[Iain MacIlleathain – Preseantair] Nise chaidh a’ chiad fhèill rùda dhen bhliadhna aig margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais agus na Hearadh a chumail an-diugh. Ged a bha cùisean rudeigin slaodach ’s dòcha, chaidh eadar £200 agus £400 a phàigheadh air na beathaichean a b’fheàrr. Bha duaisean gan toirt seachad aig a’ mhargaidh sprèidh cuideachd mar a tha Ruairidh Rothach a-nis ag aithris à Stèinis.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Cha b’e an fhèill a b’ fheàrr do dhaoine a bha reic an-diugh air margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais agus na Hearadh. Ach, leis an sin, bha bargan no dhà ri fhaotainn dha na daoine a bha ceannach. Dh’fhaighnich mi do Choinneach MacLeòid, bhon margaidh sprèidh, ciamar a chaidh a’ chùis san fharsaingeachd?
[Coinneach MacLeòid] Och bha e gu math slaodach, bha tòrr bheathaichean a-staigh agus ’s dòcha, bha tòrr seann bheathaichean ann agus uaireannan tha sin a’ cur beagan maill air an fhèill air sgàth a’ mhòr-chuid, chan eil iad ag iarraidh seann rùdan. Tha iad a’ coimhead airson rùdan, fhios agad, reithean, fhios agad uain, no beathaichean a tha ’s dòcha bliadhna, dà bhliadhna a dh’aois.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Am measg nan daoine a bha reic beathaichean na b’ òige, bha Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach. Fhuair an uan-reithe texel aigesan ‘reserve champion.’
[Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach] Uill seo an reserve, an dàrna beathach a b’ fheàrr a bh’ aig an sale. ’S e balach à Nis a fhuair a’ chiad àite agus tha mi gu math moiteil gun d’ fhuair mi chun na h-ìre seo. ’S e uan brèagha a bh’ ann ach cha robh dùil agam gun ruigeadh e a’ phrìs ’ud – bha e £320.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ged a fhuair Dòmhnall prìs mhath agus an dàrna duais, cha robh e saor a’ bheathach fhaighinn chun ìre seo.
[Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach] Tha mi creidsinn gun aithnicheadh tu sin air a’ chalg aige. Chaidh tòrr na bhroinn, fhuair mi £300 not ach chaidh an dàrna leth dheth sin na chorp, oir gun do thuill e siud.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] ’S e Calum Fhionnlagh Moireasdan a fhuair supreme champion airson an reithe dubh-cheannach aige. Chaidh an reithe airson còrr air £400. Ach san fharsaingeachd ’s e beagan de bhriseadh dùil a bha san fhèill. Gu h-àraidh le cho math ‘s a tha na h-uain air a bhith a’ dèanamh. Ach mar a mhìnich Coinneach MacLeòid dhomh, cha ghabh coimeas a dhèanamh eadar an dà rud.
[Coinneach MacLeòid] Chan eil mi smaoineachadh gun urrainn. Tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil fèill nan rèithe, gu bheil sin gu math eadar-dhealaichte bho na fèilltean eile a th’ ann. Oir tha tòrr bheathaichean dol tron seo agus chì thu tòrr aig fèill nan reithe agus bhiodh e ’s dòcha na b’ fheàrr mura biodh uiread de dh’àireamhan ann, ’s dòcha gun dèanadh sin diofar air na prìsean aig deireadh an latha nam biodh na bu lugha bheathaichean ann, ’s dòcha gum faigheadh daoine prìs na b’ fheàrr.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruairidh Rothach, margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais is na Hearadh.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Now the first ram sales of the year at the Lewis and Harris auction mart were held today. Although proceedings were perhaps a little slow, between £200 and £400 was paid for the best animals. Prizes were awarded at the auction mart too, as Roddy Munro now reports from Steinish.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] It wasn’t the best sale for those selling today at the Lewis and Harris auction mart. But, with that came a bargain or two for those buying. I asked Kenneth MacLeod, from the auction mart, how did things go in general?
[Kenneth MacLeod] Och it was quite slow, there were lots of animals in, perhaps a lot of them quite old and that sometimes slows the sales down a bit because most people don’t want old rams. They’re looking for rams, you know, young rams, lambs, or animals that are perhaps one or two years old.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Among those selling younger animals was Donald MacDonald. His texel ram lamb won reserve champion.
[Donald MacDonald] Well this is the reserve, the second best animal at the sale. It was a boy from Ness who got first place and I’m proud to have reached this stage. It’s a lovely lamb but I didn’t think it would reach that price – it was £320.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Although Donald got a good price and second prize, it wasn’t cheap to get the animal to this stage.
[Donald MacDonald] I suppose you can tell that from his fleece. A lot went into him, I got £300 but half of it was put into his body, that’s why I got that return.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Calum Finlay Morrison won supreme champion for his blackface ram. The ram went for over £400. But generally, the sale was a bit of a disappointment. Especially with how well the lambs have been doing. But as Kenneth MacLeod explained, you can’t compare the two.
[Kenneth MacLeod] I don’t think you can. I think the ram sale is very different to the other sales. Lots of animals come through here, ram sales have high numbers and it would perhaps be better if there weren’t as many, perhaps that would make a difference to the prices at the end of the day, if there weren’t so many animals. Perhaps people would then get better prices.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, Lewis and Harris auction mart.
