Scottish farmer pranks tourists by claiming sheep are tartan because they drink Irn-Bru
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Owner Maxine Scott, 62, used her skills with a spray-can to brighten up ewes April and Daisy.
She puts up a sign pretending the sheep turn that colour naturally and the wool then used to make tartan wool for kilts and blankets.
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Hide AdThey live on Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre, Comrie, Perthshire, and are decorated using marker spray, used by farmers to identify sheep during lamb numbering.
A sign on their pen explains that their diet consists of ‘mainly grass, but are known to enjoy Irn Bru and Scottish Tablet or shortbread’.
Maxine said: “When we got the park, they always had tartan sheep. It was just for the tourists.
“We just continued the tradition. The public do like it - Americans are really impressed by them.
“We have got a sign up saying the lambs come out normal, but they change as they grow older and tartan starts to develop.”
The jokey sign explains: “A spectacular sight to see, tartan sheep were first discovered here at Auchingarrich many years ago.
“When sheared, their wool can be used to make tartan kilts, scarves and blankets.
“As a lamb they will look similar to a regular sheep, as their colours won’t fully show until they are about a year old.
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Hide Ad‘Then as they get older their colours can change, so if you visit us again you may see a new tartan.”
Maxine bought the farm ten years ago, and has been decorating the sheep since then.
She added: “You can buy marker spray, if they are lambing or in a race you would mark them with spray to identify which is which, to tell if they have all been done.
“We tried hair dye, that worked quite well, but we’ve gone back to using the marker spray.
“Certainly American visitors seem to think it’s funny.”