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The village of Lairg, Sutherland wakes up for a day to count sheep
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The village of Lairg, Sutherland wakes up for a day to count sheep
The village of Lairg, Sutherland wakes up for a day to count sheep. On 364 days of the year this is a quiet village of 1, 046 people. The only excitement is the catching of a large salmon or the weekly visit of a mobile cinema. But once a year the lambs come to town and Lairg wakes up. The lambs come down from the Sutherland hills. Its estimated that 27, 000 of them have come down for the sale, the biggest one-day lamb sale in the country. Farmers and buyers from all over Scotland and the Border country attend. And the lambs are sold in eight hours for anything from £ 3 to £ 5 a head. Every cottage becomes a boarding-house for buyers and farmers. There is talk of fat ewes and wethers and " guid" prices and the shepherds are dressed in their best clothes. In the sale ring five auctioneers, working in relays, are taking bids at machine-gun-like speed. There are American tourists, children waving sticks and getting in the way, farmers with cheque books from the big estates and crofters with only the price of a couple of ewes in their pockets. Down from Invercasely Farm on the highest mountain in Sutherland Ben More Assynt, 3, 700 ft, have come three shepherds, Don Denoon, James McLeod and Duncan Cameron. They walked their flock of 550 across the purple heather for ten miles. And when asked if they had any trouble on the way their only comment was, " Sheep are no trouble. Its the traffic that gets in they way." Tonight by rail wagon, cattle lorry and float the sheep will be carried away the their breeders marked in black tar changed to those of their new owners. And Lairg goes to sleep until the next August 16 comes around. Shepherds John McNares (left) and Bob Ross rest their flock during the journey to Lairg. August 1950 P004140
WATFORD
Mirrorpix
Scotland
Media ID 21321501
© Mirrorpix
Farmers Livestock Scotland Sheep Sheep Dog
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