A Shepherd's day out

Lamb sales start in mid August.  Quite a lot of work goes into getting lambs ready for sale.  If your lambs are on an island off an island off an island, the amount of effort and work involved is multiplied and inevitably involves boats.... 

In late August RM asked Farmer if he could help her gather the sheep she looks after on the Isle of Gometra.  He was only too glad to help, and I was excited to be invited to go along.  

Gometra is the island that sits at the end of Ulva.  You can either go by boat or walk or drive a quad bike 5 or 6 miles along a rough track from Ulva Ferry.   RM has a boat.  It is much quicker and she can come and go as she pleases and as the weather allows.  

It was mirror calm as we travelled up Loch Tuath from Ulva Ferry.  

I was dropped off about a mile from the farm steadings, and asked to stand at the top of a hill, as a deterrent to stop the sheep from getting past me.  RM could talk to everyone on the walkie talkies to make sure they were in the right place.  

I could hear the gather going on in the hills around me, and at times hear activity of dogs and whistling and a bit of shouting.    I had a pair of Wrens keeping me company. 

And Red deer hinds, startled by the gather, move at speed away from the gatherers and dogs. 

Looking south towards Ardmeanach.  You can just see a line of sheep coming down the hill from the left of the photograph. 

Looking out towards Staffa, sheep moving toward the track which leads to the farm steading and fank. 

Safely gathered in.  

We had a delicious lunch and then S, D and RM sorted through the sheep before heading back down the loch to Ulva Ferry.  

Huge clumps of Grass of Parnassus. 

On the way back, from the boat, RM can look back and see if they have left any sheep behind.  

What a wonderful day.