Sheep Shearing

Sheep Shearing

Sheep Shearing is a process used by crofters in the hebrides to remove the old wool or 'fleeces' from their sheep when the new groeth starts to 'rise' in the late summer. The traditional method of shearing is to use hand-held shears – this is till practised by some crofters in Ness, but there is also travelling shearer who can be paid per sheep to shear using elctric clippers. Tradiotnally the shearing process would have been conducted at the village 'fanks' – commnical handling areas for livestock that sit on the common grazing land. As the sheep are sheared a team of usually woemn, would clean off, roll up and bag the fleeces ready for the wool board to collect. Alternatively, the wool can be kept and processed at micro mills on behalf of the crofter but this is very rare and an expensive process to complete.

2076

highlandandislands

iain

English,Scottish Gaelic

Intangible

803

Clipping

05/01/2026

05/01/2026

x x

current,58,-6;

University of St Andrews

TEXT

2078

Spinning wool, weaving, kiltmaking, tailoring.

Netty Sopata

To shear a sheep requires practise and stamina. The way in which the sheep is handled determines whetehr they will stay still so a sequence of movments are followed to guide the animal into certain posiitons as the shearer cuts away the fleece in certain directions. When carried out correctly a whole fleece is removed from a sheep in one piece with a calm and un-stressed animal.

In Ness some commuinal shearing still takes place using hand shears but this is decreasing, as such so too are the opportunities for the younger generations to learn those skills. It is also similar for machine shearing, but because you can earn money from machien shearing it is more attractive for younger people to learn.

There are two well known shears that operate commericially across the Isle of Lewis and Harris. Therew ill be more across the rest of Scotland, but due to geographical boundaries they do not travel over to the islands to work.

Shearing as a village community at the village fank does still occur sometimes, normally if all of the livestock are gathered from the common grazing on a day that the machine shearer has been booked. This becomes a social occasion, gaelic is spoken in these scenarios and stories or 'yarns' are told.

Sheep need to be shaered once a year for their welfare - this has not altered since humans began to rear and keep them.

The Wool Board: https://www.britishwool.org.uk The Crofters Commission: https://www.crofting.scotland.gov.uk

Each village in the area of Ness has a 'Fank.' A dedicated, outdoor handling facility to pen sheep in and handle them for shearing, dosing and dipping.

As the climate changes and becomes warmer the time at which the wool rises i.e the old fleeces is ready to cut away has altered. Over the peast couple of years some Crofters have sheared as early as May

Aged practitioners,Diminishing participation,Diminishing youth interest,Halted transmission between generations,Reduced practice

In Ness some commuinal shearing still takes place using hand shears but this is decreasing, as such so too are the opportunities for the younger generations to learn those skills. It is also similar for machine shearing, but because you can earn money from machien shearing it is more attractive for younger people to learn.

Insufficient renumeration

The price the woolboard pays the crofter fro each fleece is less than the crofter has to pay for the sheep to be sheared.

Loss of knowledge

Habost is a vilage that sits within Galson Estate which consists of 56,000 acres of coast, agricultural land and moor in the North West of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The estate comprises of 22 villages running from Upper Barvas to Port of Ness with a population of nearly 2,000 people. The estate passed into community ownership on 12 January 2007, to be managed on their behalf by Urras Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (https://www.galsontrust.com) The area is rural, with a strong cultural heritage centered around the gaelic language, traditional music and crofting.

Woven Tweed Fabric.

It contributes to social cohesions when the viallge athers livestock at the fank in preparation for the shearing to commence.

Wool is a sustainable resource.

It supports the self-sufficient lifestyle of crofting and has to take place foe the welfare of the animal.

Good Health and Wellbeing,Responsible Consumption and Production,Life On Land

Habost, Port of Ness

declining

AAS_CP_06