“I honestly couldn’t tell you how far away it is, but it’s a 12-hour ferry to get from the Shetlands to the mainland,” Fraiser Anderson told the Farmers Journal. “We leave at seven at night and we get there at seven in the morning. Then it’s a three-hour drive from Aberdeen to Edinburgh.”

We’re just two young boys trying to promote the breed, make folk realise that the Shetland sheep is good on a commercial basis

Four of Shetland Island’s young farmers take the 800-mile round trip to the Royal Highland Show every year to spread the word about their native Shetland sheep.

Listen to "Behind the scenes at the Scottish Royal Highland Show" on Spreaker.

A 'cracking' breed

But what makes these sheep so special that it’s worth hauling them that distance?

“You can cross it with nearly anything, it’s good for a foundation female. They’ve a cracking mothering ability and they can graze on varied ground, they’re good foragers,” Anderson said. “We’re just two young boys trying to promote the breed, make folk realise that the Shetland sheep is good on a commercial basis.”

At home on the island, where there are approximately 950 crofting farms, he has 250 ewes lambing and has a full-time job as well. Anderson’s sheep lamb in May as the islands, which are closer to Norway than Scotland, are exposed to harsh weather.

Your Shetland ewe will be easier to keep and she can deal with a bigger lamb

“We try to promote the breeding side of the Shetland sheep a lot because a lot of folk will work with a mule. Your Shetland ewe will be easier to keep and she can deal with a bigger lamb. We’re trying to get more numbers used in Scotland. They’re hardier and they don’t take as much feed and still have a good bag of milk.”

On the Shetlands the Shetland*Cheviot ewe lamb is then paired with a good continental breed such as a Texel.

“You’re looking at 40kg plus for killing weight” for one of those lambs.

Most people in Shetland rear lambs for the store market as the cost of getting feed and concentrates up to Shetland is prohibitive.

“Your pure Shetland ewe will be out all year round,” said Anderson, and they are supplemented with “feed, silage and the odd concentrate.”

Wool

Not only that but they say the wool is very good for spinning as well.

“It’s a superior wool,” said Anderson, who had a display of jumpers, hats and gloves made from Shetland wool with him. “We usually sell it to a broker in Shetland and then he’ll ship it off to the mainland. I think it’s about £1.40/kg. It usually pays for the shearers.”

This is his third year at the Highland Show and he said “there is more and more interest” every time they come.

Young farmers

With approximately 950 crofting farms on the islands, it is an unstable time for young farmers starting out as they are not sure where they will stand with farm payments in the future.

You can visit the Shetland sheep at the National Sheep Association marquee at the Royal Highland Show.

Read more

Limousin breed takes home the RBS Overall Beef Champion Supreme

In pictures: Chainsaw carving at the Royal Highland Show