Background? I was born and bred at Netherhall, in Largs . milking cows with my parents and brother, Alistair. I knew it was my passion from a young age and left school at the age of 16 to study agriculture at Auchincruive. I wanted to gain experience, so I landed myself a herdsman job at Walter Hogarths, at Knockrivoch, in Saltcoats, for six years milking 180 Friesians and Montbeliardes. I learnt a lot there about herd and grassland management. In 2004, my wife, Margo and I – with a lot of help from our parents – purchased Shacklehill, in Mossblown. With no dairy there, I bought bulling heifers, served them, calved them, sold them and this was my business model for many years alongside 70 beef cows.