Scotland's cattle numbers have risen for the first time since 2021, while the latest agricultural census reveals wider changes across farming.

Meet the McLean family’s 170-cow organic Holstein herd at Mains of Culsh, New Deer, Aberdeenshire, supplying Graham’s after merging into a 300ha farm.

Castle Douglas Blackface sale sees gimmers reach £300 from Fingland, while 1610 draft ewes average £155.38 and 1,161 gimmers £216.93.

Renfrewshire farmers Willie and Mairi Harper are shortlisted for a farming award after building a 1,200-acre mixed beef, sheep and arable enterprise.

Drew Watson & Co is a Contractor of the Year finalist after growing from one tractor into a major agricultural contracting business.

Barledziew Holstein herd dispersal at Carlisle reaches 5,800gns, with strong UK demand and Harrison & Hetherington selling top pedigree dairy cattle.

Bluefaced Leicester ram lamb tops J36 Crooklands sale at £6500 for Bob Lawrence’s Bob-On flock, bought by Messrs Armstrong, Ainstable.

Andrew Hastie explains how Alderston Mains uses a Biolectric on-farm anaerobic digestion system to turn dairy slurry into renewable electricity and heat.

Farewell Farms near St Margaret’s Hope, Orkney, runs beef cattle and the UK’s most northerly high-grade seed potato unit, supplying fresh local produce across Orkney.

Meet the Malcolm family at Cromlix Farm, using extensive suckler cattle farming, native breeds and outdoor calving while supplying calves to Stirling Market.

Girvan Mains’ Young family farms 3000 acres, finishes 5,000 cattle a year and powers the farm with an anaerobic digester as award finalists.

Ian Brownlie’s Murdo won Yetholm, Davie Wallace’s Taz Ellemford and Ian McMillan’s Cat Colmonell; Chase won Northumberland.