SOLD - Attractive stock farm in highly scenic and accessible location
Brownsbank is a productive mixed beef and sheep farm extending to about 494 acres and has been in the sellers' family since the 1930's. The farmstead lies at the southern foot of Broomy Law in an elevated yet sheltered position overlooking the upper Clyde valley and Tinto Hill beyond. The farm possesses an attractive period farmhouse and a modern bungalow. It is served by an excellent range of modern farm buildings providing extensive wintering and lambing accommodation. The land is well suited to support a mixed stock enterprise with a well balanced combination of ground ranging from low lying silage and croppable fields to improved hill enclosures providing good grazing. The grass leys are in good heart and have benefitted from regular applications of fertiliser and manure with lime also applied when required. A programme of re-seeding, fencing and drainage has been followed in recent years.
The farm currently carries a herd of 65 pedigree Luing suckler cows plus followers. Calving is all inside from MarchApril with heifers either sold for breeding or kept as replacements. Bull calves are finished on the farm. The sheep flock comprises about 800 breeding mule ewes with followers in addition. The ewes are put to a Texel ram with all lambs sold fat off grass with some hoggs kept as replacements. Lambing is inside from April and typically achieves a lambing percentage of about 230%.
All winter fodder is produced on the farm with the first cut clamped for the cattle and the second cut baled for the sheep. About 167 acres have been cropped with spring barley in the past.
The land is largely contained within a ring fence with the exception of 106 acres which sit to the north west of the public road and are offered for sale as a separate lot. The farm comprises 244 acres silage / rotational pasture, 184 of permanent pasture, 21 acres of hill grazing and 33 acres of woodland. The low lying land adjacent to the Hen Burn on the north western boundary is at about 200m above sea level and, at its highest point, the land rises to about 426mat the peak of Broomy Law. The soils are mainly Class 4.2 according to the James Hutton Institute for Soil Research. The fields are of a good size and layout and are serviced by a useful network of hard internal tracks. All fields and hill enclosures benefit from either a natural or a private piped water supply.
There are 33 acres of woodland providing shelter and a useful source of timber for the biomass heating and hot water system supplying the farmhouse. 13 acres have been clear felled and brash removed following Storm Arwen. The sellers intend to replant the respective areas throughout the winter of 2022 / 23. The farm may offer potential for further woodland creation subject to obtaining the required consents.