About Allanshaws Farm…
Allanshaws Farm is 1050 acres in size and can be found in the lush hills of the Scottish Borders. The highest altitude rises to 1400ft and it’s located 7 miles north of the market town of Galashiels.
Allanshaws Farm lambs 800 ewes per year, predominantly pure North Country Cheviots. 300 North Country Cheviot ewes are bred pure each year with 420 put to the Bluefaced Leicester to breed Cheviot Mules. The Cheviot Mule Ewe Lambs are sold privately all to good homes for stock ewes every year. There are also 40 pure Suffolk ewes and 40 pure Texel ewes run on Allanshaws.
As well as sheep we also have 30 cows on the farm which are put to the Shorthorn bull to produce their own replacements. The other 100 cows are put to the Simmental bulls to produce Simmental X heifers for further breeding and Simmental X bullocks sold store.
Farming with his wife Amanda, Roderick Runciman started his showing career at the age of 15 with no prior experience and is now renowned as one of the North Country Cheviot’s most well-known and successful breeders.
Roderick started exhibiting at the Royal Highland Show in 1994, and has picked up champion honours in the inter-bred, half-bred and commercial sections, as well as both champion and reserve titles at the Great Yorkshire and numerous other local shows.
Roderick says there is no doubt the pinnacle of his showing career is The Royal Highland Show.
Allanshaws Farm Facts…
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800 ewes
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24 stock tups, including North Country Cheviot, Suffolk, Texel and Bluefaced Leicester
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300 head of cattle
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130 cows are calved per year, including 20 heifers which are calved at three years old
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425 hectares (1,050 acres), all of which is grass
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61ha (150 acres) of the land is cuttable, with 53ha (130 acres) taken for hay and silage every year.
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The steading stands at 305 metres (1,000 feet), which is the lowest part of the farm, with surrounding land rising to 427m (1,400ft)
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Staff includes one full-time staff member, with extra help at lambing, silage and clipping time
A Brief History of Allanshaws Farm…
Allanshaws Farm has been in the Runciman family since 1958 when Roderick’s grandfather bought Allanshaws Farm for his son Tim (James), Roderick’s father. Tim married Kath (Kathleen) Pringle in October 1961 and they moved into the Farmhouse at Allanshaws, this farmhouse is now known as the Old Farmhouse.
When the Runciman’s bought over Allanshaws Farm in 1958 there were 2 shepherds farming a flock of sheep each, Blackface and North Country Cheviot ewes. Roderick’s father decided to put off the Blackface ewes in 1960 and focus primarily on North Country Cheviots. It was not until 1994 when Roderick was 29 years old that he started showing North Country Cheviots at the Royal Highland Show.
In 1967 a new bungalow (now the current Farmhouse) was built as Tim & Kath outgrew the Old Farmhouse with the arrival of their fourth boy.
Roderick is the third son of Tim & Kath. James is the eldest son and now currently farms at Muircleugh Farm, Lauder, Stewart is next and farms nearby Torsonce Farm, Stow and Douglas is the youngest who farms at Huntington Farm, Lauder. In 2000 Tim & Kath retired and moved to a bungalow at Pyatshaw, Lauder and left Roderick to farm Allanshaws.
In July 2002 Roderick married Amanda Millar from North Balluderon Farm, Tealing, Dundee in the same year he won the Commercial Section at the Royal Highland Show.
Roderick farms Allanshaws in partnership with his wife Amanda. They have 2 children Lewis and Libby who are active little helpers during Lambing time and at various other times throughout the year.