunter

Photographs by Emma Cheape

Shearlings proved a big attraction at the two-day sale of Blackface rams at Lanark, producing a new six-figure high at £100,000 and a record average.

Add to that a £150,000 sale for a tup lamb on the second day, a further 30 five-figure transactions over the two days and it was another memorable event for the breed.

It was, though the shearlings that enjoyed the most consistency of the trading, with breeders looking for good, big scouthy, bare tups and rams that would produce breedy and milky ewes.

“The shearling rams were noticeably of better quality with a bit more size and better skins,” said Archie Hamilton, Lawrie and Symington’s head sheep auctioneer who sold the two top priced sheep. “Sheep farmers need good breedy, milky females that will survive on the hills and produce a good lamb at the end of the day and it was these better quality sheep that were simple to sell. The tup lamb day was a lot more selective, with no-one looking to buy the bottom end,” added Mr Hamilton.

Such was the trade for shearling rams in Ring 1, that averages jumped a massive £765 per head on the year to break through the £3000 mark for the first time at £3045.38 for 249 sold.

While the sale started off well, it was one of the last lot cashed that hit the record-breaking £100,000, when the pen leader from Alastair and David Macarthur’s Nunnerie pen, from Elvanfoot, sold to Iain Campbell, Glenrath, Peebles.

Eclipsing the previous high of £90,000 paid for a shearling from Ian Hunter, Dalchirla, at Dalmally in 2010, was a son of a £6000 Elmscleugh shearling bought at the same centre in 2017. His mother, a former show ewe that stood reserve at Abington in 2017, is by the home-bred Dynamo.

Notably, this was the second six-figure priced Blackface from Nunnerie, with the 1600-strong ewe flock having sold a tup lamb at £100,000 here in 2014.

The same Elmscleugh sire was also behind a £12,000 Nunnerie shearling, brought out by shepherds Derek Brown and Craig Thornborrow. His dam, another former show female that stood first at the Highland as a rough ewe, is by the £50,000 Pole lamb. David Ferguson, Drannandow Farms, Newton Stewart, was the final bidder.

Second top price was £38,000 paid for the No 1 from Jimmy and Donald MacGregor’s Dyke pen, from Milton of Campsie, which sold to Matthew Hamilton and son, also Matthew, South Cobbinshaw, West Calder; John Marshall, Gosland, Broughton, Biggar; John and Richard Wood, Kingledores, Tweedsmuir; and Willie and Billy Graham, Craigdarroch, Sanquhar.

For their money they get an AI son of the £24,000 Elmscleugh sold almost 10 years ago, out of a ewe by the home-bred Travis.

A £15,000 Midlock sire that has bred sons to £20,000 for Dyke was behind the MacGregors' No 2 shearling which made £13,000 selling to Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, Kilsyth; the Hamilton brothers – James, Charles and Harry, Aikengall, Innerwick and Dunbar; and Malcolm Coubrough, Hartside Farms, Lamington. The dam is by a £14,000 Loughash.

More than financing that transaction, the Hamiltons – who run 1500 ewes at Aikengall – produced their best trade in less than 10 years selling Blackface tups when their pen leader made £16,000. More than doubling their previous best of £7000 was Joffy – christened after the boys’ late father John Hamilton, who sadly passed away just before the Highland Show – a son of a £3000 Moorfoot tup bought in 2017, out of a ewe by an £18,000 Midlock. He was knocked down to Hartside Farms and Andrew Provan and son, also Andrew, Parkhall, Douglas.

Parkhall also enjoyed a top trade, taking £20,000 from Aikengall; Burncastle Farms, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson; Billy Renwick and son Andrew, Blackhouse Yarrow; and his brother, Tommy Renwick and son Tam, Williamhope, Clovenfords. The breeding behind this tup includes an £11,000 Glenrath tup bought in 2017, onto a ewe by an £18,000 Midlock – one of 1600 ewes in the flock at Parkhall.

Matching that £20,000 sale was the pen leader from Mrs Obie Sharp, Longcroft, Lauder, managed by Alan Rogerson and ‘herded by Peter Lothian, was bought by Hartside Farms and Allanfauld. A son of a £25,000 Elmscleugh, he is bred from a daughter of a £9000 Mitchellhill.

Shearling rams from Allan Wight, son Allan and his son, Ben, Midlock, Crawford, again proved popular with sales at £16,000, £14,000 and £12,000.

