Dingwall's new flagship £3million auction market is being opened today (Tuesday 15 July) by Captain Roderick Stirling, Lord Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, Skye and Lochalsh.

Following the official opening ceremony, former Royal Highland and Agricultural Society president Sandy Brown will judge a show of beef cattle to be sold tomorrow (Wednesday) at the mart's inaugural sale, which begins with the auction of two animals - donated by Dingwall and Highland Marts - for charity.  The proceeds will be shared equally among The Highland Hospice, Marie Curie Cancer Care and Macmillan Nurses.

Farmers and crofters from across the Highlands will be able to join in with the celebrations and inspect the new building, which attracted a grant from Ross and Cromarty Enterprise as well as European funding. 

The mart is the largest livestock auction in the northern Highlands and serves the needs of farming communities from Ross-shire to the northern Highlands and the Outer Hebrides.  Its relocation from Dingwall town centre - home to a livestock mart for over a hundred years - to purpose built premises at Humberston on the outskirts of Dingwall will lead to a vastly improved service for users and will meet all environmental and animal welfare standards.

The 110-hectare site (270 acres) will allow the mart the capacity to handle as many as 15,000 sheep and 2,000 cattle going under the hammer on sale days.  

Managing director, Kenneth McKenzie said:  "We have a new market to be proud of and we would like to thank everyone who has helped to bring the project to fruition.  We have faith in the future of livestock farming in the region and we are committed to offering a first-class service to all our farmer and crofter customers.  The new complex is flexible, with comfortable facilities, and we are sure it will be an asset not only to the farming industry but also to Dingwall itself."

Ross and Cromarty Enterprise (RACE) awarded a £159,000 building grant towards the multi-million pound project. 

RACE chief executive, Gordon Cox, said:  "We are delighted to have been able to assist the owners of Dingwall Mart as they start this next chapter of their long and proud history.  The mart provides an important service to farming communities and its relocation to modern premises will help to ensure the long-term future for the business as well as securing the equivalent of 25 full time jobs."