The Hardiesmill Herd was founded in 2002 by Robin & Alison Tuke after they returned the Thornton prefix to Alison's brother, Ian Thornton- Kemsley of Thornton , Nr. Laurencekirk . Alison, a third generation Angus farmer, with the help of her mother Gaye, her late father (Nigel Thornton- Kemsley ), Jock Wylie and her husband Robin, has built the herd up to approximately 80 pure cows and 14 pure heifers as breeding females, plus 18 additional heifers which are for sale .

Bloodlines

We have grown the herd both through our own breeding and through acquisitions from herds including :

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• Thornton 
• Blelack 
• Tofts 
• Chimes 
• Galcantray

Particularly notable boodlines include Thornton Palava and Blelack BlackBird .

We use Cardona Edwin, Hardiesmill Everite (a son of Blelack Blackstock ), Fordel Emperor and Hardiesmill Prime Candidate (A son of Viking Bandy Magic) as stock bulls. 

We purchased our senior stock bull, Cardona Edwin Z043 (“Eddie”), privately in October 2001. His dam, Cardona Edwina 7 th has many championships to her name. His sire, Lochdhu Elfking (out of a good Thornton line), made 8000 Guineas at Perth in February 1998.

The success of the 2005 prodigy of one of our own bulls, Hardiesmill Everite C16 (a Blelack Blackstock son (Decision grandson)), has persuaded us to run him with many more cows in the summer of 2006. His first crop of calves are easily distinguishable through the breadth of their top-line. We are hopeful that this will be repeated in future crops.

Our Junior Stock bull was bought from David Ismail in 2003 for his ease of calving. He is Fordel Emperor B318, born in March 2002, a son of Lord Forteviot of Tullyfergus , an all-American sire lost in Foot & Mouth in 2001. Emperor's dam is a young cow by Dedication of The Moss, out of Eulorna of The Moss, a successful female line over seven generations originating with Harviestoun .

In 2004 we were sufficiently pleased with the 2003 crop of calves from the 20 Blelack Lassies we own to return to Blelack for semen from the Canadian import Viking Bandy Magic. Bandy Magic was sire of the Junior Champion at this year's Royal Show. We have retained one of the calves, Hardiesmill Prime Candidate D086, as a junior stock bull to run with the heifers.

We are looking to top out at 94 breeding females by year end 2006. Whilst we do have cattle for sale , Hardiesmill concentrates on providing the highest quality beef for our Hardiesmill Pedigree Aberdeen Angus label. All aspects, from feed to habitat , slaughter and processing, are focused on consistently producing meat people will be proud to serve at their table.

For more details, Contact Alison Tuke on +44 (0) 1573410797 or email mail@hardiesmill.co.uk