Drought across England hits lamb sales in Highlands

5 hours ago

Steven McKenzie,Highlands and Islands reporterand

Joe MacNeil,BBC Naidheachdan

News image — More than 8,000 sheep went through the auction ring at Lairg on Tuesday

Getty Images Sheep being herded down a corridor between pens with metal gates at Lairg lamb sales. — More than 8,000 sheep went through the auction ring at Lairg on Tuesday

Farmers from England have not made their usual trip to the Scottish Highlands for one of Europe's biggest lamb sales after drought conditions hit their pastures, say auctioneers.

Sheep sales at Lairg in Sutherland involve the auction of thousands of animals and usually draw buyers from outside of Scotland.

But owners United Auctions said few English sheep producers made the journey due to poor grazing as a result of heatwaves and a lack of rain.

Managing director Donald Young told BBC Scotland: "There were not so many buyers from south of the border because there is no grass down there. Buyers were predominately from Aberdeenshire and the rest of Scotland."

Getty Images Lambs in a trailer. They are standing at the open doors of the trailer awaiting to run down a metal ramp. — Lambs born on Sutherland farms are sold for raising elsewhere in Scotland and England

The lambs, many of them Cheviots, were born on farms and crofts in Sutherland and are moved on for raising on farms elsewhere in Scotland and England.

As many as 20,000 sheep have been sold at Lairg sales in the past.

Tuesday's auction saw 8,633 lambs pass through the sales ring, about 1,000 fewer than last year.

Getty Images An aerial view of Lairg lamb sales. White sheep are in pens laid out in a grid-like pattern on a large area of grass. — Lamb sales at Lairg are some of the largest in Europe

The price for wedder lambs, males raised for their meat, sold for an average of £101 - about £8 higher than last year.

Ewe lambs, female sheep that can go on to have lambs themselves, averaged at £147 - a rise of almost £34.

Young said: "This is a big day of income for a lot of the farmers.

"For some of them it is their entire year's sheep stock that is being sold, and it is not just the people with hundreds but the people with 10, 20, 30 lambs.

"For the crofters as well it is their main day's income. It's very important to them."

Shepherdess Cara Lowe is standing outdoors at the Lairg lamb sales. She has long brown hair and is wearing a light green fleece. She is holding a shepherd's crook and has a whistle to instructing sheepdogs hanging from a lanyard around her neck. — Shepherdess Cara Lowe said the sale was better than expected

Shepherdess Cara Lowe said there were some concerns ahead of the sale.

"I think everybody was a bit scared there wouldn't be enough buyers around the ring, but it looks like a good turnout," she said.

Lowe added: "Lairg is always a fantastic day. This is the money-making day, it is our time to show what we have produced over lambing time."

Earlier this month, drought officials declared 71.3% of England was in drought, after the nation recorded its driest July since records began in 1836.

A drought was declared across the whole of Wales at the end of July.