Ewe lambs proved the star attraction at a show and sale at Quoybrae on Monday, when the champion Half-bred from Fiona Anderson, Osclay, Lybster, sold for the top price of £400 and the section averaged £160.40 for all breeds.

The sale of 6757 ewe lambs, store and prime lambs and feeding ewe and rams, was topped by the champion single, purchased by the pre-sale judge, John Sleigh, St Johns Wells, Fyvie, who also purchased the champion pen of 10 Half-bred ewe lambs from the same home at £250 per head. This pen had earlier won the Harry S Sleigh Perpetual Trophy.

The firm of A Miller and Sons, Aimster, Thurso, took the award for the first prize pen of 20 Half-Bred ewe lambs which realised £215.

Leading the North Country Cheviot section at £295 was the first prize pen of 10 ewe lambs from T Sinclair, Reaster, purchased by Iain Laird, Yeldabreck, Burray, who also purchased the champion single Cheviot ewe lamb at £230 from JS Ballie and Co, Sebay Farm, Tankerness.

Champion single in the any other breed section was a Texel from JMM MacBeath, Folly Farm, Murkle which realised £225 to Ronnie Wilkie, Tillyboy, Echt. The champion pen of 10 in the same section were also Texel crosses, this time from D Coghill, Tofts of Tain. They sold for £180 to GA Stephens Sheep and Co.

Half-bred ewe lambs (694) attracted the lead average at £191.01 (+£35.80 on the year) with Cheviot ewe lambs (287) at £187.38 (+£59.54) and cross-bred ewe lambs (998) at £133.33 (+£13.90).

Wedder lambs also improved on the year. HB lambs (74) averaged £117.31 (+£11.88); Cheviots (298) levelled at £90.71 (+£21.44) and 3283 crosses averaged £100.55 (+£16.38).

Prime lambs (475) averaged 296.2p per kg having sold to 313.8p for 47kg Texels from Lynegar, Watten or £157.50 for 52kg Suffolks from Mavsey, Lybster.

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Leading Prices

Ewe lambs – NCC – Reaster £295, £240, £230; Tormore £270; Cairnside £255; Naver House £235; Sebay £230; The Ha £225, £215; Damside £210. Hb – Overton £250, £230; Lythemore £250, £225, £208; Granton Mains £222, £212, £208; Aimster £215, £210; Tofts of Tain £210, £208. Tex X – Balnahard £210, £195; Skinnet £190, £162; Tofts of Tain £180, £160; Folly Farm £170, £148; Upper Dounreay £160; Winless Mains £140. ChevMule – Hill of Forss £190, £152; East End £180, £170. 110 East Kirtomy, Hawkhill £150. Suff – Bardnaclavan £185, £178, £162; Stirkoke £175, £148; Skinnet £142, Dunbeath Estate £142, £132; Wester £138; Tormore £132; Hillhead £132. Suff X Hb – Granton Mains £172. Blk – Folly Farm £150. Cont – Folly Farm £148. BFL – The Shein, Hill of Forss £140. Hill Chv- Drummuie Farm £125, Ham Farm £120, £115. Mule – Achnamoine £125; 6 Janet Street £120. Char – Achnamoine, Watten £110.

Store lambs – Bel – Inkstack £146, £131, £129. Tex – 125 Portskerra £136; Ham Farm £131; 3 Lochend £130; Winless Mains £128; Balnahard £126; Latheron Mains £125; Upper Dounreay £122. Suff X – Gerston £133, £120; Winless Mains £124; Stirkoke £120; Inkstack £120; An-Cala £120; Tormore £118; Wester £117; Burnside Croft £114; Whiteleen £120. Hb – Tain £131; Overton £130, £110; Achnamoine £110. NCC – North Keiss £125; Damside £117; Achavar House £114; Tormore £110; Upper Dounreay £109; North Keiss £108. Cont – Netherside £124, Upper Dounreay £119; East Durran £109. Dor – An Cala £106, £81. ChevMule – Achnamoine £105, Lower Houstry £98, £93.

Prime lambs – Suff X – Mavsey £157.50, Buckies 305.3p. Tex X – Folly Farm £156.50, Buckies 311.7p. Down X – Thuster Mains £154.50, Todholes 303.8p. Cross – Thuster Mains £153.50, Quoyshakes 308p. Tex – Lynegar £149.50, 313.8p. Suff – Lynegar £147.50 307.3p. Cont – Buckies £143.50, 305.3p. Blk – Mavsey £138.50, 282.7p; Char – Upper Geise, Slickly £132.50, Sickly 308.1p; ChevMule – Hawkhill, Keiss £123.50.

Feeding ewes and rams – Cont – 125 Portskerra £151.50. Tex – Achscrabster £149.50, £139.50; Larkins £141.50. NCC – Achsrabster £147.50; Castle Heather £141.50. Suff – 125 Portskerra £141.50. Mule – Achscrabster £124.50. Chev – Achscrabster £119.50; Castleheather £114.50.