In the Company of Sheep

‘A masterclass in why sheep count’ – Mark Stephen, presenter of BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors

Acclaimed nature writer Polly Pullar has been fascinated by sheep since childhood, when she formed an inseparable bond with her pet lamb Lulu, and dozens more that followed.

Through her own years as a sheep farmer, personal encounters, interviews, adventures and anecdotes, Polly reveals the fascinating world of sheep culture, emphasising the importance of shepherds, crofters, farmers and their flocks as the backbone of a vital way of rural life. As she travels the country from Dartmoor to Shetland, she encounters a whole range of native and primitive breeds perfectly suited to the diverse habitats of the British Isles.

Her vivid descriptions of the animals, and those who care for them, reveal exactly why sheep matter. And she shows that despite current ecological debates about overgrazing, with careful management, it is possible to restore habitat alongside an animal that has played a key part of agricultural life throughout Britain for thousands of years.

About the author:

With over 40 years’ professional experience, Polly Pullar is a conservationist, naturalist, writer and photographer who specialises in wildlife and countryside matters and is also a wildlife rehabilitator. She contributes to a wide selection of magazines and her books include Fauna Scotica, A Richness of Martens, The Red Squirrel, A Scurry of Squirrels, A Drop in the Ocean, and a memoir, The Horizontal Oak – A Life in Nature.

In her new book, In the Company of Sheep, Polly travels the country from Dartmoor to Shetland, exploring exactly why sheep matter. She shows that, despite current ecological debates about overgrazing, with careful management, it is possible to restore habitat alongside an animal that has played a key part in British agricultural life for thousands of years.

Polly Pullar is the co-founder of A Write Highland Hoolie