THERE’S nothing like being too prepared for something and then being caught out – like NFU Scotland’s super-efficient comms team last week.

It issued a press release via e-mail to the meeja about Andrew McCornick being re-elected president, and this went on to add: Vice-presidential posts go to Martin Kennedy and xxxx after vote.

Obviously it had been prepared for a quick fill in of the blanks once the election had taken place, however someone must’ve hit the wrong button and the news release draft went out with the blanks ready to fill in. The PR team soon rectified the situation, but The Raider wants to know how come they knew Martin was a shoe in?

Lamb to die for

THE NFUS dinner that follows the agm is rightly a celebration of Scotland’s food and drink – but I have to say the lamb was the best I have ever tasted.

It can’t have been easy to do, but the chefs at the Radisson Blu, in Glasgow, turned around the Scotbeef sourced lamb into something special without taking away from the ‘main’ event.

It’s not easy to get it tasty, tender and rare for hundreds of expert diners, so what a great showcase of our produce it proved to be. The lamb, though, was just the stand out in an excellent feed for all.

Hoochter teuchters

OBAN Highland cattle sale is a hotbed of fun and frolics, and so you will be glad to know that it was the case again this year.

From the news about former breed president, Tom Thomson, from Baurheid, playing a bit part in the new film about Mary Queen of Scots (including a one-liner ‘I can’t!’) to a debate about the phrase ‘It was a damp squib’ ... which some of the company argued was actually a ‘damp squid!’ Caroline Ross’ take on that was even funnier – but you’ll have to ask her!

The Raider was (un)fortunate to run in to the MacKay boys, Iain and Ewan, when heading to sleepie baw baws ... and that, as they say was that!

Great entertainment – there was singing, fiddle playing from Mairi McLellan and a special young lady, her daughter, Lara (10) singing gaelic songs and the odd bad joke. You cannot beat a good Highland ceilidh and this was certainly one of those.