Breeders of our Time – John and Margaret Cameron

Here they open up about their greatest achievements and illustrious careers.

John was born in Edinburgh before moving back to the family farm at Glen Finglas, in the Trossachs, where he lived with his father, John and mother, Margaret – also known as Jack and Peggy.

After his father was appointed to the wartime agri-executive committee and member of Scottish Land Court, John’s mother took over the running of the busy beef and sheep farm until her husband’s return at the end of the war.

With Balbuthie being his mothers original home, John’s grandparents continued to farm there until the war ended before John and his family came across in 1945. Balbuthie has remained the family's home ever since, buying the farm back following it’s sale by John’s great grandfather to local land owners – Lord and Lady Lindsay – in order to pay for the cost of a loss within his shipping business.

Born and brought up in Malawi, in Africa, Margaret lived with her mother and father, James and Queenie Clapperton. Schooled in what was then known as Rhodesia, Margaret attended boarding school before then travelling to Cape Town to study nursing at university.

Following her qualification and working in an African hospital, Margaret – along with her fellow colleagues – travelled to Scotland to work in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in her early 20s, where she then undertook a course in midwifery and passed.

She met John in the Royal Infirmary walking through theatre, before courting and eventually marrying in 1964, out in Malawi. Following her midwifery course, Margaret gave up practicing to be more involved with the farm, which is where her passion for Hereford cattle was born.

What got you into breeding Herefords?

“Simply that they are the predominant breed in southern Africa. It was Margaret’s interest to have a pedigree herd, as she played a very active hand in the running of the farms.

"She was keen to have a pedigree herd and I have to say I was switched into the breed too as I wanted to work with a progressive breed at that time. Due to Margaret’s experience with the breed, I backed her decision and that was before an influx of continentals entered the country,” said John.

“John’s mother was still alive at this time and had retired down to Elie. The name of her house was called Baldinnie and when we got the herd, we used that name as the prefix," added Margaret.

"We bought the first pedigree in the mid-1960s in the form of some locally sourced females. One of John’s mentors, Sandy Campbell, from Kinellar, in Aberdeenshire, gave us a lot of advice about putting together a herd," she said.

John pointed out: “We were also building up the commercial beef herd at the time, with around 800 Luing cross Simmentals and I decided we would use the Hereford as a terminal sire.

"Eventually, we formed a contract with Waitrose and one of the requirements which had to be met was that the stock had to be sired by a pedigree Hereford bull, in order to meet the scheme.

“So, we used home-bred bulls from Margaret’s herd on the commercial cattle and I had the unenviable task of having to buy my pedigree Hereford bulls from my wife and this was not an easy task!”

Qualities you like about the Hereford?

Their docile nature and that they are clean and easy to handle. We have never really had to intervene at calving, but if we do, they are very calm.

First big breed sale or show?

The first local show would have been East Fife Agricultural Show, followed by Perth, where we enjoyed a few successes. The first sale was through Bosomworth's, in Edinburgh, at the Scottish Hereford Society’s annual breed sale.

Best animal ever bred?

It has to be Baldinnie Cathy. A daughter of the original purchase from Canada, Wilgor Cathy, she had all the female traits you would expect for a show cow. She knew how to show herself off and had a breeding performance that was exceptional – if she was not winning herself, her progeny were.

Best animal ever seen?

We have seen so many, however, the animal that has left the biggest impression would certainly be the supreme Hereford champion we once saw at the Agribition annual show, held in Calgary, Alberta, in Canada.

Best animal you’ve been out-bidded on or lost?

Again, we have to say Cathy when she died, as she was hugely influential within our herd.

Biggest disappointment?

You get a lot of disappointments in life and they were a regular feature of our lifetime’s experience, but we never dwelled on them.

Most influential person in your careers?

The late Sandy Campbell and on an equal footing, the late Wilbur Donaldson, who was probably the most noted Canadian Hereford breeder of all time, and originally from Scotland.

Favourite sale over the years and why?

“The society’s annual national sale, at Hereford,” stated Margaret.

“The first pedigree bull that we ever bought at Hereford, my good friend, Sandy Campbell, was sitting next to me. I bought the bull he advised me to buy and the auctioneer didn’t recognise me as I was a new face, but it was a big price so the bull was knocked down to 'the man sat next to Sandy Campbell' as I was referred to back then!” said John.

Abiding memory?

“There are two that come to me, the first being able to re-purchase the family farm at Balbuthie. The second would be being appointed president of the NFUS followed by my appointment of chairman of the EEC sheep meat committee,” said John.

“I used to get my leg pulled by my EEC colleagues about being the biggest sheep producer in Europe, to which my reply was that I also had the biggest overdraft!” he added.

“The other great interest in my career has been railways and following my spell as NFUS president – which would have been the greatest honour I’ve accorded – would be to be appointed chairman of Scotrail and then to the Nationalised British Railway Board, in London.

"I enjoyed both these appointments enormously, and in particular, enjoyed the company of the people I was working with, both at headquarters and out on the railway.”

Interests outwith farming?

“The livestock were my main hobby, I spent a lot of time with them,” said Margaret.

“Outwith farming, I was chairman of the board of governors of Dollar Academy for 30 years. I’m very conscious of what the school did for me – the school matured me out of all recognition and I’ll always be grateful. I enjoyed putting anything I could back into the school,” added John.

Best breeder ever?

The late Edward Lewis, of the Haven herd.

Best advice?

“If you’re not sure keep your mouth shut, it seems to have worked for me,” said John.

“Don’t do what your husband tells you to do!” added Margaret.

Biggest achievement?

“For me it would be winning supreme champion at Perth Show,” Margaret commented.

“Winning the Burke Trophy at the Royal Show presented by HM The Queen was a very prestigious thing as it represented the champion of champions, the best male and female of the breeds with Baldinnie involved,” added John.

“Another agricultural highlight for myself would be the appointment as president of the NFUS. I was also chairman of the National Safety Committee for the British Railway Board.

"In order to do that job justice, I approached the chairman, Sir Bob Reid, from Cupar, and asked him if I could be passed out as a driver and know what I was talking about.

“Eventually, I was permitted to drive and this led me to my greatest accomplishment in that the day of the official opening of the restored line to the Borders, in 2018, one of my own locomotives was selected to haul the Royal train with myself as the driver that took the Queen and other members of the Royal Family to Tweedbank for the official opening ceremony,” explained John.

Future of the Hereford?

“Trends come and go, but it does appear now that there is a swing to favour lighter weighted, finished carcases and from a financial point of view, there’s a tendency to finish cattle at a younger age and I think the Hereford breed is admirably suited to achieve both of these objectives.

"The overarching role that the native breeds at one time had I think will gradually return to achieve a role in beef finishing, such as they haven’t experienced the past few decades, however, the continentals will still play an important role,” explained John.

“That means they aren’t going to carry excess fat, which is not a desirable trait in todays world and this will help them secure a place within both the pedigree and commercial market,” added Margaret.

Biggest fear for the future?

“The trade deal with Australia. It worries me as I’m aware that the cost of production in these countries is much less than it could ever be over here, but at the same time I’m also concerned that the quality of imported meat may not be up to the same standards as we have been accustomed to in this country,” John stated.

“The most worrying outcome of that is the future level of meat consumption in this country, which could have a detrimental effect on our industry,” concluded

Margaret.