There is an island at the northern tip of the Orkney archipelago called North Ronaldsay, pop. 72. Sheep pop.: thousands. The farmers have ringed the fields in the island in a series of dry-stane dykes (stone walls with no mortar). These walls are not to keep the sheep in, they are to keep the sheep out. These sheep live their entire lives on the shoreline, grazing on seaweed. It gives a specific flavour to the meat (and may do something to the wool, I’m not sure what). It is a fascinating story.
.Every year volunteers come from across the UK and spend several days in August rebuilding the walls the sheep have damaged (sheep love to lean on things: walls, fences, gates), and my cousin & her husband are doing exactly that this week, along with 4 friends. On their way home, they will have 25 hours in Kirkwall and are coming to stay with me! Visitors! Yippee! Coincidentally, they are arriving on County Show day, so a large of portion of their entertainment is already arranged. I can’t wait!
