Jim Whiteford has finished oilseed rape at Shandwick Mains, Tain, Inverness, and hopes to be into spring barley early next week.

The 16ha (40 acres) of Cuillin came in at 8% moisture and yielded very well, at 4.5t/ha (1.8t/acre).

“It was tricky to harvest direct compared to Castille, but the yield benefits and no need to spray for Light Leaf Spot means all my oilseed rape will be Cuillin this year,” said Mr Whiteford.

He was busy drilling rapeseed today, as he expected poor weather on Friday. “We need to get on with it up here.”

The 200ha (500 acres) of Optic spring barley would be ready to combine on Monday. “My neighbour is cutting today, but his was sown a month before mine.”

After that would come 100ha (250 acres) of Waggon feed barley for the farm’s pigs, he added. “It all looks pretty good – we just need shedfuls of good weather now to get it all in.”

Crop: Oilseed rape
Variety: Cuillin
Area: 16ha (40 acres)
Yield: 4.5t/ha (1.8t/acre)

Variety: Castille
Area: 10ha (25 acres)
Yield: 4t/ha (1.6t/acre)

Crop: Winter barley
Variety: Volume
Area: 16ha (40 acres)
Yield: 10.5t/ha (4.3t/acre)