Strath Halladale left without cattle as last of stock sold
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More than a century of cattle breeding on a Sutherland strath has come to an end with the sale of the last remaining stock.
Local crofter and grazings clerk Sandy Murray and one of his family members have sold the last of the cattle grazing on Strah Halladale.
“I sold off my herd due to age and health reasons,” said Mr Murray. “It is change days and maybe not for the better, but now with tight margins and the cost and size of equipment needed for cattle compared to sheep, the figure just don’t stack up.”
A “bull diary” kept by Mr Murray’s grandfather Donald Murray gives a fascinating insight into the history of cattle production in the strath.
The diary shows that it was exactly 100 years ago, in February 1922, that the strath got its first bull from the Board of Agriculture.
“Before that bulls were provided by the Duke of Sutherland with crofters receiving a wintering premium of £8 from the Board," said Mr Murray.
"Two crofters were appointed to take the old bull away and another two crofters to collect the new one, which came by train, at Forsinard. They were paid 10 shillings each - the equivalent of 50p today."
In 1921 there were 43 active crofters in the strath keeping more than 100 cows. The largest herd numbered five cattle with most crofters having just one or two cows to supply milk to the household.
Records show that in 1921 the bull served 97 cows, costing crofters two shillings per cow. In 1922 the new bull served 104 cows at a cost of 1/9d per service.
The crofter given responsibility for looking after the bull and wintering it was paid £14.
Mr Murray said: “In the 1970s and 1980s, I had around 20 cows and we were milking four and supplying milk to several of the houses and also selling butter and crowdie.”
He added that this year was the first in his 38 years as grazings clerk that he had not applied to the relevant authority for the hire of a bull.
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