Events

Open Days

England
Wednesday 17th August 2011
By kind permission of H Carr & Son, Lee Gate Farm, Malham and
Robert & Wendy Phillip, Green Farm, Hellifield

?

Day starts at 10 a.m. at the Hellifield Fold
?
Start the day at the Hellifield fold of Highland Cattle ?.
Highland beef cattle first arrived at Green Farm in March 2002. 2 cows were bought were bought as a hobby (and a bit of fun). At this time Robert & Wendy Phillip were milking 130 Holsteins and Jerseys three times a day, getting high yields.? The milk cows were sold in 2005 and they now concentrate on cows that are more traditional, environmentally friendly and producers of some of the best beef.? Hellifield now totals over 200 with 80 cows in calf for 2011.? The farm is running several pedigree highland bulls and one pedigree Blonde bull.? The cows can also be seen above the Malham Cove beauty spot where the Phillips supported the Limestone Country Project. http://www.yorkshiredales.org.uk/limestonecountryproject.
?
Following the morning visit head for lunch and afternoon visit to

Lee Gate Fold of Highlanders
The fold is in a largely conservation area including special scientific sites of interest.
The Lee Gate Fold of Highland Cattle has been aimed at being a low maintenance Highland Fold used to improve the local biodiversity within the environment whilst at the same time still bringing in a useful income. Lee Gate Fold sells fat cattle to the local, high quality niche market of retail butchers and breeds and sells pedigree Highland females for breeding.? Having started with just 15 Highland Cows and one pedigree highland bull the numbers have now built up to 180 pedigree females and 3 pedigree bulls.
?
Also to be seen at Lee Gate are Hereford and Continental Cattle.? Traditionally the sheep bred at Lee Gate were Dalesbred now largely replaced by the Swaledale, breeding females are homebred and the remainder are fattened as lightweight lambs.?
?
All the land is managed together with Natural England - www.naturalengland.org.uk ?under various environmental agreements with a large portion classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This part requires particularly sensitive management to protect both plant and bird life. Much of the land is in the European Designated Special Area of Conservation. This is home to both unusual flora and fauna with many plants relying on the close proximity of acid bogs and alkaline flushes.
?
?

Glenturret Estate, Crieff
Friday 9th September 2011

Visit the Highland Cow in her traditional surrounding at the 6000 acre Glenturret Estate just outside of Crieff.? This mainly south facing estate is free draining and has approximately 4000 acres of heather moor.? Mr & Mrs Alex Seldon have owned Glenturret for over 14 years and here you can see the Highland Cows with followers out on the moors through the winter before they are brought down closer to the farm buildings for calving from March onwards.
The Highland Cow plays an important part out on the moors grazing the heather without any supplementary forage and also helping with tick control and habitat management which in turn benefits both the farming and sporting enterprises. ?Replacements have been bought from the Meggernie Fold in the past and currently all 30 pedigree Highland Cows are put to a White Shorthorn Bull (Todo of Burnedge) with the cross calves being sold through Oban market at the end of October.?
The day will start at 10 a.m. at the main farm buildings with a welcome from the host Mrs Seldon and farm manager Douglas McCartney. ? The visit here will last approximately 2 ? hours, following this a short trip back toward Crieff to the Famous Grouse Experience for lunch, seminars with Willie Thomson, Technical Director from Harbro speaking amongst others, and the potential of a whisky tour and tasting.?? The afternoon will finish between 3.00 and 3.30 p.m.

for more information and to book you place contact 01786 446866 or hazel@highlandcattlesociety.com

Photographs

Go to http://www.highlandcattlesociety.com/gallery.aspx to check out the photos from the 3rd International Gathering of Highland Cattle Breeders.

?

Latest News

Oban Sale Catalogue

Available to download

Society announces new Sponsor

Partnership with Osmonds

Ceilidh Tickets now available

Oban Show & Sale Ceilidh

Show & Sale of Native Bred Cattle

Caledonian Marts - Stirling Livestock Centre