In the Company of Sheep
From Dartmoor to Shetland
by Polly Pullar
- Paperback
- E-book
Nature writing & gardening
Reviews
Polly has an uncanny ability to find the authentic voices of the countryside . . . people like herself, not separate from nature but part of it . . . A masterclass in why sheep count
Mark Stephen, presenter of BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors
What this intelligent book does is examine fairly the politics of hill sheep farming, a bone of contention with ardent rewilders who would like to see grazing animals cleared from the uplands... this book should be compulsory reading for Defra officials
Country Life
An engaging, entertaining, and thought-provoking book... with guffaw-inducing anecdotes and colourful characters and events, In the Company of Sheep is a foray into the world of sheep that also explores controversial issues
Sunday Post
Warm, wise and rich in storytelling - a beautiful celebration of sheep, fank, and folk
Peter MacQueen - author, crofter, & broadcaster
Polly has become one of Scotland's foremost conservationists and nature writers
West Highland Free Press
Pullar puts up a stout defence of sheep farming and hammers home how diminished our countryside would be if we lost our ancient hill farms... it's also an enjoyable travelogue as the author zips around many of the loveliest places in Britain talking to sheep farmers
Daily Mail
‘A real treat . . . Polly’s warmth, knowledge and affection for both sheep and shepherds shine through every page’
Christopher Price, CEO of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust
Her mix of personal memories, anecdotes, historical data and scientific research is a heady brew that will reward and astonish readers in equal measure
Scottish Field
An alert and descriptive nature writer, as she drives from farm to farm under a succession of apricot skies, Pullar is alive to all the activity in the landscape around her... In the Company of Sheep feels like a real labour of love, her devotion to all things ovine evident on every page
Herald
Polly's passion for the subject, her belief in conservation and wildlife rehabilitation and her championing of all things sheep shine through in this book. A fascinating insight into rural life
The People's Friend
About the Book
'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.
The Author
Polly Pullar
Polly Pullar is a conservationist, naturalist, writer and photographer specialising in wildlife and countryside matters. She is also a wildlife rehabilitator. She contributes to numerous publications including The Scots Magazine, Scottish Field, Scottish Wildlife, BBC Wildlife & The People’s Friend.). She lives on a small farm in Highland Perthshire, surrounded by an extensive menagerie.
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