Messrs Craig Wilson sold 1,649 prime and cast sheep at Newton Stewart yesterday.

The large show of 1,396 prime lambs were on the heavy side but still averaged 205p/kg or £92.51. Top prices were £106 for a pen of Beltex lambs and 235p/kg for a single Texel. All classes of cast sheep would be slightly dearer again this week, peaking at £105 for a Suffolk, with Mules to £83. Hill ewes were topped at £74 for Cheviots, while Blackfaces peaked at £64.

The firm also sold 19 prime cattle at Ayr on Tuesday. Prime heifers sold to £1424 or 250p/kg for a Limousin cross to average 228p, while prime bullocks peaked at £1464 and 240p for a Black Limousin to level at 228p. One young bull sold for 176p/kg.

There were 218 cast cattle sold in the rough ring. Nine bulls peaked at £1,230 for a Saler and 133p/kg for a Limousin to average 117p.

OTM steers sold to £970 for an Aberdeen Angus and to 167p for a Simmental cross, while OTM heifers sold to £1200 and 177p for different Herefords from the same farm.

Beef Cows sold to £1,120 for an Irish Black Limousin cross, while dairy cows sold to £1020 for a Black and White. There were four dairy cattle which peaked at £1920 for a Holstein Friesian heifer.

There were also 139 breeding cattle sold at their sale in Ayr in front of a large ringside of buyers which resulted in a firm trade.

Heifers with calves made up to £3,550 for a Limousin with a heifer calf and £2100 for a Limousin with a bull calf.

Cows and calves sold to £1,950 for a British Blue with a bull calf and £1,900 for a Limousin with a heifer. In calf heifers peaked at £1,500 on two occasions for Salers, while in calf cows sold to £1400 for a British Blue. Bulling heifers were up to £1200 for Limousins.

C&D Auction Marts sold 6,567 store lambs and feeding ewes at Longtown on Tuesday.

With more buyers present and an improved show of lambs forward, trade was fierce from start to finish with all classes selling at extreme rates. Notably, 191 lambs sold at over £90 and to a top of £130, £129 and £121 for Beltex. Texels were up to £100, £97 and £95.

There were 1,516 Cheviot stores at the sale which peaked at £92 and £85 for Northies, while Hill Cheviots sold to £77 and £71. The 2142 Blackface lambs at the sale were an outstanding show and sold to a top of £80 and £79.

Feeding ewes made up to £138 and £113 for Texels with others to £109 and £107.