The Lost Flock

The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman's Journey to Save Scotland's Original Sheep

It was Jane Cooper’s passion for knitting that led her to search for rare-breed sheep and their distinctive wool. When she found a ‘lost flock’ of Boreray sheep—the UK’s rarest breed of sheep—it ignited a quest that would ultimately change her life. Uprooting her suburban existence in Newcastle, she embarked on a new adventure as a farmer and shepherd in the faraway Orkney Islands.

There, to her astonishment, Jane realized that she was the sole custodian of the last remnants of a unique group of Boreray sheep, what then became her Orkney Boreray flock. She began investigating its mysterious and ancient history, tracking down the origins of the breed, its significance to Scotland’s natural heritage, and the importance of protecting the Orkney Boreray from extinction.