A Strathpeffer farming family has been unveiled as the host for Highland Sheep 2017.
The biennial event, which is organised by the Scottish branch of the National Sheep Association (NSA), takes place on Wednesday May 31, 2017.
It will be staged at the Clark family’s 900-acre Kinnahaird Farm, Contin, Strathpeffer.
Amy Grant, who is a partner in the business with her mother Dorothy and sister Sheena, said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to host this important event for the sheep industry in the Highlands and we look forward to working closely with the local organising committee to make the event a great success.”
Kinnahaird Farm is home to a flock of 400 North Country Cheviot cross Mule and Texel cross ewes, which are crossed with Charollais cross Beltex and Charollais cross Texel rams. All progeny is finished on farm and sold at Dingwall Mart.
Ms Grant said: “The sheep flock is a very important part of our farming enterprise and we are currently engaged in a number of innovative projects to improve the performance of the flock through both better genetics and nutrition.”
The farm also carries a herd of pedigree Limousin cattle, which have won the Scottish Limousin Club’s small herds’ competition three times.
There is also a commercial beef enterprise comprising a suckler herd of 160 mostly Simmental cross cows, which are crossed with Simmental and British Blue bulls with heifers put to a Limousin bull. Forward stores are sold at Dingwall and 25 heifers are retained each year as replacements.
NSA Scotland chairman, Sybil Macpherson, said: “We are delighted that the Clark family has kindly agreed to host next year’s Highland Sheep. Kinnahaird Farm will be an ideal venue for the event. The previous two events were highly successful and attracted a large attendance of sheep farmers from all over the Highlands and further afield and I’m confident next year’s event will be equally successful.”
NSA Scotland is now setting up a local committee to plan the event with the help of specialist livestock event organiser Euan Emslie, who organised the last two Highland Sheep events.