Despite much of the south of England being burnt to a frazzle, and many parts of the East of Scotland in desperate need of rain, the first of the big store lamb sales in the north of the country, met a welcome and much needed improved trade on the year.

While many of the earlier store lamb sales in the south have seen average prices much on a par with 2021 levels, the first sales at Lairg, Dingwall and Quoybrae, all saw improved prices and for big numbers.

Several sales in the central belt and in the North of England have also seen an improved trade this week, as finishers in the west look for lambs to graze silage aftermaths.

At United Auctions’ sale of almost 12,500 lambs at Lairg on Tuesday, wedder lamb averages rose 80p per head to level at £69.34 having sold to £90 for hill-type Cheviots while the ewe lambs increased by a massive £7.63, to £97.47, backed up by top prices of £270 and £200 for pens of black hill-type Cheviots.

“It was a far busier and better sale than anticipated considering how burnt much of the country is,” commented Donald Young, United Auctions’ director and auctioneer.

“Most areas up there have had enough rain, so lambs were in good bloom and there were more ewe lambs selling for £100-£150. People were looking to buy the better end of ewe lambs. They’re not looking to increase numbers, but they were looking to buy better sheep than in previous years.

“The top end of the wedder lambs also held up with more sheep at £80-£85 whereas last year these lambs would have been making £75-£78, although some of farmers’ third and fourth draw lambs could have been £2 per head back,” Mr Young said.

He added that total numbers were back about 1000 head on the year due to a couple of big flock dispersals in recent years, an earlier sale than normal and a slightly reduced lamb crop.

Prices were also well up on the year at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ sale the previous day at Caithness Livestock Centre, Quoybrae, where 4801 head were sold with ewe and wedder lamb averages cashing in at £75.02, +£6.57 on the year and £69.57, +£5.27, respectively. Cross lambs worked out at £74.45, a rise of £7.39 on 2021 levels.

Scott Chapman, ANM sheep auctioneer said: “The lambs were in tremendous bloom and more uniform without the tail end there has been in previous years.

“Last year, ewe lambs were topped at £99 for Suffolk cross lambs from Dunbeath and the same lambs sold this year for £110 per head, so it was a far better trade than expected and we had buyers forward from the south of Scotland and the North of England,” added Mr Chapman, who pointed out that wedders sold to £96 for Beltex.

Dingwall and Highland Marts’ first main sale of 6000 lambs at Dingwall, was another that attracted a good number of buyers and improved prices to go with it.

“The opening store sheep sale in Dingwall was definitely the highlight of the Inverness-shire and surrounding areas last week, as despite a drop in numbers on the year a meteoric trade was witnessed for all classes,” said auctioneer, Luke Holmes.

“Trade was up £4 on the year for a show nowhere near as strong as last year’s. The stronger end met a seriously firm enquiry and many more could easily have been sold. Longer keep lambs were the best trade with pen after pen selling for £70 per head plus,” he said adding that a top of £129 was paid for Texel crosses.

Store lamb averages were also well up on the week at United Auctions sale of 5465 head at Stirling, on Monday, where Texel crosses improved by £4.50; Beltex crosses rose by almost £10 per head; Suffolk cross were up £8.52; Cheviots rose £4.49 and Mules increased by £5.62.