[Iain MacIlleathain – Preseantair] Nise chaidh a’ chiad fhèill rùda dhen bhliadhna aig margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais agus na Hearadh a chumail an-diugh. Ged a bha cùisean rudeigin slaodach ’s dòcha, chaidh eadar £200 agus £400 a phàigheadh air na beathaichean a b’fheàrr. Bha duaisean gan toirt seachad aig a’ mhargaidh sprèidh cuideachd mar a tha Ruairidh Rothach a-nis ag aithris à Stèinis.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Cha b’e an fhèill a b’ fheàrr do dhaoine a bha reic an-diugh air margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais agus na Hearadh. Ach, leis an sin, bha bargan no dhà ri fhaotainn dha na daoine a bha ceannach. Dh’fhaighnich mi do Choinneach MacLeòid, bhon margaidh sprèidh, ciamar a chaidh a’ chùis san fharsaingeachd?
[Coinneach MacLeòid] Och bha e gu math slaodach, bha tòrr bheathaichean a-staigh agus ’s dòcha, bha tòrr seann bheathaichean ann agus uaireannan tha sin a’ cur beagan maill air an fhèill air sgàth a’ mhòr-chuid, chan eil iad ag iarraidh seann rùdan. Tha iad a’ coimhead airson rùdan, fhios agad, reithean, fhios agad uain, no beathaichean a tha ’s dòcha bliadhna, dà bhliadhna a dh’aois.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Am measg nan daoine a bha reic beathaichean na b’ òige, bha Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach. Fhuair an uan-reithe texel aigesan ‘reserve champion.’
[Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach] Uill seo an reserve, an dàrna beathach a b’ fheàrr a bh’ aig an sale. ’S e balach à Nis a fhuair a’ chiad àite agus tha mi gu math moiteil gun d’ fhuair mi chun na h-ìre seo. ’S e uan brèagha a bh’ ann ach cha robh dùil agam gun ruigeadh e a’ phrìs ’ud – bha e £320.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ged a fhuair Dòmhnall prìs mhath agus an dàrna duais, cha robh e saor a’ bheathach fhaighinn chun ìre seo.
[Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach] Tha mi creidsinn gun aithnicheadh tu sin air a’ chalg aige. Chaidh tòrr na bhroinn, fhuair mi £300 not ach chaidh an dàrna leth dheth sin na chorp, oir gun do thuill e siud.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] ’S e Calum Fhionnlagh Moireasdan a fhuair supreme champion airson an reithe dubh-cheannach aige. Chaidh an reithe airson còrr air £400. Ach san fharsaingeachd ’s e beagan de bhriseadh dùil a bha san fhèill. Gu h-àraidh le cho math ‘s a tha na h-uain air a bhith a’ dèanamh. Ach mar a mhìnich Coinneach MacLeòid dhomh, cha ghabh coimeas a dhèanamh eadar an dà rud.
[Coinneach MacLeòid] Chan eil mi smaoineachadh gun urrainn. Tha mi smaoineachadh gu bheil fèill nan rèithe, gu bheil sin gu math eadar-dhealaichte bho na fèilltean eile a th’ ann. Oir tha tòrr bheathaichean dol tron seo agus chì thu tòrr aig fèill nan reithe agus bhiodh e ’s dòcha na b’ fheàrr mura biodh uiread de dh’àireamhan ann, ’s dòcha gun dèanadh sin diofar air na prìsean aig deireadh an latha nam biodh na bu lugha bheathaichean ann, ’s dòcha gum faigheadh daoine prìs na b’ fheàrr.
[Ruairidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ruairidh Rothach, margaidh sprèidh Leòdhais is na Hearadh.
[Iain MacLean – Presenter] Now the first ram sales of the year at the Lewis and Harris auction mart were held today. Although proceedings were perhaps a little slow, between £200 and £400 was paid for the best animals. Prizes were awarded at the auction mart too, as Roddy Munro now reports from Steinish.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] It wasn’t the best sale for those selling today at the Lewis and Harris auction mart. But, with that came a bargain or two for those buying. I asked Kenneth MacLeod, from the auction mart, how did things go in general?
[Kenneth MacLeod] Och it was quite slow, there were lots of animals in, perhaps a lot of them quite old and that sometimes slows the sales down a bit because most people don’t want old rams. They’re looking for rams, you know, young rams, lambs, or animals that are perhaps one or two years old.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Among those selling younger animals was Donald MacDonald. His texel ram lamb won reserve champion.
[Donald MacDonald] Well this is the reserve, the second best animal at the sale. It was a boy from Ness who got first place and I’m proud to have reached this stage. It’s a lovely lamb but I didn’t think it would reach that price – it was £320.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Although Donald got a good price and second prize, it wasn’t cheap to get the animal to this stage.
[Donald MacDonald] I suppose you can tell that from his fleece. A lot went into him, I got £300 but half of it was put into his body, that’s why I got that return.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Calum Finlay Morrison won supreme champion for his blackface ram. The ram went for over £400. But generally, the sale was a bit of a disappointment. Especially with how well the lambs have been doing. But as Kenneth MacLeod explained, you can’t compare the two.
[Kenneth MacLeod] I don’t think you can. I think the ram sale is very different to the other sales. Lots of animals come through here, ram sales have high numbers and it would perhaps be better if there weren’t as many, perhaps that would make a difference to the prices at the end of the day, if there weren’t so many animals. Perhaps people would then get better prices.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Roddy Munro, Lewis and Harris auction mart.