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How a stuffed sheep helped new parents form lifelong bond with the Highlands

Lockie enjoys the view of the River Ness.
Lockie enjoys the view of the River Ness.

When Emerson Greene grows up, her parents will have a story to tell her.

Not many American babies get to tour the Scottish highlands and islands before they’re born.

And even fewer show up in pictures disguised as a toy sheep named Lockie.

Gabbie Greene, from Greenville, South Carolina, thought she was going to miss her dream holiday to the Highlands after she found out she was pregnant with her first child, Emerson.

The news came in the early Spring, only weeks before she and best friend Shelby Broughton were scheduled to travel to the Highlands. It was a trip they had been planning since 2021, and they briefly considered cancelling.

Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton, both from the USA, took photos of Lockie the sheep everywhere they visited in the Highlands and islands. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

Instead, they braved world travel, morning sickness and the Covid-19 pandemic’s last gasp.

But with her husband back at home and her pregnancy making her feel unwell, Gabbie needed a pick-me-up.

That’s where Lockie came in.

No Nessie, but Lockie will do

Lockie, a stuffed sheep bought in a novelty shop in Scotland, came to represent Gabbie’s unborn daughter. He takes his name from a friendly fellow traveller they met in Edinburgh, and Gabbie quickly ended up with more photos of the sheep than herself.

Lockie prepares to cross the Infirmary Bridge in Inverness. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

As with many of the best things in life, there wasn’t much of a plan behind it, Gabbie said.

“When we got here I was feeling a little sick, and I was trying to find something to make it seem a little more fun. So Shelby said we should buy a stuffed animal for the baby.

“I really wanted to buy a Loch Ness monster–obviously–but all the ones we saw were a little weird. So we had been going through the country a little bit and there were all of these sheep around.

“And so I was waiting in the store and sort of holding it against my stomach and she took a picture of it.

Gabbie Green enjoys a hot cup of tea with Lockie. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

“And suddenly she said, we need to take a picture of it like that everywhere we go like it’s the baby!”

Each photo she and Shelby took of Lockie made her feel like her family was experiencing the journey together.

It might turn out that this is the last family journey for some time, stuffy sheep substitute or not.

Despite serving on board a submarine in the US Navy, John isn’t one for air travel, Gabbie said.

Lockie has proven seaworthy enough to travel by boat, so maybe there’s a family cruise vacation in the future. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

“He doesn’t like planes. He’s fine going on a cruise, he would have taken the boat to Europe.

“So this might be the only time that we’re travelling as a family because I’m not going to leave my husband at home with the baby.

“It was a great way to include part of my family even though they might not want to travel with me again for a while.”

Lockie kicks back with a Tennant’s after a long day of travelling Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

Highland cheer shines through

And having Lockie helped her take her mind off how she was feeling.

“Obviously, I was having fun, but I was not having fun with the pregnancy. So, this gave a positive spin on it and it was so much fun to be able to take a few seconds and just be grateful.

“I think the thing that impacted me the most was just having something so positive. I was bummed when I realised I was going to be sick on the trip.

“So it was just really nice to be able to put a positive spin on things. It can be so easy to forget how bad you’re feeling when you have those fun little moments. And every time I look at those pictures, I remember one of those moments.”

Lockie at the Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton

A whirlwind Highland tour

Across the Highlands and out to the Western Isles, Gabbie and Shelby put Lockie–and Emerson–front and centre.

Together, they visited the Calanais Standing Stones, toured downtown Inverness–where they met with an animal-loving local author–and made the trek south to Edinburgh.

Gabbie said that the standing stones were the highlight. They were lucky enough to arrive early enough and at a time of year without many other tourists.

It left an impression, she said: “The standing stones are probably the most beautiful thing I will ever see in my entire life.”

Gabbie, Lockie and Shelby met local Inverness author Pauline Mackay, well-known for her multilingual Wee MacNessie picture books. Supplied by Gabbie Greene and Shelby Broughton.

Gabbie also said that Inverness felt like her home in Greenville and it was the perfect place to end their trip. She and Shelby flew back home at the end of March.

With thousands of miles and dozens of memories under her belt, Gabbie and her husband John were finally able to welcome baby Emerson into their family.

And, of course, a little Highland sheep was there to mark the occasion.

Safely at home in Greeneville, South Carolina, John and Gabbie Greene introduced their daughter Emerson to Lockie in late September. Supplied by Gabbie Greene.

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