Crippling costs have put a Highland sheep sanctuary at risk as its owner toils around the clock to keep it afloat.
Irene Mackay, owner of Sociable Sheep Meditation in Auldearn, near Nairn, is currently working three jobs to meet the sanctuary’s soaring expenses.
Launched two years ago, the business was booming, with Irene and her now 29-strong herd inundated with bookings.
However, with footfall dwindling and soaring vet bills mounting due to the advancing age of some of the sheep, the proud owner admits the last 12 months have been challenging.
Speaking to The Press and Journal, Irene admits caring for her flock has become increasingly challenging.
She said: “I’m probably my own worst enemy because I don’t tend to ask for help.
“I’ve been rescuing sheep for probably around 20 years now and I just take on more and more.
“It was my decision to take them in, so why should anybody else have to pay?
“What I do is I try to work more, so I have three jobs to try to pay and keep everything up to date.
“It’s spiralling. The vet bills are getting ridiculous because the sheep are getting older, and feed bills go up and up every year.”
She added: “Folk have said to me, try GoFundMe, but I almost feel every other rescue is trying the same.
“Everybody is in the same boat and I just thought, it’s my decision to take them on. I almost feel as though it’s cheeky to ask for donations.”
Rescue herd at Nairn sheep sanctuary growing by the day
Her love for the animals began after she spotted a lonely sheep in a field in Nairn back in the early 2000s.
Two decades on, Irene says things have spiralled, with her herd growing ever bigger.
Explaining how it all began, she said: “Many years ago there was a ewe by herself in the field and I watched her for weeks.
“The farmer just left her there. He put things into the field and took other things away, but she was always there.
“I messaged them and I said, ‘can I have that sheep’ and he said ‘Oh, the blind one’.
“So that started me off.”
After securing her a companion, her first sheep began suffering fits and sadly had to be put to sleep.
But from there, Irene’s love only grew and she now has a varied herd of 29 sheep.
‘It’s good for the soul’
Irene is hoping to raise some awareness of her rescue efforts and attract more visitors to try Sociable Sheep Meditation.
Describing them as ‘woolly dogs’, she said the flock love interacting with visitors, especially if a ginger nut biscuit or a custard cream is involved.
The proud owner says the sheep are great for reducing anxiety and describes their setting at Auldearn as the icing on the cake.
Irene said: “Anybody that comes out absolutely loves it.
“The sheep love attention, they love cuddles and they love their treats.
“More than anything, they love getting ginger nut biscuits and custard creams. They are amazing creatures.
“Most folk think if you go into a field with sheep, they will just take off in the other direction.
“My lot come running towards you because there is the vague hope they are going to get a biscuit.
“They are really nosy. They will come up to see who is coming in, and people are surprised.
“It’s brilliant fun. It’s nice to get people out and spread awareness that sheep are amazing creatures.
“They are just like big woolly dogs and they love to get their cuddles.
“It’s very peaceful and it’s good for the soul.
“I think people take something away from it. A calmness.”
Conversation