From seaweed eating sheep to chickens whose ancestors were, as legend has it, used to ward off strangers, Scotland has an eclectic mix of rare breeds.
Some beasts which might appear to be typical farmyard animals - cows, horses, sheep - are, in fact, the original breeds native to this country with unique genetics that are rare today.
For example, when you think of Aberdeen Angus, you might think it’s a common breed because of the world famous Aberdeen Angus beef, which has likely been cross-bred. But the original, native Aberdeen Angus is actually very rare.
Several of these breeds will be represented at the Royal Highland Show by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.
Steve McMinn from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire, a Trustee of RBST, and chairman of RBST Scotland said: “Bred for our landscapes and the needs of our communities, Scotland’s native livestock and equine breeds have been vital to our people and an integral part of Scotland’s natural environment for centuries. Sadly many of these irreplaceable breeds became very rare with the mechanisation of the twentieth century.
“RBST Scotland is working to help these breeds back to the heart of farming and land management today and for the future, where they have key roles to play in high quality food production, conservation grazing to improve biodiversity, disease resistance and sustainable farming.”
1. North Ronaldsay Ram
The rare North Ronaldsay sheep have evolved over centuries to survive primarily on seaweed. They live on the rocky shore of the island, which is the northernmost island in the Orkney archipelago, for most of the year and only need to be brought onto better land for lambing. The sheep keeping system on North Ronaldsay is unique and based on a Sheep Dyke which has been in place since 1832. The drystone dyke helps to keep the sheep on the shoreline and off farmland, where they would suffer copper poisoning. The sheep remain generally in their own ‘clow-gang’, the particular portion of the shore where they are accustomed to feeding. North Ronaldsay sheep are one of the UK’s rarest native sheep breeds, categorised as a priority on the RBST watchlist. | Jon Durrant
2. North Ronaldsays eating seaweed
In addition to the North Ronaldsay breed’s genetic and biodiversity value for farming and the natural environment, the breed’s survival is also important for the local meat market, the island’s woollen mill, and for its irreplaceable heritage and tourism value for the Orkney islands. | RBST
3. Eriskay Pony and foal
They are the UK's rarest native pony, and were previously known as Western Isles ponies. The Eriskay ponies were the working ponies of crofters in the Hebrides. They were invaluable, carrying pannier baskets of peat for winter fuel and seaweed from the shore to fertilise the land. They were also used for light ploughing. But with the onset of mechanisation and as people moved to the mainland, the breed steadily declined in numbers. By 1968 the only Western Isles ponies left were on the islands of Uist and Eriskay and in the early 1970s, the breed had dwindled to some 20 animals. | Linda Trotman
4. Steve McMinn with Eriskay foal Correen
A small dedicated group of people, however, including a priest, a doctor, a vet and crofters, set about the save the breed. It means today, the Eriskay pony is in a more considerably stable situation it remains a priority on the RBST Watchlist. Strong for their size, they make excellent riding ponies and their family-friendly nature means they are often selected to work as therapy ponies. | RBST