A rare opportunity to purchase a recently modernised productive dairy farm in Aberdeenshire.
 

Upper Braiklay is a large dairy farm located between Old Meldrum and Methlick. The Farm has been in the Wyness family for 60 years and has been run as a dairy farm for 40 years by the partnership of William Wyness & Sons.  
 
The farm is in the heart of rural Aberdeenshire in an area of predominantly arable farms. The farm enjoys a commanding outlook over the surrounding countryside with views to Bennachie and the coast. This is a peaceful unspoilt area and good yields of both grass and cereal crops are normally obtained. We understand there are some 50 dairy units in the North East of Scotland mostly supplying R Wisemans in Aberdeen. 
 
The relatively central location of the homestead makes this ideal as a dairy and there is minor public road access to most of the fields. The farmhouse is a comfortable modern house and with two additional modern houses the farm is well equipped for employees. 
 
The farm extends to 316 acres and is offered for sale as a whole or in 2 lots. 
 
Lot 1 - Offers over £2,500,000 
 
Farming System 
Upper Braiklay is currently run as a Dairy farm. The farm has modern buildings centrally located and land that is easily accessed by farm tracks and minor roads. Industrial steel portal framed sheds were erected in 2002 and a new Fullwood parlour system and milk tank was installed in 2003. Upper Braiklay runs a 190 strong Holstein/Friesian herd with all the necessary followers. The herd has a milk quota of over 1.9 million litres with the average cow producing 8,500 litres annually.  
 
The cows spend the winter months indoors on matted cubilcles with sawdust and are then put to grass at the time of the 1st cut of silage in June.  
 
Upper Braiklay traditionally crops 150 acres of grass for silage and 100 acres are in arable crop. The land is in a 4 year rotation, with three years of grass, followed by either winter wheat, winter or spring barleys, which are used for animal feed. The milking herd get a mixed feed all year round of silage, sugar beet and soya.  
 
The arable operations and silage making are generally carried out by contractors, whilst the farm staff runs the dairy. Some additional ground has been rented locally, principally for grazing followers and for some extra cereal crops. 
 
Lot 1: 
Upper Braiklay Farmhouse 
Upper Braiklay Farmhouse is located centrally on the farm and is accessed via a private tarred driveway. The farmhouse is of red brick construction under a slate roof and was built in 1977. The farmhouse is south facing and benefits from generous proportions including an open plan sitting room with dining area and five bedrooms. The attached floor plans show the layout and room sizes. 
 
Services 
Oil fired central heating, private water and private drainage. 
 
Dairy Cottage  
Dairy Cottage was built in 2005 under a section 75 planning restriction. The cottage is timber frame with block walls and is harled. The accommodation comprises; 
 
Sitting Room (W): 4.17m x 3.25m 
 
Kitchen (W): 3.71m x 3.20m 
 
Bedroom 1 (E): 2.79m x 2.79m 
 
Bedroom 2 (E): 2.95m x 2.79m 
 
Bathroom (S): 2.38m x 1.70m 
 
The cottage is occupied by Mr Murray 
 
Services 
Electric under floor heating, private water and private drainage. 
 
The Farm Buildings 
The unit is extremely well equipped as a diary farm. The size, airiness and industrial durability of the buildings provides an excellent environment for both animals and workers.  
 
The main buildings incorporate the parlour and houses the majority of the animals. The shed is of steel frame construction and has concrete floors and block walls. The first section of the building houses the milking parlour. The Fullwood 26 cow herring bone rotary parlour was installed in 2003 and is 12.6m in diameter. The spacious circular parlour takes on average two hours to milk the 190 strong herd. The cows are brought forward into the parlour via the collecting yard which has an automatic electric backing gate.  
 
Adjacent to the parlour are a range of rooms with ample work areas including a 10,000 litre milk tank which was installed in 2003. Other equipment in this area are the feed hopper, electric room, chiller and compressor room and exchanger for the milking parlour. There are also shower and toilet facilities for the employees. Upstairs there is a large glassed viewing area for observing the milking as well as an office for monitoring and controlling the parlour system which is controlled by a Crystal Fusion Computer Programme. 
 
