The Leys Fold

The Leys Fold was started in 1931 by Francis Walker, my grandfather. He had purchased the estate of Leys in 1926 and set about building a model farm. The main steading and farm buildings were completed in 1931. The Fold was founded with six cows purchased with calves at foot and two 2-year-old heifers, these were all bought from Lord Invernairn’s fold at Flichity near Inverness. The cost of the cows varied between 15 and 17 guineas. Among these purchases was Donnag Riabhach 20th of Atholl (HB10351 calved in 1925), with a male calf at foot, Duke 2nd of Flichity. Donnag Riabhach’s GGG Sire was Sgiathanach a bull bred by John Stewart of Ensay. This bull was Champion at the Highland show held in Aberdeen in 1876 aged six. As the cow’s name would suggest, both the cow and the bull calf were heavily brindled. The young bull was 2nd prize 2-year-old and Reserve Male champion at the Highland Show in 1933 and 1st and Reserve Male again the following year. Unfortunately, Duke died from blood poisoning in 1935 aged just four. His head was stuffed and hangs in the hall of Leys Castle to this day.

Una 4th of Flichity, a white heifer, purchased at the same time, as a 2-year-old (costing £17-2-6d) had some success at the Highland and Royal shows in 1935 & 1936 as a young cow. However, as the photo will show, the style of cows was very different then compared to today. This cow went on to produce the Princess of Leys bloodline. Which produced Oban female Champions on at least two occasions. She was put down in 1948, aged 19 years. One of the best bulls to have been bred at Leys was Prionnsa 4th whose dam was Princess 12th the sire was Coirneal Ile from Lord Margadale’s fold on Islay.

Seonaid 2nd of Leys at the age of 1 year and 10 months weighed 9 cwt and 30 lbs (470 kgs) the following year in 1935 she weighed 12 cwt at 2 year and 10 months (610 kgs). She sold at Smithfield in 1935 for £45 or 7p a kilo. In those days there were special stock trains that took beasts down to Smithfield from all over Scotland. A journey from Inverness of 14 hours or more!

Another of the foundation stock bought in 1931 was Beithidh of Flichity, a five-year-old yellow cow. I have traced her pedigree back and her 9th Grand Sire was Arran, calved April 1873, bred by James Campbell of Burnfoot, Stirling. His herd book number is 18 and is in the first volume (retrospective) of the herd book. She produced only four calves of which one, Seonaid 2nd of Leys, born in January 1933, was probably the earliest fatstock win for Francis Walker. She was 1st prize heifer and Reserve Breed Champion at the Scottish Fatstock Show and Smithfield Show in 1934. She went on to win the Breed Champion at both shows in 1935.

Clais Dhearg of Achnacloich, the sire of Seonaid 2nd was also purchased in 1931, I’ve no record for how much! He was born in April 1928 his dam was Cuailean 8th of Achnacloich and his sire was Loachan of Achnacloich. He was used extensively until an injury to his leg forced his demise in June 1939.

Apologies for the grainy photo it was taken from a newspaper cutting in the early thirties. My aunt who is holding the bull, is looking a little too confidant for my liking.

Another of the foundation cows was Annag Ruadh of Bochastle, bred by John Stewart of Bochastle. She was purchased for 46 guineas at Oban in October 1932 where she was the female Champion. She went on to be Female Champion at the Northern Counties Show in 1933, Female Champion at the Highland Show at Glasgow and Breed Champion at the Northern Counties Show in 1934. She died after calving in 1944 aged 18 years. Cuailean 16th of Achnacloich, the Reserve Champion was purchased for 38 guineas the same day. In 1933, another Bochastle heifer, rising three years old, Tearlag Buidhe, was purchased from John Stewart. Sired by Prionnsa Ard of Kilberry this heifer’s first calf was Jock of Leys, calved in February 1934 and sired by Duke 2nd of Flichity. Jock gained first place at Smithfield in 1936 and the following year was champion at both the Edinburgh Fatstock and Smithfield Shows.

On December 12th 1936 at the Edinburgh Fatstock Show Jock weighed 14cwt 72lb at the age of two years nine months and19 days. Which is 744 kilos in today’s money.

Jock was used on the grouse moors during the season but was basically, kept as a pet for many years.

The winter of 1946-47 was very severe in the Highlands and several cows suffered greatly from this. I have counted seven cows that died as a result. It appears that the winter weakened them so much that they died soon after calving having no reserves left.

Peigi Ruadh of Leys calved 18th April 1949 Dam: Peigi Boidheach of leys and sired by Mac-talla of Achnacloich was a very good deep red heifer that was shown at the fatstock shows in 1952. She was 1st in her class and Reserve Champion at the Scottish National Fatstock Show and then went down to Smithfield where she was Breed Champion. The same year, her sister, Peigi Buidhe of Leys, a yellow heifer won the young class at Smithfield. Peigi Ruadh came home after Smithfield and produced two calves, sadly, the second calf, a large bull calf, was breeched and she died soon after calving.

