Starting off (we had no thought ourselves of keeping breeding sheep) with the 44 ewes and a Border Leicester ram (Pat named him Dorian) we got off to a less than brilliant first lambing. Not knowing that the description of the ewes as "cast ewes" only meant that the previous owner was selling them on in good condition, we feared that we had inherited someone else's rejects. The weather was atrocious with snow and rain. We ended up with 57 lambs and had to sell eight of the ewes because they were found not to be in lamb.

Early in the lambing at 5am we discovered a ewe with a bag of sorts hanging out. We thought it was a prolapse and had no idea what to do. As directed, we spoke to Donald who made us his first port of call. He did not know what it was either and instructed Pat to phone the vet to say we were taking a sheep to the surgery. Reluctantly she did so and spoke to Hamish Robertson who said he would be at the surgery without delay (our first experience of this incredible service that they provide.) Unfortunately, the sheep had cast her bladder and Hamish was forced to deliver twin lambs by Caeserian operation; the ewe could not survive so we had our first pet lambs - Donaldina named after Donald and Davidina after his uncle DD.

We kept seven of the lambs - including Donaldina and Davidina, Vanessa and Robson (sold with the others in the autumn) who were the pets. In October of 1999, we bought 21 replacement cheviot gimmers (eighteen month old sheep ready for their first mating) from Alistair Jack, Kilcoy, and Messrs Mackay from Glaick and Ardmore. By this time we realised that we had a product which was recognised as a good breeding animal a "Scottish Halfbred" which, of course, was why we were given them in the first place.

On the advice of our Aldie Fraser, our postman and a crofter, we arranged for the ewes to be scanned in January 2000 by John Urquhart from Lochluichart. John scans sheep, and cattle, throughout north and west Scotland. The scan on 21 January 2000 revealed that we should have 20 singles, 24 twins and 2 sets of triplets.

This year we had an improved lambing rate @ 71 lambs for 49 ewes but we again began the lambing in the snow. We had created mothering pens, but were finding it difficult to catch the ewes and lambs particularly at night. This was made worse by the fact that we did not have a dog. Once again we raised a pet lamb (Sophie) which was found by Neil having been abandoned by its mother. Again all odds it survived after a period at the kitchen stove. It was difficult to raise her on her own so we were on the look out for another from someone who had an unwanted lamb. Murdo Macrae from Applecross arrived with Hamish, a beautiful blackface wedder (castrated male) which made an ideal companion (he was also the cause for our buying blackface ewes).

On 10 July, we discovered that Dorian was ill, appearing to be paralysed at his rear. We took him to the vet who could not find anything wrong, but he died soon afterwards. We were learning that sheep are inclined to pop off by the time you realise that they are ill. In the autumn of 2000 we bought two Suffolk tups (rams) from Kenneth Gill, Easter Templands and James & Iain Macpherson, Lairgandour at Dingwall Mart to put with our half bred ewes and cheviots (56 in total).

Scanning on 19 January 2001 indicated that we would have 18 singles, 34 twins and 2 sets of triplets. In the event we reared 82 lambs, but this was the year of foot & mouth disease which made everything very difficult. In October we bought Lynne the dog. Later this year we sold 26 of our original ewes because they were becoming old and thin. Nevertheless, we put 56 ewes to the tups again and on 19 January 2002, they were scanned revealing 15 singles, 40 twins and 1 set of triplets. This year 89 lambs reared in total.

January was when Pat succumbed to Hamish's charms and we bought eight blackface hoggs from MacIntyre, Tulloch Farm, Dingwall. On 23rd October we bought a Blue Face Leicester ram from E. Mackenzie, Forgue at Huntly Auction Mart so that we could put him with the Blackface ewes, the product being a Scotch Mule. He was three shear (three year old) when we bought him and he had not been sheared that year so he was resplendent in Rastafarian type dreadlocks. It is said that all sheep like to die but that a Blue Face Leicester prefers it more than most. Their wool is thin and open leaving them very vulnerable to bad weather.

We also bought a Border Leicester ram as a replacement for Dorian (remember, to get Scottish halfbreds) from Willie and Heather Stewart. They were intending to sell him in any event. The poor fellow was hounded relentlessly by Huntly who was intent on killing him. Huntly was much more subtle than charging head-to-head, as rams usually do, preferring to strike him on his hip to make him fall over.

We put 54 ewes and gimmers (18 months old) to the tups and, on 18 January 2003 when they were scanned, we discovered 15 singles, 39 twins and 5 sets of triplets. Six of the ewes were empty and were sold in January; and we sold the Border Leicester ram in May. Earlier, in January, we sold the Suffolk tup which we had bought from Templands.

We managed the lambing better this year, taking them in overnight as they became due. Since the available shed could only accommodate a limited number, we changed the raddle on the tups every week (a colour on their chest which marks the ewes as they are served). By so doing, we knew those expecting lambs imminently and took them inside first. We check them every two hours throughout the night so a quick dash and look in the shed took little time and it was easy to put newly lambed groups in a pen. A walk round a field with a torch in the dead of night, followed by a swoop with tractor and transport box to catch and pen was wholly different. 105 lambs were reared this year. Of the five sets of triplets, four survived intact.

