For two long years, a lone sheep roamed the base of the Scottish Highlands, watching kayakers glide by. She would bleat at them, trying to catch their attention, hoping someone would notice her.
When news of Britain’s “loneliest sheep” reached a group of compassionate men, they decided to take action. Armed with heavy equipment, five brave souls set out on a daring mission to rescue the shaggy-fleeced ewe from the steep 820-foot cliff she called home.
Back in 2021, a woman named Jillian Turner first spotted the sheep while kayaking with friends. “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 recalled.
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At the time, Turner wasn’t too worried. She knew sheep are skilled climbers and thought the ewe would find her way back up the cliffs. But when she paddled by the same spot in October 2023, she was shocked to see the sheep still there, her fleece overgrown and dragging on the ground.
“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,” Turner said. 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.”
Turner reached out to the Scottish SPCA for help, but they said there was “ample grazing in the area” and that they couldn’t undertake the “incredibly complex” rescue.
Undeterred, a team led by sheep shearer Cammy Wilson decided to step in on November 4. Using a winch mounted on a truck parked at the top of the cliff, 660 feet of rope, and a sling made from a feed bag, they began their risky operation. Drone footage helped them map out the safest route.
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Two men operated the winch from above while three others carefully descended the steep rocky wall. They found the ewe, later named Fiona, in a cave. “She was so chill, it was unbelievable,” Wilson said about her calm demeanor. “I was amazed by how relaxed this sheep was, no panting or panic. It was almost as though she thought, ‘Get me out of here.’ It’s rare a sheep acts like that.”
At one point, they feared the bag carrying Fiona might tear under her weight—she had been eating well—but it held strong. They safely lifted her to the top of the cliff.
“The rescue was epic!” the team wrote, adding to their Facebook post on The Sheep Game page that Fiona is now living at a local farm park with a friendly flock of animals. She’s named after the ogre princess in *Shrek*, who was also rescued from isolation.
Wilson explained, “There was a sheep called Shrek in Australia that was living in caves for years, so this is the Scottish version.”
People from all over the world were captivated by Fiona’s story. Comments poured in on Facebook, praising the team’s efforts. One person wrote, “All these organisations couldn’t sort out her rescue, and five salt of the earth Scots, a big ATV (all-terrain vehicle) and a long rope got it done. Well done!” Another shared, “Omg I’m soooo delighted. Fair play lads. Can’t wait to see her shorn. Keep up the great work from Ireland.”
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Someone from Australia chimed in, “OMG so excited thank you so much from across the world in Australia where we have been following her journey. Can’t wait to see her snuggled up with her new pals in her new home Fantastic News!!! You are all wonderful people to be able to accomplish this for her and those worrying about her Thank you.”
How Fiona ended up on that remote beach remains a mystery. “In hindsight, luck was the key factor of the day. It was great to come out with no mistakes and the sheep being happy and healthy… because the stress could have killed her. Thankfully she was totally relaxed,” Wilson reflected.
The Scottish SPCA was present during the rescue but noted, “This is not something our inspectorate have the equipment to do, so we were not involved in the rescue itself.” Once Fiona was on safe ground, the team checked her over and found she was in great physical condition—she just needed a good shearing.
By Sunday, Fiona was “in fantastic condition,” sporting a neat fleece and looking a bit plump. Wilson added humorously, “So sometimes you just need a group of idiots to get a job done. We got a great result today, but a slip of a foot and we would have just been fools with good intentions.”
A huge thank you to the rescue team who risked their own lives on that steep cliff wall to save Fiona! She must be so happy now that she’s with her new family, and we hope she enjoys many wonderful years in her new community of animals!
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