Thainstone

TOP quality gimmers met an excellent trade to match last year's prices while all other classes were more difficult to sell at Aberdeen and Northern Marts' sale of 2996 breeding gimmers.

Continentals faired best on the year as 328 peaked at £175 for Beltex from Bogiefeulach, Tornaveen, and averaged £133.88 (+£14.08 on the year).

Mules (2309) levelled at £136.71 (-£8.35) having sold to £170 from Kirkland, Forgue, but setting the best average of £146.83 (-£13.55) were the 87 Half-breds which sold to £165 from St Johns Wells, Fyvie.

Averaging £134.21 (-£6.54), Cheviot Mules hit £148 from both Over Finlarg, Tealing, and Overhill, Whitecairnes, while 22 Suffolk crosses levelled at £130.90 (-£1.52) and peaked at £135 from South Blachrie, Fyvie.

Lleyns (91) averaged £118.05 and sold to £140 from Woodland, Dyce, and hill Cheviots (55) sold to £95 from Overhill, Whitecairns.

A couple of days later, 190 breeders sold at the company's store sheep sale where three-crop Charollais ewes from Upper Killyquharn, New Aberdour, topped the trade at £126.

LEADING prices:

Gimmers – Belt – Bogiefeulach £172. Mule – St Johns Wells, Kirkland £162; Farmton, Tough, Kirkland £160; Whitelums, Gartly £152; Bogiebrae, Kirkland £150. Tex X – Skillymarno, Strichen £162; Ardhuncart, Kildrummy £158; Minard, Kirriemuir £155. Cont – Burnside of Pitfour, Mintlaw £162. HB – South Blachrie £155. Rouge – Bogiefeulach £155. Che Mule – Bogiebrae, Rhynie £145; Carroch, Kirriemuir £140. Lle – Arwick Evie, Gallery Montrose, Blackpots Auchnagatt, Woodlands £130.

Shearling rams – Lle – Blackpots 580gns; Arwick 520gns, 510gns.

Breeding sheep – Tex gmr – Crackan View Croft £118. Suff – South Litterty, Turriff £95. Tex X bm – Boynesmill House, Forgue £88.

Stornoway

A SMALL entry of 103 gimmers sold at Dingwall and Highland Marts, last week, where a top of £125 was paid for Texel crosses from both 11A Portnaguran, Point, and 5 Shulishader, Point.

LEADING prices:

Gimmers – Tex X – 11A Portnaguran, Point, £85. Chev – 25 Garrabost, Point, £75; 24B Lionel, Ness, £62; Mill Brae, Lochs, £60. BF – 10 Luskentyre, Isle of Harris, £65; 10 Valtos, Uig, £56; 7B Shader, Point, £55.

Tiree

A TEXEL cross gimmer raised £420 for the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation at United Auctions annual breeding sheep sale.

Consigned by Donald and Mary Morrison and sold in memory of their later brother, Lachie MacKinnon, Hillcrest, Tiree, who passed away in March with Motor Neurone Disease, she heads home with Colin MacKinnon, Braeside, Tiree.

Breeding stock met a strong trade as gimmers averaged £106.78 (+£4.78 on the year) and also sold to £150 for Mules from 2/15 Balevullin. Ewe lambs levelled at £72.36 (+£7.77) and sold to £140 for Suffolk crosses from Mannal.

A Beltex cross from Drumaglea topped the rams at £400.

LEADING prices:

Ewe lambs – Suff X – £140 Mannal. Mule – £100, £85 Mannal; £100 Braeside. Tex X – £85, £75 Lochside; £75 7 Balinoe; £75 Heylipol Farm.

Gimmers – Mule – £150, £120 2/15 Balevullin; £130 Greenhill; £120 2/15 Balevullin. Tex X – £140 2/15 Balevullin; £120, £110 5 Kilmoluaig; £110 Drumaglea; £100 Middleton Farm. Chev X –£120 10 Kilmoluaig; £120, £110 Middleton Farm. Cross – £120 Middleton; £110, £100 10 Kilmoluaig. Suff X – £100 5 Kilmoluaig. BF – £85 Mannal; £80 2/15 Balevullin.

Rams – Belt X – £400 Drumaglea. Suff – £360 2/15 Balevullin.

Ayr

BUYERS were very selective with only the best sorts easily sold at Craig Wilson's sale of breeding sheep, where the annual Blackface ewe sale peaked at £76 for a pen from James Murdoch and Sons, Knockdon, Straiton,a s the 750 ewes averaged £58.46 (-£2.15).

