To-morrow (Saturday, December 11th), the ‘Clearances’ in North and North-East Scotland, will be officially completed and restrictions will begin to operate in the battle-practice areas wherever located. The way-going has been a hurried, hectic operation; the return whenever it comes, will be less expeditious and if fraught with many difficulties, will be faced far more blithely. On the domestic side, particularly where the old and infirm have been cut adrift from the home of a lifetime, and all its familiar scenes and associations, the parting has been most keenly felt. Consideration for the disappointments and strange intrusion of it all, has not been lacking. Farmers and small landholders have been greatly helped by the official facilities provided. Grain, roots, feeding stuffs, manures, fertilisers, equipment and house furnishings, these have all been ‘flitted’ with remarkable speed and with less inconvenience than may have been anticipated when the general order to move off was issued. Regret and disappointment is naturally expressed that Agricultural Executive Committees had not been advised much earlier, and farmers and others could not have been told by these Committees in time to exercise due caution against laying-in winter requirements of the farm. Live stock would have been less numerous than it was and that is but one of the many commitments that could have been avoided. However, there were doubtless sound reasons for secrecy till the last inevitable moment. By last week-end, the ‘Clearances’ had advanced to its last febrile stage and live stock was dispersed; some to not distant farms and over a thousand head of cattle and 8000 sheep, with 66 horses and 46 pigs has since been sold by auction, the removal of which was a masterpiece of order and method.

Catalogue for the animal sales at Dingwall	Catalogue for the animal sales at Dingwall
Catalogue for the animal sales at Dingwall	Advert for the animal sales at Dingwall