The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman's Journey to Save Scotland's Original Sheep - Paperback

by Jane Cooper (Author)

"A windswept love letter"--Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment

From Viking times to pastoral Highland crofts to odious research experiments, this is the untold, real-life detective story of the remarkable little horned sheep known as the Orkney Boreray and the determined woman who moved to one of Scotland's wildest islands to save them.

It was Jane Cooper's passion for knitting that led her to search for rare-breed sheep and their distinctive wool. When she found a 'lost flock' of Boreray sheep--the UK's rarest breed of sheep--it ignited a quest that would ultimately change her life. Uprooting her suburban existence in Newcastle, she embarked on a new adventure as a farmer and shepherd in the faraway Orkney Islands.

There, to her astonishment, Jane realized that she was the sole custodian of the last remnants of a unique group of Boreray sheep, what then became her Orkney Boreray flock. She began investigating its mysterious and ancient history, tracking down the origins of the breed, its significance to Scotland's natural heritage, and the importance of protecting the Orkney Boreray from extinction.

"Jane Cooper combines intelligence, heart and passion to create a life of integrity not only for herself but for one of the rarest breeds of sheep on the planet. . . . Her trials and triumphs offer a stellar example for others to follow in their own ways. Bravo!"--Deborah Robson, author of The Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook

Author Biography

Jane Cooper grew up in North Warwickshire and learned to knit when she was very young. In 2010, Jane met the late Sue Blacker of the Natural Fibre Company, who wanted to get British Wool into the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, so Woolsack (woolsack.org.uk) was born, which they ran together. In 2013 Jane and her husband Paul moved to Orkney and got their first Boreray sheep and in 2017, Jane discovered that she was the custodian of the last remnants of the 'Lost Flock' of Boreray sheep. To secure the long-term future of the Orkney Boreray, Jane established flocks with more (younger!) Orkney crofters and farmers, to develop products and markets and make them a profitable enterprise for everyone involved. In September 2021 Orkney Boreray mutton became Scotland's second Slow Food International Presidium. There are now eight flocks of Boreray sheep in Orkney.