Lairg,

Despite the shortage of grass throughout the east coast and the southern half of the UK, all classes met a brisk demand with prices ahead of last year at United Auctions' first lamb sale at Lairg on Tuesday where the 12,340 head were sold.

By the end of the day, 9113 wedder lambs sold to average of £69.34, up 78p on the year, while the 3227 ewe lambs saw a £7.63 increase, to level at £97.47.

Ewe lambs sold to £270 and £200 per head for pens of Black North Country Cheviot hill-type lambs from Murdo and Heather MacDonald, Achentoul Cottage, Kinbrace, followed at £190 for a pen from Joyce Campbell, Armadale.

Park-type North Country Cheviot ewe lambs peaked at £195 for a pen from Alan MacKay, South Balkeith, Tain.

Wedder lambs sold to £90 for hill-type North Country Cheviots from Balavil Estates, Kingussie and Armadale, with two pens.

South Balkeith topped the park-type wedders at £89, while Texel crosses from Martyn Cook, Dorrey, Scotscalder, sold to £88.

LEADING prices

Wedder lambs – NCC – £87 Carnich, Gruids; £84 107 Torroble, Lairg; £84 Armadale, Thurso; £82 Culnara, Bonar Bridge. Tex X – £84 Easterton, Lairg; £82 Langdale, Strathnaver; £80 110 East Kirtomy, Bettyhill.

Ewe lambs – NCC – £185 Heatherlea, Ardgay; £180 Balavil, Kingussie; £155 Dunbeath farms, Dunbeath; £150 Inkstack, Barrock. Tex X – £100 Langdale, Strathnaver.

Riggs and tups – £100 Balavil Eatates, Kingussie; £82 Heatherlea, Ardgay; £80 Dorrey and 10 West Shiness, Lairg.

Quoybrae

On Monday, Aberdeen and Northern Marts sold 4801 prime and store lambs, feeding ewes and rams incorporating Dunbeath, Bettyhill, Forsinard and North West Sutherland areas, where the overall average improved £6.20 on the year to level at £74.64.

Ewe lambs (921) averaged £75.02 (+£6.57) having sold to £110 for Suffolks from Dunbeath Farms, Dunbeath.

Wedder lambs (1964) averaged £69.57 (+£5.27) to £96.00 for Beltex from 5 Achina, Bettyhill.

Cross lambs (1608) averaged £74.45 (+£7.39) having sold to £94.50 for Texel ewe lambs from Achaguie Farm, Scotscalder.

The small entry of 186 prime lambs sold to 256.5p per kg and £128 per head for 46kg Beltex from Sibmister, Castletown, to average 229.8p and 122 feeding ewes and rams hit a top of £208.50 for Texels from The Rowans, Victoria Road, Brora.

LEADING prices per area

Dunbeath – Ewe lambs – Chev – Tacher, Smerral £90, Braemore £87, Boulcrawford £80. Suf – Dunbeath £110, Bowlcrawford £84.

Store lambs – Suff – Dunbeath £88, Bowlcrawford £80. Tex – Braehillor £84, Tacher £82. Chev – Smerral £82.50, Boulcrawford £80 Braehillor £77.

Bettyhill and Skerray – Ewe lambs – Chev – 19 Baligill, 14 Baligill £90; 3 Borgie £80; 97 Strathy Point £78. Bel – 5 Achina £82.

Store lambs – Chev –. 3 Borgie, 14 Baligill £78; 99 Kirktomy £77; 93 Strathy Point £75; 97 Strathy Point £74.50; 61 Strathy East £74. Tex – 27 Brawl £84, £74.50.

Halladale, Forsinard and Portskerra – Ewe lambs – Chev – Trantlemore £69.

Tex – Golval £75.50.

Store lambs – Suff – Kirkton £92, £84.50, Golval £76.50. Chev – Trantlemore £82, Achumore £69. Aber X – Golval £70.

Armadale and Strathy – Ewe lambs – Chev – 184 Armadale £78, 174 Armadale £63.

Store lambs – Chev – 184 Armadale £82, 174 Armadale £72. Suff – Murray House £94.50. Tex – Murray House £89.50.

Caithness – Ewe lambs – Blk – Achaguie Farm £93. Tex – Achaguie Farm £90, Whiteleen £83.50. Suff X – Achaguie Farm £95, Taldale £93.50.

