Adam Henson explains why the sheep on a tiny Orkney Island had to turn to seaweed to survive
The shorelines of the British Isles are renowned for their beauty and variety, says Adam Henson; from the rugged cliffs of Northumberland and the mudflats of Morecambe Bay to Scilly’s long sandy beaches and Devon’s harbour towns.
But there can’t be many people who associate the coastline with sheep. Around the United Kingdom there are flocks of rare and native breeds that live and thrive on the edge. Literally.
Meet the phenomenal seaweed-eating sheep of Orkney. The tiny island of North Ronaldsay is home to a breed that’s an evolutionary wonder, roaming along the shoreline to feast on seaweed washed up by the strong winds and powerful tides.
It has been this way for almost 200 years since a 13 mile-long drystone wall, or sheep dyke, was built to prevent the flock from straying on to the crofters’ land and precious fertile grazing reserved for more profitable livestock. Banished to the beach and a diet of kelp, Mother Nature took over and the North Ronaldsay sheep developed a unique digestive system and metabolism.