PEEBLESSHIRE’S most famous farming family are set to welcome back the cameras for another lambing season.

Hamish and Susie Dykes, who run South Slipperfield Farm near West Linton, became television stars last spring when they featured in the BBC’s Lambing Live.

Although Kate Humble and Adam Henson won’t be returning to the Borders this year, cameras have been set up in the lambing sheds by Quality Meat Scotland.

And throughout next week they will be streaming live action between 6pm and 9pm.

Hamish told us: “Lambing Live last year was an incredible experience to be part of which our whole family enjoyed. It was also a really self-reflective process and made us really appreciate what we have.

“This year it will be QMS rather than BBC with a camera in the lambing shed, so instead of 70 crew in the shed with us there will just be one small camera above us. We’ll have to make sure we remember we are being filmed and other people will be able to hear what we’re saying!” The Dykes family, including Hamish’s parents John and Kate, and the couple’s children Rosie and Murdo, take a great pride in looking after their 950 ewes to produce high quality Scotch Lamb.

South Slipperfield is a member of QMS’s Quality Assurance Scheme which means it is inspected annually to ensure it meets scheme standards which underpin the Scotch Lamb brand.

Hamish added: “We’re very aware that quality assurance and animal welfare are extremely important to ensure consumer confidence in what we produce.

“Lambing is one of the busiest times of the year for sheep farmers up and down the country who work incredibly hard at this time of year,” said Carol McLaren, Head of Communications with QMS.

“Like any maternity ward around the country, there will inevitably be problems such as lambs which are difficult to deliver due to natural mal-presentation or, in the case of twins or triplets, you can be faced with a tangle of legs and tails to sort out before the lambs can be safely delivered.

“While it can be very challenging, especially if there are problems such as bad weather, it is also one of the most rewarding times in the farming calendar.

“The LambCam will also be streaming audio so people can share some of the best sounds in the lambing shed – such as a ewe 'speaking’ to her new arrival and encouraging it to get up. The speed that lambs can get to their feet to get a taste of that nutrition-packed first milk – colostrum – can be amazing!

The family’s charismatic Huntaway dogs Jess and son Doug, who won the hearts of the viewers on the BBC Show last year, will be appearing again and making their presence felt in the daily lambing diary videos and via the LambCam in the shed.

Viewers can follow all of the action from next Tuesday at www.qmscotland.co.uk/LambCam