The first, brought out with assistance of shepherds, Brian Gilchrist and Iain Clarke, is by the £22,000 Lurg shearling bought at Dalmally in 2017 in partnership with Dalchirla, that went on to stand champion at the Highland the following year. Bred from a former show ewe by Soapy, a £60,000 Nunnerie, he sold to Tom Bagan, Waterlands, Stewarton.

The second Midlock shearling, by the £24,000 Connachan shearling which is owned in partnership with Dalchirla and stood champion at the Highland in 2017, is out of a ewe by a £25,000 Crossflatt. Nunnerie; Ian Bond, Glen, Gatehouse; and John and Iain Finlay, Blackcraig, Corsock, forked out the £12,000 for this tup.

Selling for £14,000 for the Wights to Williamhope, Burncastle Farms and Blackhouse, was a son of a £25,000 Elmscleugh shearling bought at Dalmally, bred from a daughter of a £12,000 Aikenhead.

Father and son team, Archie and John MacGregor, Allanfauld, also enjoyed a good day with sales at £14,000 and £10,000. Their No 3, a son of an £1100 Gass, bought at Dalmally in 2017, out of a ewe by the £40,000 Easter Happrew, lamb made the top money to Sam McClymont and sons, William and Scott, Tinnis, Yarrow.

Chapped down at £10,000 to Craigdarroch was Allanfauld’s pen leader, a son of the £32,000 Midlock shearling bought here in 2017, bred from a ewe by a home-bred son of the £40,000 Easter Happrew.

The same sire was also behind the best from Neil Barclay and sons, Stuart and Magnus’ pen leader from Harestone, Insch, brought out by Robert Marshall. He sold to Midlock.

Scottish National Sheep Association chair, Jen Craig and her father Andrew, Normangill, Crawford, also got in on the action, forking out £13,000 for the pen leader from Willie and Billy Graham’s 1600-ewe flock at Craigdarroch. The breeding behind this transaction includes a £14,000 Dyke shearling bought in 2016, out of a daughter of a £17,000 Midlock.

There were more big bucks to come for Alan McClymont, who farms at Kirkstead and Dryhope, both Yarrow, when they sold to £10,000 and £13,000, respectively.

Buying back some of their own genetics, Tom and Mairi Paterson and son, Robert, Dunruchan, Muthill, Crieff, bought the £10,000 Kirkstead shearling, a son of a £17,000 Easter Happrew bred from a ewe by a £6500 Dunruchan.

Selling at £13,000 was the pen leader off Dryhope, brought out with assistance from shepherd, David Faulds. He is by a home-bred son of a £24,000 Dyke, bred from a daughter of a £5000 Williamhope and sold to A Smith, Wester Crosswoodhill, West Calder.

Top price in Ring 2 was £3000 paid by Hugh Stewart, Upper Kidston, Eddleston, for the best from the Mitchell boys from Little Larg, New Luce. Their pen leader, a son of a £6500 High Staward, is bred from a ewe by a £13,000 Midlock.

* Blackface shearling rams sold at Craig Wilson's Newton Stewart centre averaged £1317.57 and not as previously reported.

OTHERLEADING prices

£9000 – Craigdarroch, by a home-bred son of a £6000 Allanfauld, to Elmscleuch and T Renwick, Williamhope, Clovenfords.

£8000 – Burncastle by a £13,000 Glenrath to Aikengall and Elmscleugh; Williamhope by a £42,000 Glenrath, to C Mitchell and Sons, Little Larg, New Luce and H Stewart, Upper Kidston, Eddleston.

£7500 – Williamhope, by a £42,000 Glenrath to Messrs Walton, The Dudlees.

£7000 – Tinnis, by a £17,000 Easter Happrew, to W Ramsay and Sons, Milnmark, Dalry; Dyke, by a £32,000 Dalchirla, to G McGinn, Chirmorrie, Barrhill; Kirkstead, by a £16,000 Wanwoodhill, to S McClymont and Sons, Tinnis, Yarrow

£6500 – Westhills, to Robson, Yatesfield; Dunruchan, by a £5800 Corsebank, to J Renwick and Sons, Corsebank, Sanquhar; Craigdarroch, by a £14,000 Dyke, to G Irving, Mountbenger, Yarrow, and S Lambie, Ashcraig, Selkirk; Dyke, by a £32,000 Dalchirla, to Messrs Walton, Penpeugh.

