Kirsty Dubh 3 of Blingery sells for 35,000gns at Oban

The top dollar was paid for Kirsty Dubh 3 of Blingery, which was shown by herd manager Morven Coghill on behalf of owner Peter Haig Thomas, from Blingery Farms, Wick, Caithness. A black coated four-year-old daughter of Cameron Dubh of Kelby – a bull which had been bought for 6500gns after being champion at Oban in 2017 – this was a first sale for the Blingery fold at Oban.

Cruachan Min of Cladich from the Stricklands sold for 12,000gns Ref: RH100225032 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... “She’s been a star from day one and was really one that I wanted to keep,” admitted Morven. “However, I wanted to prove just what I have been aiming to achieve with the fold and that’s why she was here for sale.”

As show champion, she lived up to the expectation of the judge who placed her, Iain McKay, who said: “As soon as I saw her, I knew she’d be a fine champion. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a heifer as good as this at any Oban sale I have been at.”

Falloch of Rannoch from Donald andMalcolm MacNaughton sold for 10,000gns Ref: RH100225035 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... She was bid to the top money by Graeme Easton, who bought her on behalf of the Carnegie family, Kevin, Dylan and Ryan, for their Balrownie fold at Brechin, in Angus. They are no strangers to buying record breakers, having paid a male record price of 23,000gns for Eoin Mhor 17 of Mottistone. Their most recent purchase is due to calf in the spring to Glen of Applecross and is out of Kirsty Dubh of Blingery.

The sale also defied a recent ban on exports from the UK due to bluetongue restrictions, with a rekindling of export interest, most notably from the United States and Argentina.

The Burns Family sold Lewis 3 of Tippetcraig for 8000gns Ref: RH100225030 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... Making her presence felt was US-based Highland breed enthusiast Stacia Danielson, from Iowa, who bought the sale’s second top animal, Cruachan Min of Cladich, a two-year-old bull from Jon and Queenie Strickland, Cladich, Dalmally. This one put a dazzling smile on the face of stockman Stuart Campbell, who brought out this son of Angus 2 of Sorne, the Cladich fold’s stock bull which had also cost a record-breaking 27,000gns and had produced two heifer calf champions for the Stricklands.

Mrs Danielson already has some animals in the UK and she hopes to take semen from this bull and embryos from her female lines to bolster her fold back in the States.

Ban-Larla Morag of Luruha from Lurg & Townhead Farms sold for 7000gns Ref: RH100225039 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... The male champion came next in the price ratings at 10,000gns. Donald and Malcolm MacNaughton’s Falloch of Rannoch, from Kelty, in Fife, was taken to that mark by Peter Smith, buying for his Stockley fold, near Hereford. Sired by Seamus Ruadh of Craigowmill, he was bred out of the multi-award-winning Skye family and had himself been junior male champion at the Stars of the Future Show in 2023.

Moments earlier in the sale, the MacNaughtons took 6000gns for Douglas 2 of Rannoch from Hugh Saggers, buying for Leys Castle Estate, Inverness. By the same sire as his team mate, he is out of another from the Skye family.

Donald and Malcolm MacNaughton sold Douglas 2nd of Rannoch for 6000gns Ref: RH100225036 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... A big buyer from recent breed sales, Alfie Cheyne, of Mayen Farms, Rothiemay, Huntly, bought a new stock bull in the shape of the reserve male champion, Lewis 3 of Tippetcraig, from the Burns family – Colin, Lindsay, Fiona, George and Gillian – Tippetcraig, High Bonnybridge, Stirling. He paid 8000gns to get the services of this rising three-year-old by Black Prince of Dumyat, bred from Princess Mhairi 8 of Gray Brae.

Second top female, at 7000gns, was the first prize Ban-Larla Morag of Luruha, from Ewen Macmillan, Lurg, Fintry. This three-year-old was brought out by Dexter and Carolyn Logan and is a daughter of Cameron of Sguir Mor – which had been male champion at the Highland Show last year – out of Ban-l-Arla Morag 10 of Blairlogan. Signing the cheque for this one was Ian McKnight, Dalhabboch, Glenluce, who has recently started a fold of Highland cattle with his wife, Hayley.

Geordie of Glengarnock from Andrew Kirkpatrick sold for 5500gns Ref: RH100225049 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... The McKnights added a stock bull to their inventory when they paid 5000gns to get the use of Graeme Easton’s Eoin of Ranch, a third prize son of the 23,000gns Eoin Mhor 17 of Mottistone, from The Ranch, Letham, in Angus. The dam is Eleanor of Ubhaidh.

New Argentinean buyer, Jeremias Butto, from Patagonia, was in on the top action on two occasions.

He first paid 6500gns to the MacDonald family team from Kyles, in North Uist, for their three-year-old Sean of Ardbhan. He is by the 5000gns Hector of Balnabroich and out of Jean Sean of Ardbhan.

Eilidh 42nd of Glengarnock from A and H Kirkpatrick sold for 4500gns Ref: RH100225051 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... He is be joined on the route south for semen to be drawn, by Innis of Glenfinnan, from Andrew Polson and his daughter Christina, from Portlethen, in Aberdeenshire. With a value of 6000gns, he is by Alasdair 4 of Woodneuk and out of Iona of Craigluscar. This one also had a string of show wins to his name from last summer, including being reserve junior inter-breed champion at both Kirriemuir and Stars of the Future shows, as well as being reserve male champion at the Royal Highland Show.

Another bull with a price tag of 6500gns was Brodie of Callachally, from H and E MacPhail, Callachally, Isle of Mull. A maternal brother to the 7000gns Sileas 21 of Callachally and by Brodie of Gartocharn, he heads home to work for J and M Stewart, Langraw, St Andrews.

Eoin of Ranch from Graeme Easton sold for 5000gns Ref: RH100225038 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer... Andy Kilpatrick, Strathmore, Glengarnock, near Beith, got some action from both the male and female sections. Dearest for him was his first prize two-year-old, Geordie of Glengarnock, a son of Iain Ruadh of Glenkinglass out of Eilidh 30 of Glengarnock – a mating which produced a 4200gns heifer in October 2023. He headed home to work at High Rannachan Farm, Campbeltown.

From the same home came the yearling champion heifer, Eilidh 42 of Glengarnock, which is a full sister to Geordie. The buyer this time was Angus MacGillivray, of Highland Cattle Services.

‘Mr Highlander’ himself, Angus MacKay, from Achnagoul, Inverary, got a 5000gns cheque for his yearling bull, An Buchaillie of Achnagoul, from Jeff Wild, who was buying him for the Wainsmore fold, Matlock, Derbyshire. This one led the yearlings on price and is by Fraser of Meggernie and out of Neoinean of Achnagoul.

Averages: 12 two-year-old bulls, £4873.75 (+£192.50); eight three-year-old bulls, £5420.62 (-£1104.38); five yearling bulls, £2539.50 (+£222.50); four three-year-old heifers, £4806.25 (-£228.75); 13 two-year-old heifers, £2277.69 (-£627.31); 13 yearling heifers, £2439.23 (-£145.77).

Auctioneers: United Auctions