Leading Angus commercial herd to host open day

An Aberdeen-Angus open day is to be held at Westside, Edzell, Angus, on Saturday, May 29, by kind permission of Lord Dalhousie’s Burghill Farms.

The event is being organised by the North East and Central Scotland Aberdeen-Angus clubs and will feature a farm tour, stockjudging, practical demonstrations, educational exhibits, seminars, cookery demonstration and trade stands. It will be open to the public from 11.00am to 4.00pm.

“We are greatly indebted to Lord Dalhousie and his farm manager, Bruce Christie, for kindly agreeing to host this event at Westside,” said Neil Wattie, Jun, chairman of the North East Aberdeen-Angus Club.

“It will give farmers the opportunity of viewing one of the leading commercial Aberdeen-Angus herds in the country and will highlight the easy-keep advantages of the Aberdeen-Angus breed and the expanding market for Aberdeen-Angus cattle, fuelled by the strong demand and premium prices for Certified Aberdeen-Angus beef.”

All proceeds from the event, after expenses, will be donated to charities nominated by Lord Dalhousie. The main beneficiary will be the Mental Health Foundation but donations will also be made to local charities, including the Royal Highland Education Trust – Angus Countryside Initiative, Dalhousie Day Care Centre and Brechin Cathedral.

Burghill Farms is a largely arable farming enterprise on the Dalhousie Estate extending to 2000 acres with a suckler herd of 100 Aberdeen-Angus cows – 70% of which are pure-bred – with all progeny finished on the farm. Around 20 heifers are retained for breeding each year and the remainder finished or sold for breeding with all steers finished on the farm and sold to Scotbeef Ltd for Marks and Spencer.

The Angus herd was founded in 2000 when the switch was made from Continental breeds with the purchase of bulling heifers over three years from the Unigarth herd of Rognvald Sinclair at South Unigarth, Sandwick, Orkney. A closed herd policy is now operated and only stock bulls are bought in.

Details of sponsorship opportunities and trade stand information available from Eddie Gillanders, Secretary, North East Aberdeen-Angus Breeders, 11 Sunnyside Gardens, Drumoak, Banchory, Aberdeenshire. AB31 5EZ. Tel/Fax: 01330 811616. Mob: 07801 186303. E-mail: eddie.gillanders@btopenworld.com