£5500 – Blackhouse, by a £13,000 Glenrath, to J Hamilton, Crosswoodhill, West Calder; Midlock, by a £24,000 Connachan, to N Manning, Earlshaugh, Elvanfoot; Burncastle by a £42,000 Glenrath, to R McIntosh, Outer Huntly, Yarrow.

Auctioneers: Lawrie and Symington.

FLOCK averages

Ring 1

Flock (No) Top (£) Averages

2019 2018

Hartside Farms (6) 4500 1916.66 3200

Blackhouse (11) 5500 1581.81 2918

The Yett (3) 900 833.33 1717

Wester Crosswoodhill (5) 2600 1760.00 736

Westhills (4) 6500 2725.00 1433

Tinnis (6) 7000 2708.33 2500

Tollishill (3) 1600 1016.66 3250

Dunruchan (4) 6500 2066.66 1820

Langhaugh (4) 1600 1112.50 4100

Hartside Lammermuir (3) 2000 933.33 1033

Henderland (3) 250 216.66 560

Craigdarroch (9) 13,000 3655.55 1611

The Dudlees (3) 3200 1730.00 1738

Elmscleugh (6) 2800 1816.66 2650

Milnmark (4) 3200 2050.00 857

Easter Happrew (6) 3200 1583.33 750

High Staward (5) 5200 1330.00 2600

Glenrath (10) 3000 1510.00 6830

Dyke (10) 38,000 7171.00 7441

Mount Benger (5) 2000 1190.00 1650

Aitkengall (4) 16,000 4525.00 1200

Dryhope (6) 13,000 3433.33 1400

Allanfauld (8) 14,000 4187.50 1150

Moorfoot (4) 5200 1825.00 2260

Harestone (4) 12,000 5425.00 -

Midlock (11) 16,000 5100.00 4664

Parkhall (4) 20,000 7125.00 713

Burncastle (7) 8000 4071.42 2100

Mitchellhill (5) 4500 3200.00 1233

Nunnerie (9) 100,000 13,933.33 3000

Sweetshawhead (5) 1600 920.00 1086

Kirkstead (6) 10,000 3975.00 2157

Drannandow (3) 2400 1233.33 1150

Corsebank (6) 2000 1166.66 1300

Blackcraig (3) 4000 1533.33 1175

Ashcraig (4) 2200 1700.00 1180

Connachan (5) 4200 1870.00 2963

Gosland (4) 2800 1475.00 1000

Williamhope (10) 8000 3205.00 3550

Longcroft (4) 20,000 5550.00 -

Ring 2

Bengerburn (3) 450 343.33 484

Ettrickshaws 93) 400 250.00 407

Dryhopehope (6) 750 443.33 460

Acreknowe (4) 620 347.50 507

Greenleighton (3) 320 206.66 340

Hyndhope (3) 400 250.00 278

Old Kirkstead (8) 700 491.25 1006

Crosswoodhill (4) 500 275.00 -

Kirkland (4) 720 595.00 -

Cuil/Clanary (4) 350 236.66 356

Mitchellhillhope (6) 400 303.33 450

Parkhall Chapel (4) 220 205.00 -

Penchrise (3) 2600 1033.33 -

Glen, Innerleithen (4) 420 255.00

Merkland (8) 2000 770.80 -

Upper Newbie (5) 820 450.00 -

Yetthope (4) 480 320.00 837

Westhillsmoor (4) 600 417.50 -

Hillridge (3) 400 273.33 -

Douglasdale (4) 550 417.50 -

Craig (4) 320 290.00 -

South Cobbinshaw (3) 500 360.00 367

Corriedow (4) 1500 592.50 -

Corsebanb Polthistly (4) 450 355.00 242

Quickeningcote (3) 650 500.00 -

Madrissa (3) 750 516.66 870

Little Larg (3) 3000 1390.00 -

Glenlude (5) 280 216.00 288

Goslandcleugh (4) 400 340.00 -

Larg, Creetown (5) 400 276.00 723

Woodhall/Angryhaugh (3) 250 223.33 -

Braidshawrig (6) 800 536.66 433

Craigdarroch, Glenwhern (4) 400 350.00 650

Midlock, Glespin (4) 800 537.50 627

Haystoun (6) 800 535.00 691

Earlshaugh (4) 750 462.50 543

Clonrae (4) 950 205.40 -

Glendorch (4) 500 312.50 -

Drumbuie (4) 320 305.00 288

Fallburns (3) 1000 700.00 -

Blackburnhope (5) 350 214.00 1020

Bothwell (4) 800 457.50 1020