Caithness to host NSA Highland Sheep in 2019
CAITHNESS is to play host to NSA Scotland’s next Highland Sheep event just under a year from now.
The one-day event to promote the Highland sheep industry will be hosted by the Sutherland family at Sibmister on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.
The farming unit of Sibmister and the nearby farm of Stainland, run by Kenneth and Elspeth Sutherland with son Stephen and his fiancée Alix Brown, and son Kenneth and his wife Fiona, is one of the best-known sheep and beef enterprises in the north.
Lambs from the farm are regularly prominent prize-winners in the commercial sheep classes at the Royal Highland, Caithness, Black Isle and Turriff shows.
Stocking on the two farms, which extends to 1700 acres all grass, comprises 1500 ewes, predominantly Texel x Cheviot Mules, which are crossed with Suffolk and Texel rams and pedigree flocks of 50 Suffolk and 50 Texel ewes. The spring-calving suckler herd of 400 Simmental x Longhorn are crossed with Charolais and Simmental bulls.
Ewes start lambing in March followed by hoggs in April with all lambs sold deadweight to Woodhead Bros, Turriff, for Morrisons. Lambs are sold off their mothers from June onwards.
Calves are sold store at 10-12 months of age through Aberdeen and Northern Marts at Caithness Livestock Centre, Quoybrae.
“We are honoured to be asked to host Highland Sheep and look forward to welcoming visitors to Sibmister,” Stephen Sutherland said.
This will be the fourth biennial Highland Sheep event since the series started in 2013 when Dingwall mart was the venue, followed by Fearn Farm, Tain (John Scott) in 2015, and Kinnaird Farm, Contin (JP Clark Ltd) in 2017.
“We are delighted that the Sutherland family has agreed to host NSA Highland Sheep 2019,” said NSA Scotland chairman John Fyall. “The reputation of the farm will be a big attraction for sheep farmers throughout the Highlands and Islands as well as providing an ideal opportunity for those from further afield to view a well-managed sheep farm in Caithness and to showcase agriculture in the very far north of Scotland.”
The organiser of the event is Euan Emslie, who can be contacted at 3 Briar Close, Newport, Brough, East Yorkshire HU15 2QY (01430 441870; 07718 908523; euan@nsascotland.org).