Stranded alone for two years on the foothills of the Scottish Highlands, a sheep, now known as Fiona, watched as people kayaked past her, bleating for their attention.
Hearing the pleas of Britain’s “loneliest sheep,” a team of five men armed with heavy machinery embarked on a daring rescue mission, lifting the shaggy-fleeced creature up the steep wall of a steep 820-foot cliff.
Keep reading to learn about the Fiona’s rescue!
In 2021, Scotland’s Jillian Turner was kayaking with a group of friends when she first spotted the lonely sheep, wandering at the foot of the cliffy Highlands.
Recalling her first sighting of the animal, Turner said she saw the ewe on a gravel beach, lining a steep, rocky coastline.
“She saw us coming and was calling to us along the length of the beach following our progress until she could go no further. She finally turned back, looking defeated,” Turner said.
Knowing that sheep are skilled climbers, the woman explained she wasn’t too concerned and thought the creature would find her way back to the fields at the top of the cliffs.
But, when she kayaked past the same beaches in October 2023, she was shocked to see the animal was still there.
“She called out on our approach and once again followed the group along the shore jumping from rock to rock, calling to us the whole way,” Turned said, explaining that this time, the ewe’s fleece was overgrown, and dragging on the ground behind her.
She added, “The poor ewe has been on her own for at least two years – for a flock animal that has to be torture, and she seemed desperate to make contact with us on the two occasions we’ve gone past her.”
Looking for support, Turner contacted the Scottish SPCA, that said there was “ample grazing in the area,” and it was unable to make the “incredibly complex” rescue.
Daring rescue
On November 4, a group of five farmers – led by sheep shearer Cammy Wilson – took on the risky challenge of using “heavy equipment” to lift the ewe up a steep slope.
The “epic” mission involved a winch mounted on a truck parked at the top of the cliff, 820-feet above the sheep, 660 feet of rope and a sling made from a feed bag.
One farmer provided vital drone footage of the cliffs, allowing the men to map out their rescue.