Store lambs – Tex – Achaguie Farm £95.50, £92, Whiteleen £92, Balmore, 3 Upper Dounreay £91. Suff – Dounreay Post Office £95, Anchorage £87.50, Taldale £86.50, Inkstack £86. Chev – The Ha, £88.50, Lower Westerdale £82, Taldale £80.50, Dounreay Post Office £80. Bel – Inkstack £94.50, £90.50. Cont – Anchorage £89.50.

Prime lambs – Zwa – Framside, Thurso £114.50; Chev – Myrelandhorn (Mccarthy) £113.50; Chev XNaverhouse £110.50, Brickigoe 231.1p. Suff – Brickigoe, Thrumster £107.50, Sibmster 233p. Bel – Hillhead, Lybster £107.50, 238.9p. Suff X – Balmore (Gunn) £105.50, Slickly 235.2p. Tex – Clachan, Mid-Clyth £104.50, Sordale, Halkirk 247.6p. Down X – Plocan, Halkirk, Hillhead, Pentland View £104.50. Suff X – Slickly, Lyth £103.50, 236p.

Feeding ewes and rams – Chev – Naverhouse £149.50; Tex X – Quarryside £140.50; Tex – Briary, Inkstack £137.50; Suff – Quarryside £135.50; BluTex – Upper Geise, Janetstown £129.50; Suff X – Hillhead £129.50; Cont – Quarryside £118.50; Chev X – Brigend, Mid-Clyth £115.50.

Dingwall

Averages were up on the year for Dingwall and Highland Marts' sale of 6031 store lambs, having balanced out at £78.62 – up £4.15 on the year.

Texels from the Rowans, Brora, led the trade at £129, with the breed cashing in at £82.34. Beltex were next in line, selling to £119 for Tearnroit, Beauly, and cashing in at £69.88.

Suffolks averaged £82.32, with Cheviot and Cheviot Mules balancing out at £68.38 and £74.91 respectively. Mules averaged £88.05, Millennium Blues, £96.37 and Aberfields and Charollais averaged £87 and £69.14 respectively.

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Tex X – The Rowans £123, £114, £92; Wester Craiglands £116, £109, £107.50, £105, £103.50, £101.50; Tarn Howe, Inver £115, £92; Drumloan, Drumnadrochit £108; Drumbuie, Drumnadrochit £107, £90; Glenavon Estate, Tomintoul £101; Larel, Halkirk £101; Glaich Na Goire, Loaneckheim £92; Bluebell Cottage, Dornoch £91; Keppoch Farm, Dundonnell £90; Edinbane £90. Suff X – Lower Gartally, Drumnadrochit £114; Dounie £111; Glenavon Estate £104.50, £90; Seafield, Portmahomack £104, £86; Kirkfield £103.50, £87.50; Larel £102.50; Wester Craiglands £98.50, £96, £94, £86.50; Newmarket, Stornoway £92; Edinbane £91; Invercharron, Ardgay £91.50; Upper Birichen, Dornoch £87.50; Corrimony, Glen Urquhart £86.50. Belt X – Teanroit £116, £88, £84, £79; Chroisein Croft, Isle of Muck £106, £90; Pelaig, Dingwall £102, £99; Drummuie, Golspie £93; Dunmore, Beauly £82; Ivy Croft, Strathpeffe £82; Isle of Muc £78.50. Chev – Erchite, Dores £83; Comar, Cannich £80, £76; Badnellan, Brora £78.50; Isle of Muck £76, £75; Proncy, Dornoch £75; Chroisein Croft £75. Mule – Milton £94, £89 (x2) Larel £94. Mb X – Comar £102, £83; Kirkfield £95, £83. Chev Mule – Auchmore, Muir of Ord £78.50; Craiglands £74, £70.50; Kintail, Newton of Ferintosh £74. Char X – Dunlichity, Farr £80, £73; Free Farm, Tomatin £73. X – Erchite £83; Old Post Office, Alcaig £82; Cypress, Achterneed £74.50; Rye – Achtemerack, Drumnadrochit £71. Dost – Lower Dalnaclach, Kildary £70.50.

Stirling (Cale)

Some 1503 store lambs came under the hammer at Caledonian Marts' opening sale, which achieved an overall average of £85.89 (+ £5.66 on the year).

Top price of £109 was paid for a cross lamb from R Gray, Craigmad.

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Belt – £97, £92, £90 Craigmad. Tex – £100 Tillyrie; £90 Blaefaulds and Bogside; £89.50 Stronmagachan; £88 Lands of Drumhead and Rhynaclach; £86.50 Bogside. Suff – £90 Ballabeg; £84 Bogside; £80 Claylands. Mules – £82 Shankhead; £79 Townhead; £75 Shankhead.

