Newhouse of Glamis has been in the Adam family for four generations with each generation being as passionate about livestock breeding as the last. 

The late Bob Adam came to Glamis from Doune near Stirling in 1937, and it was in that year that the Aberdeen-Angus herd was established, reaching its prime in the 1950’s and 60’s, with many Newhouse genetics gaining championships and record prices. For all his work in the agricultural industry, the late Bob Adam was awarded the OBE for services to agriculture.

1950 saw the foundations of the Glamis herd of Beef Shorthorns laid, later Glamis Benefactor a Perth Champion bull, made a world record price when sold on in the USA.

In 1969 the Shorthorns made way for the newly imported Newhouse Charolais herd and in 1979 the Newhouse Aberdeen-Angus herd was sold with a record female average at the time. This sale made way for the current Limouisn herd and in 1996 after a visit to Canada Black Limousin cattle were introduced to the herd.

In one day here at Newhouse, Drew Adam sold seven breeds of cattle! He was always a man to try before making a full investment in a new breed!!

In 2003 the Glamis prefix was started again by the fourth generation of Adams’ and the Glamis Charolais herd was started with their second bull calf born given the name of Glamis Benefactor, with high hopes of repeating the  Shorthorn success. The boys were not to be disappointed as they got a first prize at Perth and 10,000gns for the bull.

There has been a flock of Blackface sheep in the ownership of the Adam family since 1955. The actual flock was established in 1883 by Charles Cadzow, it has just moved farms throughout the years. The hill farm of Auldallan stocks a little more than 500 Perthshire type Blackface ewes, with shearling tups sold now at the Perth sale at Stirling to a top price of £18,000.

1940 saw the introduction of Border Leicester sheep to Newhouse and the Glamis flock was established, this flock dispersed in 1970 to a record average at the time. Then in 2004 the Adam boys, Andrew and James, received a gift of 10 Blue Faced Leicester ewes from their grandfather, the late Alan Fotheringham, and the Glamis flock was reborn.

2009 was a year for celebration as Drew Adam was awarded the Sir William Young award from the RHSS for services to the livestock industry. The Newhouse Charolais herd was also awarded the Harman Genetic improvement Award for the most improved Self Replacing Index in Scotland having gone up from SRI +25.6 to SRI + 29.8.

Robert Adam, with the help of his wife Kay and stockman Brain Wills, now runs the pedigree herds at Newhouse of Glamis, which total 35 Charolais cows, 25 Black Limousin cows and 45 red Limousin cows. There is also a suckler herd of 32 commercial cows at Auldallan looked after by shepherd Alan Petrie.

Only bulls are bought in to the herd, with no females having been purchased for many years with the exception of one cow and calf which was known as the “Dowry cow” which arrived with Kay when she married Bob.

Although the Newhouse herd doesn’t show at summer shows, both Bob, Kay and Brian Wills are on the Limousin judging panel and often have judging duties across the UK. Bob was the youngest person ever to judge Limousins at the Perth Bull sales aged 25 in 1994.

Farm details:

• 550 acres at Newhouse of Glamis, 200 acres of grass, 50-60 acres of potato land rented out with the remainder in cereals which consist mainly of malting barley and feed wheat with 20 acres of kale grown for fattening lambs

• 1800 acres at Auldallan, 200 acres of which are in bye land and the rest is heather hill