Blackie gimmers (572) averaged £93.50 (-£6.57) having sold to £143 for a pen from JG Dunn, Shankston, Patna.

Of the other gimmers on offer, Texel crosses sold to £150 from Knockdon, Suffolk crosses reached £140 from L Montgomerie, Beechknowe, Mules peaked at £120 from J McTaggart, Dunjop, while Cheviots hit £102 from T Blackhurst, Bynehill (Girvan).

Cheviot ewes reached £110 for a pen of one-crops from Valerie Campbell, Brisbane Mains, and all Mule ewe lambs were easily cashed to top at £92 from Garpel Farms.

Also forward were 1086 store lambs where plainer sorts proved hard to cash as the sale topped at £66 for a pen of 12 Beltex crosses from Valerie Campbell.

LEADING prices:

Ewes – Suff X – £114 Beechknowes. Chev – £110, £96, £94 Brisbane Mains; £88 Moorfield Avenue. BF – £76, £75, £68 (x2) Knockdon; £72, £61 Pinvalley; £68, £64 Ashmark; £67 Dalhabboch; £66 Largs; £64 (x3) Craig; £64 Woodhill.

Gimmers – Tex – £150, £120 Knockdon; £102 Conisby. BF – £143 Shankston; £132, £112, £110 (x2) Knockeen; £120, £110 Caprington; £116 Ashburn. Suff X – £140, £122 Beechknowes. Mule – £120, £112 Dunjop; £110 Middlehouse. Chev – £102 Bynehill; £100 Brisbane Mains.

Ewe lambs – Mule – £92 Garpel Farms; £90 Glenside (Burns); £83, £80 Craig; £78 (x2) Harplaw; £78 Knockewart. BF – £82 Aitkenhead; £53 Altgolach.

Store lambs – Belt – £66, £60 Brisbane Mains; £62.50 Knockdaw; £59 Dollard; £58.50 Yonderton. Tex – £65.50 Dallowie; £60.50 Bridge; 359.50 Dalreoch; £59 Nether Heilar; £58 Dinwoodie. Chev – £65.50 Pinmerry. Suff – £61.50 Nether Heilar. Mule – £61 Pinmerry; £59 Bennan. Rous – £57.50, £56 Cairnhill. BF – £49 Pinmerry, £41.50 Holehouse.

Newton Stewart

QUALITY rams were easy to sell while plainer sorts were harder to cash at Craig Wilson's annual tup fair where 107 rams and females were sold.

A top price of £740 was paid for a Texel shearling from J Clark and Sons, West Glengyre, followed at £720 for another from A Clark, Fineview.

Suffolks topped at £560 three times for ram lambs – twice for entries from J and J Cannon, Redbrae, then again for another from Helen Vance, Mid Skeog.

Beltex shearlings reached £500 from Master Ramsay McKnight, Dalhabboch, while cross-bred sheep were in demand and sold to £480 from Grant Hurcomb.

Females reached £340 for Texel gimmers from I Galloway, Glenart.

Averages included 57 Texel shearlings at £371.40, eight Texel lambs, £226.25, nine Suffolk shearlings, £340; nine Suffolk lambs, £373.33; and eight Beltex crosses, £345.

FLOCK averages:

Flock (No sold) Avg (£)

Texel shearlings

Fineview (12) 473.33

Laigh Alitcane (5) 472

West Glengyre (12) 466.66

Dinnans (5) 376

Texel lambs

Crailloch (4) 225

Barledziew (4) 227.50

Beltex cross

Carse O’Clary (5) 318

Suffolk shearlings

High Barness (3) 340

Suffolk lambs

Redbrae (3) 506.66

Mid Skeog (4) 520

LEADING prices:

Shearling rams – Tex – £740, £680, £640 West Glengyre; £720, £700, £640, £580 Fineview. Belt – £500, £480 Dalhabboch; £360 Carse O’Clary. Belt X – £480 Meikle Tongue; £390, £330, £300 (x3) Carse O' Clary. Suff – £440, £360 High Barness. Lei – £270, £210 Mid Knockglass; £240 Clugston; £200 Dirnow. Shet – £40 (x2) Clugston.

Ram lambs – Suff – £560 (x2) Redbrae; £560, £540, £520, £460 Mid Skeog. Tex – £300, £230, £200 Barledziew; £250 (x2), £200 (x2) Crailloch. Belt – £220 Dalhabboch. Zwa – £100 No2 High Boreland.

