Bute Junior Agricultural Club has been named the Best in the West after a triumphant run in the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs regional competitions.
Chairwoman Chloe Robertson, Secretary Ellie McMillan, and junior member Jay Elshaw first secured victory in the Clyde and Central District Club of the Year competition back in March. Their success earned them a place in the hotly contested West Club of the Year final, where they faced off against strong clubs from Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, and Dumfries and Galloway.
On Sunday, the team travelled to Dumfries to deliver a presentation showcasing the clubs impressive work over the past AGM year, running from March 2024 to March 2025.
Their efforts wowed the judging panel, which included a former National Chairman of SAYFC. He praised the club not only for its achievements, but also for overcoming the unique challenges of operating as an island-based group. Familiar with Bute JACs history, he expressed delight at how the club has flourished in recent years.
Now officially the top club in the West region, Bute JAC will go on to compete for the prestigious title of Best Club in Scotland at the national level. The final results will be revealed at the Royal Highland Show in June a major event in the club calendar, especially for members already involved in livestock showing.
Club spokesperson Keriin McMillan shared the teams excitement, saying: Were absolutely overwhelmed with this win. Over the past few years, weve really grown building stronger ties with our local community, launching our Bute Mini Agricultural Club in partnership with Appletree, and stepping up our participation in district competitions.
Were proud to prove that were just as capable as mainland clubs. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our members and the incredible support from everyone who helps us with our events, meetings and wild ideas.
Overjoyed Keriin cheekily added: As a club our new motto is, Cause we are Best in the West.
BJAC chair, Chloe Robertson, added: I cant believe it.
I cant express how huge this achievement is for our wee club to have the title of best club in the west, which is the biggest young farmers achievement ever.
We have excelled this year and all our hard work and dedication has shown and paid off.
We are completely overwhelmed with this achievement it means so much to our club.
All Bute JAC members should be very proud of themselves.
I honestly couldnt be any more proud of all we have achieved and a huge thank-you goes everyone who has supported us throughout the year.
With national recognition now in sight, the future looks bright for Bute JAC.
