James Grant-Suttie has had a terrible start to harvest at Balgone Farms, North Berwick, East Lothian, after his new combine caught fire.

“I was combining some thick winter barley, and my tractor driver rang me up to say the straw in the swath behind me was smoking – it turned out the combine was on fire,” he said.

“It was a brand new Lexion – it had only done a few hours harvesting, but I think the straw built up in the rotors and the friction set it alight. It’s still under investigation and it’s going to be a hefty insurance claim.”

See also: Fire sweeps through standing barley crop.

Fortunately, none of the standing crop caught alight, but Mr Grant-Suttie had lost the yield information from the combine’s computer.

“I’m now the proud owner of a weighbridge, but the replacement combine doesn’t have the mapping service, so while I’m on it I can’t access any yield information,” he said.

So far he had cut all the winter barley and was halfway through the oilseed rape.

“We’re two weeks ahead, and so far the yields appear to be good.”