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Fiona the world’s loneliest sheep becomes ‘bigger than Dolly’

Here's how Fiona went from isolation to become the planet's most talked about sheep.

Rescue of Fiona the lonliest sheep beamed around the world.
Fiona the sheep now lives at Dalscone Farm, near Dumfries. Image: SSPCA.

She’s the sheep that became an overnight sensation.

But what is it about Fiona’s story that has captured the imagination of people across the globe?

Perhaps it was the hillside rescue or the thought of Fiona being down on the rocky shore in the Highlands for two years that brought her to the world’s attention.

Alli Williamson, from the Isle of Lewis, who was called in to help with the rescue said the reaction to the “beast’s” rescue is “bonkers”.

Alli, a crofter at Eallagro, said the organiser of the rescue attempt Cameron ‘Cammy’ Wilson asked him to pitch in to help.

Cammy had seen the plight of Fiona, two weeks before the rescue attempt, after it was highlighted by a kayaker Jill Turner.

Fiona the sheep had ‘everything she needed’

But it wasn’t until another group of people believed to be animal welfare activists, went on to the farmland and set up ropes without any permission that Cammy’s team jumped into action.

Cammy is the man behind The Sheep Game YouTube channel.

It was believed the activist group initially trying to free Fiona was doing so without the permission of the farmer, but their ropes came in very useful as Alli explains.

He said: “I am not going to lie, Fiona was very safe and had everything she needed on the beach. She had a cave and she wanted for nothing. There was no sand on the beach, so it is unlikely she was bothered by sand flies.

“But the real worry was the wool on her back and if she couped over then she would not survive.

Rescue of ‘Britain’s loneliest sheep’ could not wait for summer

“Cammy phoned me about two weeks before the rescue to say we would rescue the sheep in the summer when it was easier to get down the hill. But because people had gone onto the land without permission, with the full knowledge of the farmer we decided to go and rescue her the following day.

“We took all the risk, and the farmer didn’t ask us to do it – we took it upon ourselves.

“The rescue itself, as you can see from the video, was fairly straightforward. It was a bit of a faff because of the location.”

Fiona the sheep after being sheared.
Fiona the sheep was nine kilograms lighter after being sheared! Image: The Sheep Game on Facebook.

After Fiona was packed up safely in a pick-up truck and was ready to go to her proposed new home in the Borders, the “world” got involved in the story.

Ally continued: “Cammy had tagged my croft in the post about Fiona’s rescue and on my page there was my mobile phone number.

“The next thing was ITV News was on the phone to me, asking me to appear on TV.

“I said to them ‘You are having a laugh’.

Fiona the sheep shot to fame across the globe

Alli’s Facebook page went from 1,200 followers to 4,400 almost overnight, as broadcasters from the UK and beyond asked to speak to them.

One broadcaster, a Sky News reporter told Alli “This will be bigger than Dolly the sheep”.

The story was followed up across the world, with outlets in America, Canada, China and Australia following Fiona’s story.

He continued: “I think people were interested because it was a good news story and you don’t get much of that.”

Britain's loneliest sheep, Fiona, when she was stranded at the bottom of a cliff near Brora.
Britain’s loneliest sheep, Fiona, had been stranded at the bottom of a cliff near Brora for more than two years. Image: Jill Turner/Peter Jolly Northpix

Alli headed to Glasgow in a hire car to appear on GMTV.

After appearing on TV he said it felt like he was a celebrity.

“I returned the hire car to Arnold Clark in Glasgow, and because I am a tight crofter I was not paying £48 for a taxi to the airport for a flight back to Stornoway.

“So, when I arrived at Arnold Clark the receptionist said ‘Are you the guy from the TV?’. She asked if I was getting a taxi, and I said ‘no’. So she booked one for me, and covered the cost.”

However, Alli said his celebrity status was short-lived.

He said: “When I got on the plane and bumped into Stornoway and Lewis people, they said ‘Hello Alli’ but no one mentioned the sheep or the TV.

“They don’t give a hoot, looking after your sheep is a regular occurrence when you are a crofter.

“It has been a mad merry-go-round ever since.”

The Sheep Game has set up a fundraiser to help other animals. Donations can be made here, so far more than £9,000 has been raised.