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Livestock and Produce

Drimnin Farm

The farm at Drimnin is an important part of the Estate’s activities, using both the improved pasture to the west and the rough grazing on the open hill, which it shares with the red deer. Beef cattle and sheep are bred in a natural environment with livestock remaining outside all year round, grazing both on the in-bye land and the hill. During the winter their diet is supplemented with the draff (A by-product from the Nc'Nean organic craft whisky distillery here on the Estate), concentrates, hay and home produced silage.

Stock and meat for sale

Although the majority of calves is sold via the auction mart, various ages of stock are regularly available for sale privately.
Drimnin highland beef, lamb, hebridean lamb/mutton and venison is generally available to purchase depending on the season. Hebrideans are natural browsers and they prefer land that contains a diversity of plants which in turn adds to their meat's distinctive flavour which is succulent and distinctly sweet. It is slow to mature, allowing the flavour to develop further. For more information please contact the Estate.

Luing Bull

Luing Bull for Sale - Wooplaw Expert

Born 20/05/2018

Elite Health Status - Tick acclimatised

Selling as coming back on to his own family. For more information or photographs please contact Farm Manager John Davidson on 07825 542736 or email enquiries@drimninestate.co.uk

 

Sheep

Drimnin has 500 breeding ewes across three flocks – A blackface Hill flock, a cross flock of cheviots and a small flock of hebrideans. Hebridean sheep are a small hardy primitive breed originating from here in Scotland.

Cattle

Highland Cattle

Drimnin has some 50 suckler cows, made up principally of pedigree Luing cattle and a small number of Highland cattle.
The Luing cow was originally created in 1947 by crossing traditional Highland cows with a beef Shorthorn bull on The Isle of Luing on the west coast of Scotland.  It was recognised as a breed in its own right in 1965. For more information on the history of the Luing cow visit www.luingcattlesociety.co.uk. These animals offer an ideal combination of hardiness for out-wintering on the rugged west coast and size and growth characteristics.

The farm is one of a small number of herds with an Elite Health Status. This provides assurance that none of the four key cattle diseases are present: - Bovine Virus Diarrhoea (BVD), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Leptospirosis and Johne’s Disease. Cattle are tested annually to assure compliance. Drimnin farm is a member of Quality Meat Scotland.

Calving takes place in the early spring and the majority of calves are sold in the same year.

There are two stock bulls at present Luing and Simmental producing pure bred Luing, Sim-Luing and Highland cross calves.