Averages:

249 rams, £1671.12 (+£135.04 for 37 more).

Trade was nothing short of electric at the North Country Cheviot ram sale at Lairg, on Monday, where not only was a new breed record of £24,000 achieved for a Stouphill ram but also a further six lots attracted five-figure prices to produce a new best average more than £100 up on last year.

Read more: Stouphill smash NCC record at £24,000

Eclipsing the previous record by £6000 – set at this same sale in 2019 by the now dispersed Torrish flock – the trade topping two-shear derives from the Alnwick-based flock run by husband and wife team of Billy and Kate Allen, alongside son Dallas and daughter Ruth – who have been the face of Stouphill for many years now.

Backed by champion winning genetics, their record priced tup is sired by the 2019 Royal Highland Show breed champion, Badanloch Tip Top Tup – purchased here for £11,000 in 2018 and a son of North Loch Naver Nomad.

Having already bred sons to £10,000 for the Allen family at Lockerbie, a few weeks ago, Hugh Mackenzie manager at Badanloch Estates, Kinbrace, bought back some of his own Tip Top Tup genetics.

The Stouphill team were back in the money on two other occasions, with their next best being knocked down at £14,000 to John Blackhall, East Brachmont. Another by Badanloch Tip Top Tup, this two-shear is again out of a home-bred Stouphill ewe.

Read more: North Country Cheviot record of £15,000 at Lockerbie

Another bred the same way made £5500 for the Allens and sold in a two-way split to Sorbietrees Farm Ltd., Hillend and W Dunlop and Son, Commonside.

It was also a great day for Badanloch’s Hughie Mackenzie who not only got his hands on the day’s best buy, but also sold his pen leader – Badanloch Xtra Special – with an extra special price tag of £16,000.

A second crop son of the £5000 Armadale Seagull, purchased here in 2016, this boy headed home to Attonburn with Robert and Becca Rennie, and their son, Andrew, for use in their Bowmont flock from Yetholm, Kelso.

Badanloch Tourist was the second best from Hughie when he was knocked down at £8000 when selling to Martyn Cook, for his Dorrery flock based at Halkirk. Another by Armadale Seagull, he is also bred from a home-bred ewe.

Read more: Allanshaws sets new North Country Cheviot record at Lockerbie

The last of the big sellers from Badanloch saw the three-shear ram, Badanloch X 10355, sell for £6000. He is by Langdale Sparky – a tup used on loan from Hugh’s wife, Jan – and was purchased by Hugh and Sandy Wilson, Newbank, Moffat.

Next in the trade stakes at £12,000 and achieving a personal best was Norman and David Douglas’ Whitehope Assassin, from Whitehope, Selkirk. This two-shear is a son of the £14,000 Suisgill Vanguard – purchased here in 2018 – and out of a home-bred ewe. He headed home with Andrew Elliot, buying for his Balnakeil flock, in Durness.

It was also a day to remember for husband and wife team, Alan and Sarah-Jane Forbes, Ballindalloch, when they sold their pen leader, Dalrachie Billy the Kid at £11,000. Selling to J McCaig Farmers, Wester Jawcraig, this two-shear is sired by the £2200 home-bred tup, Dalrachie Ali, which is a son of Armadale Dirty Deeds – used on loan as a wedding gift from Armadale.

Joyce Campbell’s Armadale flock from Sutherland, wasn’t far behind when selling her pen topper for £10,000.

The two-shear, Armadale A 09761, is a son of the £7000 Badanloch Battleship – bought here in 2018 – and out of a home-bred Armadale ewe. He was knocked down to Alan Cowens, Philiphaugh Estates, Selkirk.

Another from the same home, Armadale A 09724, a two-shear sold for £5000 to Bob and Kay Adam and sons Andrew and James buying for their hill unit at Auldallan, Glamis.

Tears of joy were experienced when Murdo and Heather MacDonald’s pen leader from the Achentoul flock, at Kinbrace – owned by Sir John Nutting – went under the hammer at £7000.

Having been shown as a lamb at Caithness Show, this big tup is a son of Badanloch Mr Brightside – purchased at the 2018 Lairg sale for £4200 – which had sired nine of the 10 rams the team had on offer at the sale, as well as some of their best ewes in the flock. He also sold to Auldallan.

Going some way to finance those purchases the Adams from Auldallan sold their best at £5800.

Selling at this price was the two-shear ram, Auldallan A 08122, a son of the home-bred Auldallan X 0622, which goes back to Stouphill Tom, he was knocked down to Michael and Lillias Elliot, Woodside, Yetholm, Kelso.

Having sold the record priced ram, Stouphill then forked out £5500 for a two-shear Keppoch ram from David Renwick, Dundonnell. This boy is backed by home-bred genetics on both sides.

Andrew Elliot and shepherd, Ian Matheson, took to the ring to sell their three-shear Balnakeil tup to £5200. A son of the £4000 Suisgill Balachan, he is out of a home-bred dam and headed home with A Douglas and Son, Saughtree.

Two others sold for £5000 with the first coming from Martyn Cook’s Dorrey flock, in the form of Dorrey Poga. He is by a £5500 Badanloch ram, and was snapped up by Norman and David Douglas, Whitehope.

The second £5000 tup from William Thomson’s Hownam Grange flock, based at Kelso, sold in a two-way split to DN Bennet and Son, Upper Hall, Meifod and David Baillie, Calla, Carnwath. This two-shear boasts a star studded pedigree being sired by a home-bred son of Newbank Spitfire that sold for £6000 at Lockerbie.

His dam, Hownam Grange Molly, is a former champion at 2016 Royal Highland Show and the 2014 Breed National Show.

Auctioneers: United Auctions.

LEADINGflock averages

Flock Nos Top (£) Ave (£)

Stouphill (5) 24,000 9440.00

Badanloch (11) 16,000 4210.00

Dalrachie (6) 11,000 3683.00

Armadale (13) 10,000 2923.00

Whitehope (9) 12,000 2711.00

Erribol (4) 3200 2500.00

Attonburn (3) 4000 2332.00

Hownam Grange (6) 5000 2600.00

Hartside (3) 3500 2167.00

Dorrery (4) 5000 2850.00

Auchentoul (9) 7000 1911.00

Hethpool (6) 3200 1883.00

Keppoch (5) 5500 1820.00