Aged rams – Aberfield (2shr) – £260 Kildarroch.

Gimmers – Tex – £340, £320, £300 Glenart; £300 Laigh Alticane.

Dumfries

ALTHOUGH trade was easier on the year, the average faired well at C and D Auction Marts' sale of 1734 Scotch Mule ewe lambs which levelled at £79.94 (-£5.06).

They sold to £96 from Easter Dawyck.

The 500 Blackface ewe lambs met a sharper trade to average £50.17 (+£1.10) having sold to £72 from Sweetshawshead.

Of the 100 other ewe lambs breeds, Texels topped at £118 from Kirkbog.

Buyers were in a cautious mood for the 592 gimmers where Texels from Westhill led at £138.

Included in the sale were two dispersals with the entire flock of traditional Bluefaced Leicesters from S Bryson, Kilfaddoch, keenly sought after to hit a top of £560 for a ewe lamb.

The other dispersal included 250 stock ewes from Lower Shieldhill, Auldgarth, which hit £130 for Texel gimmers.

Also forward were 21 rams which sold to £400 for a Texel shearling from Broomhills.

The entry of 795 store lambs continued to meet a good demand and peaked at £68 for Texels from Waterhead.

LEADING prices:

Ewe lambs – Tex – £118 Kirkbog; £112 Linnhead. Mule – £96 Easter Dawyck; £93, £91 Sweetshawhead; £90, £88 Lightshaw; £90 Nisbet; £88 Kirkton of Crawford; £88 Drumlanrig Mains; £88 Avisyard. BF – £72, £68 Sweetshawhead, £68 Craigenvey, £60 (x2) Earlshaugh. Chev – £58 Laghead.

Gimmers – Tex – £138 Westhill. Mule – £128 Over Abington; £121 Alterstone; £120 Garrochtrie. Suff – £112 Whinneyknowe. Chev Mule – £100 Over Abington. BF – £78 Kilgara.

Lower Shieldhill dispersal – Tex – £130 (gmr), £106 (1cr). Mule – £96 (1cr), £88 (2cr). Rams – Tex – £310, £260 (Tex shlg).

Kilfaddoch BFL dispersal – £560 (ewe lamb), £500 (1cr), £340 (2cr).

Rams – Tex shlg – £400, £360 Broomhills. Roug shlg – £220 Corrielea. Tex lamb – £320 Glenhowan.

Store lambs – Tex – £68 Waterhead; £63 Maxholm; £61.50 Garroch Estate; £61 Knockgrey; £59.50 Capelfoot. Suff – £57 Tibbers; £51 Ewanston. Tex tup lambs – £57 Meikle Whitriggs; £53 Marbrack. Chev – £49 Meikle Whitriggs. Cross – £47 Dunesslin. BF – £45 Clonrae. Shet – £21 Maxholm.

Quoybrae

QUOYBRAE, Aberdeen & Northern Marts (September 17th ) sold 3,115 store and breeding sheep incorporating Dunbeath, Bettyhill, Forsinard and North West Sutherland areas.

Champion pen of 10 gimmers judged by Arnott, Coghill, Skinnet, Thurso were Cheviots from J and W Mackay, Biggins, Killimster, Wick and sold for £210 to R & N Barclay, Harestone Farm, Crathes.

Reserve were a pen of Cheviots from J & J Farquhar, Smiddyquoy, and sold for £200 to I Laird, Yeldabrek, Burray.

Gimmers:

Chev (557) averaged £148.16 (-£1.04p on the year) to £440 for a single from St Johns Well, Fyvie.

Mule (139) averaged £137.44 (+£4.74) to £148 from Strichen Mains, Strichen

Tex (192) averaged £120.94 (-£2.16) to £190 from Balnahard, Harpsdale

Suff (13) averaged £120 (-£1.00) to £140 from Oldfield, Thurso.

Other breeds (124) to £130 twice for Blue De Maine from Lower Toftingall, Watten and secondly for Zwartbles from Achalone Croft, Halkirk.

Breeding ewes (989) averaged £63.92 (-£2.09) to £200 for a Cheviot ewe from Copperfield, Harpsdale.

Store lambs (569) to £67 from Upper Northfield, Wick.

Feeding ewes and rams (532) to £98 for Texels from West Greenland, Castletown.

“Well bred strong gimmers were easily sold, while secondary quality were harder to sell, but overall sold above expectations. Noted annual consignments of ewes met a firm demand but with a lot of leaner ewes forward met a more hesitant demand.”