Penrith

Texel crosses from G Fisher, Midtown, secured £91 at Penrith and District Farmers Marts' opening sale of 750 store lamb.

Not far behind on £90 were Texels from Muncaster Home Farms.

LEADING prices

Cont – £91, £81, £79 (x2), £77 Lyvennet Fencing; £84 Thornhope; £83, £81 Home; £81 Plumpton Foot; £79 Salkeld Road; £78, £70 South Brandon; £71 Muncaster Home Farms; £68 Plumpton Foot. Suff X – £81 Lyvennet Fencing; £80 West View. Tex – £90, £88 Muncaster Home Farms; £87 West View; £85, £80 Smithy Garth. Mule – £80 Shield Hill Top; £79 Sanders Close; £72 Ulcatrow.

Stirling UA

On Monday, United Auctions sold 5465 store lambs to a top of £109 on two occasions, firstly for a Texel from Craigannet, and again for a Suffolk from Bellcraig.

Averages were up across the board on the week, with Texel crosses achieving £89.47 (+£4.47), with Beltex crosses and Suffolk crosses cashing in at £95.04 (+£9.88) and £93.42 (+£8.52) respectively. Cheviots balanced out at £88.49 (+£4.49) and Mules averaged £81.64 (+£5.62).

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Tex – Craigannet £109; Wester Bleaton £108.50; Rashiehill £107.50; Fairview Hill £107; Malling £104.50. Suff – Bellcraig £109; Duntuim £107.50; Malling £106; Little Moss £105; Duntuim £96.50. Chev – Tulchan Croft £106; Wester Bowhouse £97.50; Wester Bleaton £93.50; Milkieston £91; Tulchan Croft £90.50. Mule – Wester Bowhouse £107, £93.50, £90.50; Wester Bleaton £83.50; Millglen £80; Gribloch £76.50. Belt – Newbigging £99; Whitehill £95.50; Mains of Struie £92, £91.00.

Hexham

A pair of Beltex cross lambs achieved £118 at Hexham and Northern Marts' sale of 1387 store lambs for M and L Churchyard, Hownsgill Farm.

Suffolk cross lambs sold to £106.50 for H Robson, Dale House.

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Belt X – £118, £116 Hownsgill. Tex X – £105 Dale House; £103 Burnbank; £101.50 Dale House; £98 Westwood. Suff X – £106.50 Dale House; £99 Nafferton; £97 Laburnum. Char X –£89, £87.50 Monk. Dutch Tex X – £96 Monk. Mule –£80 Softley and East Unthank.

Longtown

On Tuesday, 3617 store lambs came under the hammer at C and D Auction Marts' weekly sale, where a top price of £120 was achieved for Texels from Church View.

Suffolks sold to £106 for Ragithwhaite.

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Tex – £120 Church View; £115 Sunnycroft; £114 Wolfhills and Shepherds Cottage. Suff – £106, £103 Ragithwhaite; £95 Sunnycroft; £92 Nether House. Chev Mules – £101 Shepherds Cottage; £98 Gillesbie. GF – £88 Orthwaite Hall and The Bungalow; £85 Softley; £83 Smiddy Hill. Zwart – £101 Church View. Chev – £85 Blackburn; £84 Meiklewhitriggs. Kerry Hills – £76 Skelfhill. Half-breds – £76 Monklaw. BF – £55 Pole.

Feeding ewes – BF – £68 (x2), £61 Barkbeth.

Carlisle

The trade for store lambs continued to rise at Harrison and Hetherington's weekly sale, where a top price of £106 was paid for Texels from D Charnock, Millholme.

LEADING prices

Store lambs – Tex – £106, £95 Millholme; £98 Goodie Hill; £94 (x2) Southwaite Green Mill; £94 The Paddock; £89, £87, £85, £83 Dalefoot; £88, £84 Stubbsgill; £87, £83 Field Croft; £85, £84 Luketon Stud. GF – £98 Millholme; £91, £83, £79, £79 Demesne; £90, £82 The Wreay; £90 Bengall; £90, £80 Southwaite Green Mill; £79, £78, £75 Carleton House; £79, £78, £74 The Paddock. Belt – £97 Goodie Hill; £91 Southwaite Green Mill; £87 Middle Gill. Hill Chev – £94 Field Croft; £90 Goodie Hill; £73 Mid-dle Gill. Suff – £92 Millholme; £87 Parklands. Hampshire Down – £65 Applegarth. Kerry Hill – £59 Mid-dle Gill Farm.