The family friend who had been farming here until our return had used his own equipment because all the stock and machinery had been sold following Kenny's death. He chose for us, twelve cows and calves, fortyfour aged cheviot ewes and a Border Leicester ram, together with one hundred round bales of hay and straw for bedding the cattle.

Donald passed over to us half of the land in barley which was undersown with grass. Later we were to discover that the barley crop was "Golden Promise" being grown for Macallan's malt whisky.

Tragically, Donald died in April 1999 at the age of 38 leaving a wife and two young children. As a minor consequence we were uncertain of how to proceed. Our lambing was in full swing and we were fortunate that Donald's uncle DD Forsyth who had been a regular visitor with Donald, continued to help and guide us throughout that period. There then followed an uncertain period when our good neighbours - Hugh, Davie and Roddy MacCulloch in the adjoining Logie Farm helped us with advice and in practical ways by lending machinery and doing much of the work for us with their own tractor and implements.

An early embarrassment occurred when Geoff Norrie, an officer with the Animal Health Division of SEERAD, arrived here to take a blood sample from one of our cows. We had no idea what this entailed and consequently had no facilities to do so. However, with Geoff's expert and adroit handling we succeeded in restraining her against a fence with her nose in a bucket of nuts while the sample was taken (cattle, and sheep, will do anything for nuts).

About this time we met Rod McIver, a retired farm manager, now living in Conon Bridge. Rod's help has been invaluable both in terms of advice and practical assistance with difficult calvings and on any occasion where we have to pen and handle cattle. Without his help and that of Hugh and Roddy McCulloch, not to mention Allan Macmillan, we would find things very difficult.

Working the land and transport

Donald made much use of a farming contractor (Colin Gill) and we secured his services then (and still use him) for ploughing, cultivating, sowing and baling. Meanwhile we bought several items at farm sales some of which failed to last the course - why they were being sold no doubt!

We have now several new and almost new pieces of machinery. In 2004 we changed tractors buying a relatively new Renault Ares 540RX with only 3000 hours of work behind it which Neil had seen on the internet advertised by John Bownes & Son, Winsford, Cheshire. They also took the Massey in part exchange.

We drive a Toyota pick-up for running about because Pat objected to travelling in a box on the tractor in cold weather (it's been a very useful acquisition). In 2005, we traded-in our Ifor Williams livestock trailer (itself bought to replace another one bought at a farm sale) for a new one.