LEADING prices:

Gimmers – Chev – 8 Henderson Square, Watten £420; St Johns Wells £400;

Mule – Strichen Mains £145; Killimster Farmhouse £140; ChvMule – Strichen Mains £152; 3 Skaill Forss £145; Tex- Oldfield £160; Balnahard, Haprsdale £135; Cont – Ruther Quarry, Watten £92; HB- Thirdpart, Watten £90; Suf- The Crofts, North Watten, Brackside Reay £90; SHC- Hillside, Killimster £72;

Dispersals: M Cormack, Mossburn, Geise

Tex Gmr £100; Cont Ewe 1 Crop £85; Cont Ewe 3 Crop £57.

CRM Engineering, Copperfield, Harpsdale

3 ChvX Gmr £155; 3 Tex Gmr £140; 3 Mule Gmr £135; 4 Mule Ewe £132; 2 Mule Ewe £132; 2 HB Ewe £130; 1ChvMule Gmr - £120.

W J Murdoch, 3 Braal, Halkirk

6 ChvX Gmr £150; 2 Suf Ewe £102; 2 Tex Ewe £100; 2 Sufx WM Ewe £91; 1 SufX Gmr £85; 1 Zwa Ewe £71.

Reduction:

P Ronldson, Killimster Farmhouse, Wick

10 Mule Gmr - £140; 11 Mule Ewe 1 - 2 Crop - £115.

R & K Sutherland, Hilliclay

2 Chv Ewe 2-3Crop £102; 3 Chv Ewe 3-4 Crop £90; 4 Chv Ewe 3-4 Crop £80.

WM ewes: Suf – Hummer Croft, Mid Clyth £99.

BM ewes: Chev – Lower Westerdale £66; Tex- Achaguie £57.

Ewes:

Chv – Lower Westerdale, Westerdale £102; Chv- Brackside, Reay £86; GF – Ivy Cottage, Quoybrae £70; Cont- Geise Farm, Thurso £61.

Breeding Rams:

Chv- Achalone Croft, Halkirk, £200; Tex- Achalone Croft £160.

Store lambs:

Cont- Quarryside, John O’Groats £66; ContX- Ivy Cottage, Quoybrae £56; Tex- Curlew £55.50; SufX Croft Cottage, Canisbay £54.50; Suf- Curlew Mybster £52.50.

Ewe Lambs

Tex- Larkins, Upper Lybster £120; Chv- Achalone Croft £100; Chv- Achairn £60; Tex- Pentland View £60; TexX Pentland View £59.

Leading prices per area

Dunbeath -

Gmrs: Braemore (McGongill) £100

WM ewes: Braemore (McGonigill) £100

BM ewes: Tacher £50

Fdrs: Cullen View £70

Chv Ram: Braemore (McGonigill) £100

Ewe lambs: Braemore (McGonigill) £68

Store lambs: Chv- Guidebest (Macleod) £55; Tex- Hilton £54

Black Cheviot Ewe lamb sold for Cancer Research for £100.

Bettyhill -

Gmrs: 32 Fiscary £80

WM ewes: 26 Langdale £44

Feeding Ewes: 26 Langdale £30

Store lambs: 38 Fiscary £39

Halladale and Portskerra –

Gmrs: Trantlemore £102

WM ewes: Trantlemore £95

BM ewes:Tranltlemore £62

Fdrs: The Shore £82

Breeding Rams: Chv Shearling Golval £110, Chv- 3 Shr Golval £200

Dispersal D Mackay, Trantlebeg:

Gmr £125; 1 crop Ewe £132; 2 Crop Ewe £118; 3 Crop Ewe £118.

Store Lambs: 50 Dalhavaig £36

Armadale and Strathy -

Gmrs: 117 Strathy Point £65

WM ewes: 184 Armadale £60

BM ewes: 184 Armdale £57

Fdrs: 104 Strathy Point £61

Ewe lambs: 117 Strathy Point £37.50

Store lambs: 62 Strathy East £62.50

Skerray -

WM ewes: 3 Borgie £56

Fdrs: 3 Borgie £60

Store Lambs: 19 Lotts £45

Feeding ewes:

Tex- 3 Braal, Halkirk £96; Chev- Myrelandhorn, Kirk £78; ChvX- Skirza Croft, Freswick £74; Mule- Burnlea house, Lower Greenland £60; TexX- Burnlea House, West Greenland £60; Cont- Achaguie Farm, Scotscalder £46.

Feeding Rams:

Chv- Kirkton, Melvich £65.