The lost flock : rare wool, wild isles and one woman's journey to save Scotland's original sheep

The lost flock Rare wool, wild isles and one woman's journey to save Scotland's original sheep

Jane Cooper

Book - 2023

"The Lost Flock is the story of the remarkable and rare little horned sheep, known as Orkney Boreray, and the wool-obsessed woman who moved to one of Scotland's wildest islands to save them. It was Jane Cooper's passion for knitting that led her to discover the world of rare-breed sheep and their wool. Through this, Jane uncovered the 'Orkney Borerary' - a unique group within the UK's rarest breed of sheep, the Boreray, and one of the few surviving examples of primitive sheep in northern Europe. As her knowledge of this rarest of heritage breeds grew, she took the bold step to uproot her quiet suburban life in Newcastle and relocate to Orkney, embarking on a new adventure and life as farmer and shepherd. Jane w...as astonished to find that she was the sole custodian of this lost flock in the world, and so she began investigating their mysterious and ancient history, tracking down the origins of the Boreray breed and its significance to Scotland's natural heritage. From Viking times to Highland crofts and nefarious research experiments in Edinburgh, this is a so-far untold real-life detective story. It is also the story of one woman's relentless determination to ensure a future for her beloved sheep, and in doing so revealing their deep connection to the Scottish landscape. An unforgettable story of a heritage breed and the importance of its existence"--Publisher's description.

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Subjects
Cooper, Jane > (Sheep farmer)
Sheep > Scotland > Orkney.
Rare breeds > Scotland > Orkney.
Sheep > Breeding.
Sheep farming > Scotland > Orkney.
Wool.
Sheep farming.
Scotland > Orkney.
Anecdotes.
Genres
Anecdotes
Published
London, UK ; White River Junction, Vermont, USA : Chelsea Green Publishing [2023]
Language
English
Main Author
Jane Cooper (author)
Physical Description
214 pages, 8 numbered pages of plates : color illustrations ; 23 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-212).
ISBN
9781915294395
9781915294135
  • Introduction
  • 1. The Start of It All
  • 2. The Power of Viking Wool
  • 3. Too Good to Castrate
  • 4. First, Catch Your Sheep
  • 5. Custodian of the Genes
  • 6. Dark Times
  • 7. Hope for the Future
  • 8. Finding My Flock
  • 9. Heritage Found
  • A Timeline of the Boreray Sheep
  • The Orkney Boreray Flocks Today
  • For Knitters
  • Acknowledgements
  • Select Bibliography
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this pastoral debut, shepherd Cooper introduces readers to a "breed of little short-tailed sheep known as the Orkney Boreray, that are now thriving on seven farms and crofts in Orkney," an archipelago in Scotland. One of the few surviving examples of "primitive sheep," so-called because they have changed very little genetically for thousands of years, this breed was down to one small flock in 2013 when Cooper, a knitting enthusiast interested in the production of wool, became the sole custodian of the lineage after she decided to make a drastic transition from housewife to sheep farmer. Forty years ago, when all other Boreray sheep were registered by the Rare Breed Survival Trust, this flock's ancestors, located in the Highlands (and thus too remote to track down), were not included in the official register. They continued to evolve in isolation, maintaining to this day wild traits that produce a uniquely fine fleece. Cooper delves into prehistory, including several significant Neolithic archaeological finds that reveal how ancient shepherds "utilized the meat, skin, horn and bone of slaughtered sheep," something she has sought to do herself in an attempt at sustainability. Cooper's account combines beautiful descriptions of the landscape of Orkney with a meticulously researched history of shepherding and wool in the Highlands. The result enchants. (Sept.)

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