There are 32 removable galvanised pens. There is also a dry cow area, cattle handling area and 3 steel calving pens. 
 
The main part of the shed is for the cubicles and feed passage which can be easily accessed by tractor and mixer wagon. There are 240 De Boer matted cubilcles and an automatic De Boer scraping system in place. There is a large passageway with Solway concrete troughs for feeding silage. Between the cubicles and the collecting yard is a cattle handling area and calving pens. 
 
There is both an indoor and outdoor silage pit which have a combined capacity of 2500 tonnes. The farm has slurry storage in an underground slatted tank which is then pumped into the outdoor Howard 3 tier slurry store which can hold approximately 250,000 gallons. In the yard there is a molasses and diesel tank.  
 
The feed store (shed 5) of steel frame construction has 4 bays and is used to store arable crops, fertiliser and compound feeds. 
 
The cattle court (shed 6, a former parlour) is of timber truss construction with concrete walls has steel pens that can house up to 40 heifers. It also has a canopy for outside feeding.  
 
The whole farmyard area features extensive concrete aprons. 
 
Farm Buildings 
 
Sheds 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all linked. 
 
Shed 1: Steel Portal frame incorporating: 
 
Fullwood milking parlour: 27.2m x 17.6m  
 
Viewing Gallery Area: 17.38m x 10.6m 
 
Office: (With views to Bennachie) 6.5m x 4.6m  
 
Electric Room: 6.0m x 1.4m  
 
Toilets and Shower Room: 4.2m x 4.1m 
 
Milk Tank Room: 8.5m x 5.1m 
 
Chiller and Compressor Room: 14.8m x 3.68m 
 
Heat Exchanger and Sink Area: 3.7m x 3.07m 
 
 
Shed 2: Steel Portal Frame incorporating: 
 
Collecting Yard: 19.0m x 18.0m 
 
Dry Cow Areas in 2 straw bedded courts  
28m x 12m & 30m x 10m 
 
Calf pens 19m x 14m 
 
Shed 3: Steel Portal Frame incorporating:  
 
Cubicles Area: 220m x 26m 
 
Cattle handling area 31m x 11m 
 
Shed 4: Steel Portal Frame incorporating: 
 
Indoor Silage Pit: 220m x 13.2m 
 
 
Shed 5: Steel Portal Frame with blocks walls incorporating: 
 
Grain and Fertiliser Store: 31.7m x 11.9m 
 
Shed 6: Timber truss Construction with block walls incorporating: 
 
Bedded Court: 28.2m x 12.3m 
 
Others: 
 
Outdoor Silage Pit: 42m x 15m 
 
Generator Shed with John Deere back up generator 
 
Howard Slurry Store 17m diameter x 3.9m height 
 
Land 
The land extends to 316 acres and according to the Macaulay Institute for soil research; the land is classified as 3(2). Approximately 211 acres is in grass and 103 acres is in arable crop. The land is all within easy access of the farm buildings. The land lies between 102 and 112 metres above sea level. 
 
Services 
Privates water from a well. Mains water is located at the crossroads near the farm buildings. 
 
Milk Quota 
The farm currently supplies milk to R Wiseman dairies. There is a wholesale quota of 1,969,605 litres with 3.729% butterfat average.  
 
Employment 
The farm currently has 3 employees, 2 of whom are retiring when the farm is sold. James Murray who lives in Dairy Cottage has been on the farm for 3 years, and we understand is keen to remain if required. 
 
 
 
 
Single Farm Payment 
The single farm payment is available by separate negotiation, it includes; 
 
Standard Entitlements:
 

 
Situation
Methlick is the nearest village. The village has a post office, mini market, hardware store, garage and public house. Education is provided at Barthol Chapel or Methlick primary and secondary at Ellon Academy. Methlick is also home to the MCC, an established cricket ground.  
 
Upper Braiklay is only 23 miles from Aberdeen. Aberdeen provides all the ancillary leisure, recreational, shopping, entertainment and cultural facilities one would expect of a city. Its status as the "Oil Capital" provides the city with an international airport and an ever expanding range of domestic and European flights. There are also regular inter-city services from the city's railway station