New breed highs for a Suffolk and Texels were paid at Aberdeen and Northern Marts’ multi-breed ram sale at Caithness Livestock Centre, Quoybrae, for the second consecutive year.

Top price was £2800 paid for a Suffolk shearling from William Barnetson and Son, Lynegar, Watten, purchased by Orkney breeders Messrs Baillie, Tankerness.

Texel shearlings also saw a new high of £2300 paid twice – for the breed champion from Douglas Webster, Lower Reiss, Reiss, which sold to Lythemore, with another from Angus Gunn, Hill of Forss, Forss, that was bought by D Coghill and Sons, Skinnet, Halkirk.

Champion Suffolk at the sale of 125 rams staged under the auspices of the Caithness Sheep Breeders’ Association was a shearling from A Brims, Thuster Mains, which sold for £1500 to judge Tommy Linklater, Stonelea, Stenness.

Reserve was a shearling from JB and L Swanson, East Murkle, Castletown that made £2000 selling to M Thomson, Ospisdale, Dornoch.

Alison Webster, Ardhuncart Farms, Kildrummy, was the Texel judge and found her reserve in another shearling from D Webster, Lower Reiss, that realised £1400 to William Barnetson and Son, Lynegar, Watten.

Any other breed judge Zena Mackay, Bardnaheigh, Bridge of Westfield, found her supreme in a cross-bred ram from W and S McCarthy, Myrelandhorn, that later sold for £700 to A Mackay and Sons, Starth Farm, Watten.

A Blue Texel shearling from K Mackay, East Mey, Mey, scooped the reserve and sold for £900 to D Coghill and Sons, Skinnet.

Scott Chapman, auctioneer, Aberdeen and Northern Marts said: “With an outstanding show of rams, the trade was electric from start to finish with a packed ringside of buyers, many of which went home empty handed.”

By the end of the day, 33 Suffolk shearlings averaged £1037.87 (+£221.19 for six more sold) and 58 Texel shearlings levelled at averaged £922.41 (+£79.27 for 12 fewer).

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Leading Prices

Suffolks – Lynegar, £2800, £1700, £1500, £1300 x3, £1200; East Murkle £2000, £1100, £900; Thuster £1500, £1250, £1200 x2; Seaview £1000, £800; Sibister £600, £500 x3.

Texels – Hill of Forss, £2300, £2200, £2000; Lower Reiss, £2300, £1400, £1300, £1200, £1100, £1000; Bardnaclavan, £1600, £1100, £900; Burnside, Huna, £1500 x2; East Kirk, £1300, £950, £850; Durran Mains, £1150, £800; Myrelandhorn £1000, £900, £800 x2; Wester, £700 x2, £500 x3; Boultach £650, £600 x2; Tofts of Tain £650, £600.

Any other breed – Burnside £1200; Smithy House £900; Framside (J Swanson) £900 x2, £800, £700 x2; Skirza Croft £800, £700, £600 x2; Hill of Forss, £800 x2; West Catchery £750; Myrelandhorn (McCarthy) £700; Achnamoine £600, £500 x2; Framside (B Swanson) £500, £400 x2; Bardnaheigh £400; Myrelandhorn, £400 x2.

Leading Flock Averages

Farm (No) Top (£) Avg (£)

Suffolk shearlings

East Murkle (5) 2000 1110.00

Lynegar (13) 2800 1288.40

Thuster Mains (5) 1500 1180.00

Sibster (5) 600 500.00

Texel shearlings

Hill of Forss (4) 2300 1850.00

Lower Reiss (11) 2300 1145.00

Bardnaclavan (6) 1600 983.00

Burnside, Huna (4) 1500 1250.00

East Kirk (10) 1300 780.00

Durran Mains (4) 1150 800.00

Myrelandhorn (6) 1000 808.33

Wester Dunnet (5) 700 580.00

Boultach (7) 650 571.00

Any other breed/cross

Framside(J Swanson)

(7) 900 735.71

(3) 500 433.33

Skirza (6) 800 608.33

Achanmaoine (5) 600 470.00