The Lonely Cliff-Stranded Sheep

At the bottom of a remote Scottish cliff, a sheep named Fiona lived alone for two years. She fell off the edge when she was young and became trapped. A canoer spotted her in 2021, and several groups tried to save her. But they all gave up because it was too dangerous.

A Farmer's Brave Decision

In October, everything changed for Fiona. Cameron Wilson, a farmer who loves sheep, learned about her story. He felt he needed to help this stranded animal. Wilson gathered some friends, and together they made a plan for a very difficult rescue mission.

The Challenging Rescue

The rescue team made their way down to Fiona's cave and found her. But they faced a problem they hadn't expected. Fiona had grown much larger than normal! With little else to do in her isolated spot, she had spent her time eating all the grass around her.

Her extra weight made the climb back up even more dangerous. Still, the farmers worked hard and managed to get her to the steepest part of the cliff face at the top.

The Final Push to Freedom

At the most difficult section, the team had to get creative. They placed Fiona into a canvas feed bag and used a UTV (utility terrain vehicle) at the top to pull her up. When she finally reached the top, everyone felt relieved and emotional. Their dangerous mission had worked.

Fiona's New Life

After the rescue, Fiona had a lot of excess wool - about £20 worth - sheared from her body. This was likely two years of growth since she had been stranded.

Today, Fiona lives at Dalscone Farm where she receives special care. After years of being the world's loneliest sheep, she now has more friends than she could have imagined. The farm staff even showed Fiona the video of her own rescue!

These five brave farmers put their own safety at risk to save one stranded sheep. Their kindness turned Fiona's life of loneliness into one filled with companionship and care.