In May we sold 20 suffolk cross ewe hogs (one year old) when they fetched £70 which was very good indeed. On 11 May, the remaining Suffolk tup from Lairgandour became ill and we had to protect him from Huntly who was anxious to dispense with him since he was showing signs of weakness. We penned him for several days and we were very relieved that he recovered.

We now had some lovely Suffolk cross halfbred ewes and wanted to put them to a good finishing tup. At Dingwall Auction Mart on 27 September we bought a handsome Texel shearling from Tom Morrison, Easter Urray, Muir of Ord. Bill was a pet. When we anxiously took him towards a fence separating him from the other tups we thought we would have to spend some time integrating him. Bill was not interested, however, preferring to leave his fellow tups behind and accompany us on the look out for food.

In October, we bought yet more Blackface sheep from Murdo Macrae, Camusterrach, Applecross (who had supplied Hamish) so Huntly, the Blue Face would have something worthwhile to do; in fact we put a couple of cheviots with him also to see what the ensuing cheviot mules would look like. On 1 November 2003, we put 83 ewes and gimmers to the tups and scanning on 19 January 2004 revealed 21 singles, 47 twins and 13 sets of triplets; 3 were empty and were sold in February. Given his previous illness, we decided that it would be wise to sell the suffolk tup and did so in January. 138 lambs reared this year including three which we could not foster and which, of course became pets with names, ie. Two mules, Jennifer and Lisa and a suffolk cross called Beth.

In May, we sold the suffolk cross halfbred lambs for £60, the best price on the day. On 30 June, the vet attended to take blood samples in furtherance of our application to join HISHA.

Because of the withdrawal period after dipping, we had to wait until 7 September before selling any prime lambs (average £52.21) Pat was now hankering after a new breed of sheep for us - a Lleyn, from the Lleyn peninsula in north Wales. Off we headed to Perth Auction Mart on 14 September where we purchased five gimmers for a not inconsiderable sum - they'll need to do well! - from Debbie and Neil MacGowan, Alyth, Blairgowrie. Debbie is the promotions consultant for the Lleyn Society. The Lleyns are supposed to be super hardy, prolific breeders and eat very little. We were still keen to maintain out halfbred flock so off we went to Thainstone, Inverurie in September and purchased a tup lamb (few shearlings being available) which would manage a small number of ewes. Fraser came from John Bell and Sally Guild's flock from Knowsie, Fraserburgh.

On 30 September we bought a further 8 cheviot gimmers from Edward Mackay, Brora and, on 7 October, sold 12 of the cheviot ewes purchased the year before because they failed to develop as we wished.

On 2 October at Dingwall we bought a replacement suffolk tup from the same source as our previous one, Macpherson, Lairgandour. This year 110 ewes and gimmers went to the tups and scanning on 15 January 2005 revealed: 22 singles, 67 twins and 12 sets of triplets, but 9 were empty. We then sold off 5 of the empty ones but kept 4 younger ones which had been gimmers in with Fraser whose performance as a lamb was less than diligent; or, rather he was too diligent since he rejected all approaches from others when he was engaged on business with another. Consequently, he was taking such a long time to cover them all that he had not finished the job when we removed him.

A bad start to lambing. One of the young suffolks aborted her twin lambs on 6 March and died herself shortly afterwards. The foetuses were examined at the laboratory as required under the HISHA scheme when we were wrongly advised by chinese whispers via our vet that she had suffered an enzootic abortion. We were of course devastated and began to plan how we could manage the lambing by keeping separate those animals with which she had been in contact. It would have been difficult, but when we received the official version we found that the original news was wrong and that she had suffered from campylobacter, which can be spread by birds. The lambing progressed quite smoothly thereafter with much needed help from Neil and Iain who took their holidays to assist and Roger and Linda Hoskins who took time out to help when possible; we reared 169 lambs.

On the 8th May we submitted the required number of blood samples to the laboratory as required by the HISHA scheme. A negative result meant that we are now fully accredited as free from enzootic abortion in our flock and were able to sell them as such in the autumn. Three pets this year: 2 suffolk crosses, Ruth and Emma and a halfbred who declined to make friends.

We were pleased with the product from the Llyens and decided that we should buy a few more and this year put them with a Lleyn tup. Off again to Perth on 13 September when we bought 13 gimmers from Michael Cursiter, Laga Farms, Orkney and a tup from Butcher, Fleets Farm, Skipton in Yorkshire. We had penned him on our return home in a small paddock secured by chicken wire but when Pat went out later to make sure everything was OK, he had disappeared. Yes, he had jumped the fence and was in with the new ewes; coming from Skipton and being a high hurdler of such quality, he is called Skippy.

On 21 September we sold our gimmers at the inaugural sale of HISHA accredited animals at Dingwall. We very pleased with the result, fetching best prices in several categories. However, we bought yet more cheviots gimmers - 14 from Lorna Muirden, Grantfield Farm, Nigg for Fraser's attention later.

112 ewes and gimmers have gone to the tups this year. We have hung on to Huntly who is now old at six shear and gave him the cheviots which we bought from Brora last year, including the four missed by Fraser. When we took the tups away from the ewes on 11 December it looks as if he has caught all of them.

Scanning in January 2006 will reveal the true picture; afterwards, we will separate them and feed each group differently depending on the number of lambs they are carrying.