Soay Sheep - our latest project

[davidlpope]

Matt,

Let's see...

You've custom-made the kilt..........





And now you've bought the sheep.........





I'm worried that your obsession with this painting is getting a little out of hand!

[Father Bill]

I like donkeys. They're nice people.

[oregonsoay]

Congrats on your new flock, glad you found Virginia. These are such neat little sheep you will enjoy them. They are a real bit of living Scottish history in your own back yard.

[Lime]

I think that it was Gavin Maxwell who bought Soay to start a basking shark fishery. Perhaps you will eventually add a couple of otters to the menagerie?

[Jock Scot]

It was indeed Gavin Maxwell who used(not sure if he bought it) the island as a base for his basking shark enterprise. Those that might be looking for the Isle of Soay, it is situated just off the Southern shores of Skye.

[M. A. C. Newsome]

It was indeed Gavin Maxwell who used(not sure if he bought it) the island as a base for his basking shark enterprise. Those that might be looking for the Isle of Soay, it is situated just off the Southern shores of Skye.

Different Soay. The Soay these sheep are named for is in the St. Kilda archipelago, of the northwest coast of Lewis (there is also a Soay south of Skye, so it gets confusing). The Soay near Skye is a larger island. If you go to Google maps and just type in "Soay, Scotland," it will show you the one off Skye. However, if you type in "St. Kilda, Scotland," it will show you a tiny dot far off the coast of Lewis. And if you zoom in on that tiny dot, you will see it is actually three tiny dots. The small dot to the far left (west) is Soay.

The largest of the St. Kilda islands, just to the east of Soay, is Hirta. Most Soay sheep have been moved in modern times to Hirta for conservation purposes. My sheep all descend from sheep on Hirta.

[Jock Scot]

Different Soay. The Soay these sheep are named for is in the St. Kilda archipelago, of the northwest coast of Lewis (there is also a Soay south of Skye, so it gets confusing). The Soay near Skye is a larger island. If you go to Google maps and just type in "Soay, Scotland," it will show you the one off Skye. However, if you type in "St. Kilda, Scotland," it will show you a tiny dot far off the coast of Lewis. And if you zoom in on that tiny dot, you will see it is actually three tiny dots. The small dot to the far left (west) is Soay.

The largest of the St. Kilda islands, just to the east of Soay, is Hirta. Most Soay sheep have been moved in modern times to Hirta for conservation purposes. My sheep all descend from sheep on Hirta.

Well I have to admit that I was not aware of that. Never too old to learn, thank you Matt. Anyway, I do know that Gavin Maxwell's Soay was the Skye one.

[unixken]

Matt,
Let's see...
You've custom-made the kilt..........
And now you've bought the sheep.........
I'm worried that your obsession with this painting is getting a little out of hand!

I know a sheep farmer up my way whose Border Collies just had a litter of pups, if you need one, Matt. Jus' sayin'...

[KenB]

I can't resist...... starting a flock of sheep was not my idea; it must have been ewe idea.

[llyd]

Soays are great! Congrats! I am wanting a small flock of Babydoll sheep...but I don't really have the cash at the moment...will have to stick with my pigs, goats and chickens...and the horse of course.

I like Waffles...Donkeys are some of hte best people I know. and I should know, being a jack *** myself.