“Britain’s loneliest sheep” has made some new friends.
The ewe, named Fiona, is continuing to settle into her new home following a daring rescue earlier this month.
The sheep had been stranded for more than two years on her own at the foot of cliffs close to the Cromarty Firth before being winched to safety by a group of farmers.
She was then transported from the Scottish Highlands and into the care of Dalscone Farm Fun in Dumfries.
After some time on her own at the visitor attraction, the farmers then decided to add two new pals into her pen.
Dalscone manager Ben Best told Sky News that Fiona wasn’t sure about Dozi and Amy at first, but they have since become friends.
Farmer Ben, as he’s known in his popular live streams, said: “It’s going really well. She’s settled in nicely.
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“Dozi and Amy are hand-picked sheep that we actually raised on a bottle when they were lambs, so we know what their temperament is like. We know they’re really calm and they’re easy to get along with.”
Fiona has been sharing the pen for nearly two weeks now.
Farmer Ben said: “I thought after three or four days I was going to have to take them back out again because she just wasn’t herself, wasn’t too happy, but by the time we came in on the Monday morning overnight from the Sunday she seemed to have settled in a lot better.
“We persevered and she’s taken to them nicely now, so we’ve got no worries or fears now.
“It’s lovely that she’s found her feet again and she’s quite happy in with some friends.”
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Fiona, who appears to be around three-years-old, was found to be overweight when she was rescued.
She’s yet to be put on a diet.
Farmer Ben said: “She’s not actually lost anything yet. We’re trying to bond with her – the way to her heart is food.
“We’re needing to cross that bridge first – get her comfortable and then maybe we can have a look at her losing a few pounds.”
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Fiona has picked up a leg injury that the farmers are keeping an eye on.
Farmer Ben: “I think it’s a strain from the rescue or the travel and it’s just going to take time. There’s no infection, there’s no cause for concern.”
Fiona will be kept indoors over the winter to help her leg recover.
Farmer Ben added: “She’s quite happy where she is. She’s actually quite nice and relaxed in the pen that’s she’s in just now.
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“For the time being until her leg starts healing up a little bit, she’s going to remain where she is with her friends and then we’ll assess it in the spring and see what happens from there.”
Fiona was first spotted by kayaker Jill Turner in 2021 at the foot of a steep cliff on the Moray Firth, close to the entrance of the Cromarty Firth.
When she was seen in the same place two years after the previous sighting, pictures of her began to circulate and she hit the headlines dubbed “Britain’s loneliest sheep”.
Ms Turner plans to visit Fiona next month.
Farmer Ben said: “It’ll be nice to meet Jill and her husband and see the catch up between her and Fiona.”