In 1956, Prionnsa Buidhe of Leys was Champion at the Scottish National Fatstock Show. That year there were 16 Highland steers forward for the show. Fatstock showing continued to be an important part of the farm life at Leys until the end of 20th Century. From the 1950s until the early 1990s the stockman at Leys was Donald McDiarmid, some of you will remember him. He was a great stockman as well as being a real gentleman. He brought out many fatstock winners until he retired in 1994. Donald was responsible for several Oban and Royal Highland champions over the years.

Baran 6th of Leys. Breed Champion at Smithfield in 1991. Donald chatting to the Queen Mother.

Interestingly, from the late 1930s up until the early 1960s most of the pedigree Highlanders ran pure for 3-5 calvings and thereafter were crossed with a Shorthorn for the rest of their lives. Leys has always, it seems, had its eye on the meat market. A large proportion of steers and heifers were sold fat through the prime ring rather than the pedigree ring. It wasn’t until well into the late sixties that Oban became an important sales ring for Leys. The system then changed in the seventies and most heifers were run with a shorthorn bull for 3-5 calvings and then put to a Highland bull. Only a few were put to the Highland bull all their lives.

As far as I know, Coinneach Ruadh of Leys was the first Leys bull to be champion at Oban in 1974. He sold for the then record price of 2800 gns. His dam was Corrina Foil of Leys born in 1958. The Corrina dam line goes back to Corrina of Leys born in 1939 and out of Ceare Ruadh of Knocknagael, a cow purchased from the Dept of Agriculture. Corrina Foil 5th of Leys, a three-year-old heifer, was Female Champion in February 1972 and sold for 650gns.

Sadly, those old lines are now gone but one, the Bean Ruadh line which goes back to Bean Og of leys is still thriving here. We can trace her back to Bean og of Athole calved in 1876 and registered as number 20 in the herd book. Unfortunately, I have no photos of any Bean Ruadhs from that time. Princess 13th and 15th of Leys were both female champions in October 1974 and October 1977. Both are direct descendants of Una 4th of Flichity part of the original purchase of cattle in 1931.

Princess 13th, Oban 1974.

Princess 15th, Oban 1977.

Prionnsa 4th of Leys. Prionnsa 4th, said by some to be one of the best bulls from Leys was born in 1977, the dam was Princess 12th and the sire Coirneal Ile. He was sold for 1100 gns at Oban to Lord Lovat (Balblair) as a two-year-old in 1979. Prionnsa was re-purchased for £600 in 1982 and taken to Oban in February 1983 where he was Senior and Overall Champion. It was at this February sale that the next photo was taken. This shows Prionnsa with two of his sons, the Yearling Champion Alasdair Ruadh of Balblair & the Res. Champion Coinneach of Balblair

By the end of the seventies and through the eighties there were fewer and fewer Highland cattle at the fatstock shows, Predictably, the continentals and their crosses were now the fatstock kings of the showring. However, Leys still attended the Winter Fair (The Scottish National Fatstock Show) and Smithfield although there were times when they were on their own! Exports from Leys started in the early 1980s, Corrina Ruadh 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th all going to Germany in the early days. Exports featured highly in the sales from Leys up until 1990. The death of K W Walker in 1992 brought an end to Highlanders being the mainstay of the farm. His nephew inherited the estate and wanted to move into continental suckler cows. A dispersal held in the summer of 1993 raised just over £250,000 (£437,500 allowing for inflation.)

Heifers from three lines, Bean Ruadh, Donnag Sgairteil and Lady were retained. Like 60 years previously a new foundation stock was purchased to add to those Leys bloodlines. Possibly the most important line was the Dosan of Iddesleigh heifers purchased in the summer of 1993. They have produced a few show winners for us over the last 30 years. Three-year-old heifers were purchased at Perth in October 1993 and they included heifers from Balmoral, Keith Hall, Rothiemurchas and Torloisk. Numbers were kept down to 12 cows and for a while we just concentrated on beef production.

After Donald MacDiarmid retired in 1993 the cattle at Leys were looked after by John Crilley, another well-known stockman who had worked with Donald for nearly twenty years. Jonalomu of Leys calved in January 1994 was a brindle steer that took the Breed Championship at Smithfield in December 1995. He was out of Sorcha Ruadh 8th of Torloisk and his sire was Emperor of Cnoc. This was, perhaps, one of the best steers to have come from Leys in modern times. Whilst, showing became less important in the nineties, John was able to build up the suckler cow herd of Simmental crosses to approximately 250 in eight years from a base of 85 when he took over from Donald.

In 1997 John took a white yearling heifer to the Highland Show, Caileag Geal of Leys, she went on to become Supreme and Female Champion, as well as Best Junior Animal, winner of the William Teacher and sons Perpetual Challenge Trophy and The Highland Cattle Society Victory Cup. She was out of Caileag 5th of Keith Hall, a large yellow cow with very wide spreading horns. The sire was Loachan Bhan of Corrimuckloch bred by Tommy Muirhead. Leys continued to support the local shows here in the North until, ill health prevented John from showing. John retired in 2011 the year after the estate was sold. The new owners were keen to retain and expand the fold which they have done. We now have 35 cows plus their followers. Showing has now again, come to the fore, when time permits!

Right & Below: Highland Beef advert, 1934.