Grabbing Life by the Horns

Grabbing Life by the Horns

Having grown up in the Highlands of Scotland on a remote west coast Scottish island I was very much a country girl who loved rural life. I was not afraid to get my hands dirty and was at my happiest helping with the sheep, line fishing at sea and speaking with the elderly islanders who recalled life when they were young living their existence off the land. Exploring the remains of communities that once lived there before the Highland Clearances and discovering how hard life was for them was inspirational and stirred my emotions as a young child. I also wanted a pony but never got to have one!!

Grace & Anita.

On finishing secondary school, I headed to Strathclyde University in Glasgow to study Environmental Health and graduated with Honors Degree in Environmental Health and then a Diploma. I enjoyed a career working for local government; however, it was whilst I lived and worked in Aberdeen City raising a young family of two, I realized my life was not taking the direction where my heart truly was – living a rural life and working the land as my island forbearers once did.

I realized it was time to change this and grab life literally by the horns and live the life I once dreamed of living as a child and offer this to my own family. I did not want to continue life regretting the chances I did not take and decided it was time to take some risks, start dreaming big and acting boldly.

I decided to grow a heard of Highland Cattle and earn my living by farming them in Aberdeenshire where the farming community was alive and strong and also for the youth with Young Farmer’s clubs. On my first trip to Oban Highland Cattle Society Show and Sale I was speaking to breeders who were quick to tell you that you could not make money out of Highland Cattle, or you might make money if you crossed them with other breeds. On hearing of the history of this incredibly beautiful ancient iconic Scottish beef breed, seeing their beauty and on learning how great pure highland cattle beef tasted in comparison to other beef breeds I could not help but think there was an opportunity for a pure Highland Cattle herd of my own, but it may be a bit of a risk.

I decided to go with my gut and reach out to others further along the path who had success not only in the show ring with Highland Cattle, but who were brought a living by the Highland Breed. These members became my inspiration and hearing from their own successes and failures along the way pointed me in the direction I should consider following with my own business model.

I went to many people for guidance and was not afraid to ask good people for help, from meeting with many entrepreneurs in food and drink industry, Oil and Gas tycoons, neighboring farming families and even Royalty they all encouraged my desire to succeed with starting up my own business Aberdeenshire Highland Cattle and establishing my very own beef brand – Aberdeenshire Highland Beef.

I started to purchase my foundation breeding cows from Highland Cattle folds from all over Scotland and secured tenancies with two Estates to establish my farm and business in the heart of Royal Deeside. I also trialed putting finished steers off to slaughter and researched the demand for Highland Beef. There was a lot to learn in rearing cattle for beef production, understanding what all comes from a carcass and learning what my route to market was. How to sell not just the steaks, but all the carcass cuts.

Grace at Oban.

I also realized quickly if I wanted to maximize my return, I needed to build my own butchery and learn to become a butcher, cut out the middlemen and maintain quality at every stage. I sought help from Aberdeenshire Council to apply for business start-up funding and making my business plan, it was well received and very much supported as exactly the type of rural business enterprise they were seeking to encourage in the region.

I am pleased to say nearly six years later and having survived the business challenges of Covid I am likely to be the largest sole producer of Highland Cattle Beef in the UK. I am now seeing the various income streams returning to the business finally recovering after a very challenging 2 years. I have made lasting friendships and business relationships with fellow Highland Cattle breeders who have been a great support of my Highland Cattle enterprise which is growing each year and will shortly be offering jobs to others in the local community.

My customer feedback gives me the pride and joy of a job well done and they are my greatest supporters and their loyalty is fantastic.

There have been highs and lows along the way, but the cattle are my constant and are my pride and joy. It gives me so much pleasure to show my herd to visitors to the farm. I welcome international coach groups to the farm from April through to November where there is rapid growth of tour numbers wishing to come to the farm and meet with me and my Highland Cattle herd.

I have also welcomed Countryfile to film the business and Celebrity chefs and taken part in many media promotions of the breed in so many ways imaginable, their appeal to the world cannot be underestimated.

There is so much to learn, and I have thanks to many and in particular Ian Adams of Brathens Fold for the help and advice he has given me on my farming Journey from day one 9 years ago. There are also a few others who have helped teach me to develop a keen eye for what to look for in Cattle and I am following their advice on how to grow highland cattle and breed them.

The showing of Highland Cattle can be at best a real buzz and at worst shear frustrating if you allow certain comments to get under your skin from the ones who regularly turn up without their own cattle and are loudly critical about what they see at the shows. There can be encouragement for new members on the one hand and also criticism from people that appear to know it all but whom have also had little or no show success themselves. I really have the utmost respect for those who have the eye to pick out prize winning stock and for those who can breed them and do so consistently. It is these people that I learned to listen to and have them as my mentors.

Grace with Jack Ramsay.

My own best show achievements have been twice bringing out the Dalmally Show Champion. It is fantastic to attend this prestigious Highland Cattle west coast show that has been running for 200 years come 2022 – to bring out what was believed to be the 1st ever Black show Champion at Dalmally under the respectful judge of the late Jack Ramsey and the second time Champion at Dalmally bringing out my own home bred red yearling heifer Duchess of Grace in front of Rika Palonen from Finland.

My first homebred bull sold at Oban was Torridon of Grace and he was bought by past Highland Cattle Society Presidents Tom and Willie Thompson of Woodneuk. I have not sold many cattle as I am

always trying to build my own numbers, but I have supported several people with the purchase of their first Highlanders.

It is exciting to have inspired my eldest child to wish to study Agriculture who graduated this year and to have her want to come home and work within the business and make her own mark on the enterprise is really exciting. I am often asked by visitors how well accepted it is to be a female in Agriculture by other male farmers in the industry. I personally have always found it has never been a barrier and in fact the support for women is Agri is strong.

This year I am proud to have the honour of presenting the Highland Cattle Champion bred by Her Majesty the Queen and shown by Dochy Ormiston, with their trophy at this year’s Royal Highland show. Judge Donald MacNaughton of Rannoch Fold is a well-known face in Highland Cattle seen, and I have competed with both Donald and Dochy at many shows over the years. I will treasure this moment and I hope one day to attend the show and exhibit with my own cattle.

So for now the future looks brighter once again and I am enjoying focusing on selling of my beef, hosting my Food and Farm tourism experience and getting the business back to a new normal. I have no regrets about the change in life direction I choose for myself and instead I only wish perhaps I had started all this when I was a little younger!!

Grace Noble

www.aberdeenshirehighlandbeef.com Twitter: @ABHIGHLANDBEEF

Grace Noble with daughter Beth Noble, Lochon of Leys Farm, Banchory.