The  Airyolland Fold

of Highland Cattle

In 2005,with the aim of replacing the commercial suckler herd, the decision was made to bring the Highland breed of cattle to High Airyolland
It was decided that the cattle fitted in with the long-term plan for High Airyolland.  It was proving quite difficult for marginal farms to be profitable as far as simply food production is concerned and there needed to be a move towards developing the potential of environmental payments for land management.


 

The Highland cattle will be self-generating. While they may not make as much money, as modern suckler cows, they are very easy to keep and have low requirements throughout the winter when they are kept outside.
 Eventually, the herd will get up to 50 or 60 cows and at that point we will probably cross the lower end of the herd with a  Shorthorn to produce a superior suckler cow, selling the calves as heifers and finishing the bull calves which we would aim for a niche market.
They have a very placid temperament and they are low input, low output. They graze the hill in winter and are fed no silage or hay, just supplemented with a 16 per cent protein concentrate.

Ironically, both the Beltex and the Highland cattle came to High Airyolland after Neale had by chance spotted them elsewhere.
He first saw the Beltex crossed with Scotch Mules that he had supplied to a farmer in France.  He was very impressed with the lambs and this resulted in him buying about a dozen gimmers from a well known Beltex breeder in Belgium.
And it was while fishing early in the morning on the Knoydart Peninsula near to the village of Inveree in North West Scotland that the sight of the Highland cattle, which came down to the water to drink, made him vow to start his own fold.

Cattle at Knoydart                         

                                                               

After the first purchase of three females bought in Oban in October 2005 further females were selected at sales at Oban and Perth and the fold now numbers 20 cows plus young stock and a stock bull. The cows calve in February and March.

As fate would have it, in 2008, five of the cows Neale admired in Knoydart, three years before, made the mammoth trip to Airyolland to join our fold of Torloisk, Craigowmill, Garfield, Finnart, Earn, Gartchonzie, Lagg, Knockendon, Fourmerk, Shanter, Achnacraig, Tullach Ard and Shenavallie females.

We have recently replaced our stock bull Cabhlaiche of Mottistone with the brindle bull Corin of Benmeanach who was sired by Othello 2nd of Meggernie.

Corin of Benmeanach

East of Scotland Highland Cattle Club Farm Visit.

On 26th September 2009, as part of their annual weekend visit, the East of Scotland Highland Cattle Club spent a day viewing the stock at High Airyolland. The day started with a tour of the fold who were running with the bull, Corin of Benmeanach

The group then viewed the Blackface flock that are crossed with a Bluefaced Leicester ram to breed Scotch Mules. To end their tour Neale took the party of breeders next door to see our neighbour's new herd of Luing cattle.

After lunch the fun began with a stock judging competition consisting of 2 classes of Highland heifers, 1 class of Blackies, 1 class of Beltexes and finally the novelty class of  Beltex tup photos. All classes were ably judged by Billy Fergusson and the visitors competed for their team which was chosen at random.
After the scoring was sorted out and victors awarded their prizes the day ended with musical entertainment in the form of fiddles, bagpipes and traditional songs performed by the McQuistin children and their friends.

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Growing away in a natural enviroment.