Scottish Blackface Sheep
By: shortfinals
Tags: British Isles, carcass, carpets, clothing, Derbyshire, Derbyshire Gritstone, ewe, fleece, heather, horns, lamb, lean meat, Peak District, Peak District National Park, Scottish Blackface, Scottish Borders, sheep, winter, wool
Category: British Isles, Derbyshire, England, Scotland
| Aperture: | f/4.5 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length: | 21mm |
| ISO: | 100 |
| Shutter: | 1/0 sec |
| Camera: | MVC-CD500 |
Scottish Blackface Ewe and Lamb
When you are walking in the Peak District of Derbyshire, you often come across neat little tracks, cutting through the heather, and are grateful for the ‘easing of the way’. Well, here is who you thank for that kind act of trail-blazing. The Scottish Blackface Sheep. There are other breeds of sheep in Derbyshire (including the native Derbyshire Gritstone), but the ubiquitous Scottish Blackface dominates the high peaks, and with good reason. The breed is incredibly hardy, and can survive the harsh Derbyshire winters. Their fleece is exceptionally hard-wearing and the wool finds its way into carpets, and clothing where wear-resistance is at a premium. The lambs are low in fat (as a carcass) and provide really lean meat. All in all, it is quite understandable that the Scottish Blackface is the most common sheep in the British Isles, having spread far and wide from its original home in the Scottish Borders.
By the way, don’t think of getting too close to that lamb; the Scottish Blackface ewe is very protective, and will fight predators with those horns.
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Protective mama sheep, she and her lamb are adorable. Maybe if I ever find myself in that part of the world, I can thank them for ‘easing the way’ …but from very far away 🙂
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