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
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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 winning.