Bardnaclavan has become synonymous with the North Country Cheviot (NCC) breed, producing a number of show and sale leaders at local and national events.

The Campbell family moved to Bardnaclavan in 1996 and it’s now farmed by Jonnie, and his brother David, who tends to the cattle and machinery.

Jonnie’s wife Christine, and their children, Ross and Ailsa, help at busy show times, with Ross shaping up to be another Cheviot enthusiast.

Last year, the team enjoyed one of their best wins to date, standing overall champion at the Royal Highland Show with a shearling tup named Bardnaclavan Cooper, sired by Cairnside Action Man.

He went on to set a centre record at Quoybrae and produced the flock’s highest price to date of £11,000.

The farm is located a few miles from Thurso and is home to a flock of 200 pure Cheviot park-type ewes, as well as 40 pure Texels and 210 cross sheep which are put to the Suffolk and Texel.

Royal Highland Show champion sold for £11,000 at Quoybrae

Most are lambing in March, with the tail end of the park-type flock crossed with Texel or Bluefaced Leicester cross Texel tups to produce cross-bred ewes.

The majority have Cheviot blood in them.

Additional ground is rented for 450 North Country Cheviot hill-type ewes.

“We keep 100 ewe lambs back for replacement ewes and the remainder are sold at Lairg’s first lamb sale in August, where we have been getting very good prices,” said Jonnie.

“Around 10 to 15 hill-type tups are sold each year between Lairg and Dingwall, and we’ve also been getting a good go with them.”

Jonnie says running the two types of Cheviots gives the business a steady cash flow throughout the year.

Early park lambs are all way by June and the hill lambs are away from November until the end of February.

Ewes are fed on Harbro 18% protein premium ewe rolls and Jonnie rates it as ‘second to none’.

“The feed is completely balanced and our sheep have done very well on it, the ewes always have plenty good quality colostrum,” he said.

Jill Hunter, beef and sheep nutritionist at Harbro stresses the importance of quality ewe feed.

“Feeding ewes right ahead of lambing time helps quality and quantity of both colostrum and milk which then influences lamb growth,” said Jill. “This means we get robust and resilient animals which thrive, grow and finish better.”

From November through to May, tup lambs are fed on a home-mixed ration of home-grown bruised barley, Harbro lamb feeder minerals and Ruminant Greengold, which tops up the mix with high quality protein.

Harbro Maxammon Kelso Tup & Lamb has been used since 2014

“We make sure we keep them growing and this mix puts bone on them, growing the frame without them getting excessively fat,” added Jonnie.

Harbro Maxammon Kelso Tup & Lamb, has been used since 2014 and is fed to park and hill tups, with park tups sold as shearlings and hill ones as two-shear.

“Alongside silage aftermath, we start feeding park tups at the end of June through July and August, then ease off leading up to the sale,” said Jonnie.

“We like to have them looking natural and this feed keeps them fit without being fat. Hill tups receive the same Kelso Tup & Lamb,  just six to seven weeks.

“The feed is balanced, everything they need is there and it’s a very good product. Sheep are inclined to be picky when it comes to coarse mixes so you know they are getting everything in a pellet.

“I like to keep it simple – make sure they are fed the same time daily and don’t miss a feed. It’s very palatable, easy to feed, and they never stall on it”

“North Country Cheviot is a good hardy breed and they do well where they are born and bred”

Smiddyquoy tups have bred good bloodlines into the ewes and more recent purchases include tups from the Allanshaws and Cairnside flocks.

“You can cross the Cheviot with anything and you’ll always get a good lamb, whether a Bluefaced Leicester, a Suffolk or a Texel,” said Jonnie.

“You’ll always get a good crop of lambs, without being too many, and the ewes are motherly and milky. We get a good scanning percentage without being excessive, generally 180-190% which is enough for me.

“The North Country Cheviot is a good hardy breed and they do well where they are born and bred. We have tried others but always come back to them.”