Farming seaweed-eating sheep on a remote island in Orkney
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- Опубліковано 19 січ 2024
- My parents have been farming an ancient breed of seaweed-eating sheep on a remote Scottish island for nearly 50 years. I took a sabbatical from my job as a TV news reporter to help and decided to film a documentary series about their unique lifestyle while I was there. In this first episode, my 64-year-old mum learns to drive the vintage tractor as my dad struggles with dementia. Plus we gather our flock of 600 sheep and then sit amongst the nests of rare Storm Petrels on a unique night-time expedition to a 12th century ruined church.
My parents’ website features all the products they make from our sheep, check it out here: isleofauskerry.com
Please subscribe for future episodes!
Shot on my new Sony A7C (28mm, 35-70mm, 70-180mm lenses)
DJI RS3 gimbal
Audio with DJI wireless lavs and Rode Videomic NTG
#farming #documentary #islandlife #remoteliving #orkney #offgrid #scotland
N.B: This has been re-uploaded due to audio problems with the first attempt.
Hello! If you're wondering why you've seen this episode before, it's because I had some audio issues with it so I have re-uploaded. It's new and improved now! :)
10 minutes in before I realised 😂
Thanks, I was wondering. Just watched it again anyway.
Well worth seeing again!
I re-watch all of these lovely videos several times anyway. Thanks for the improved audio!
Just as much fun watching it again. Thank you doubly.
Hamish I binge watched all your video YESTERDAY….I AM IN ABSOLUTE AMAZEMENT AWE AND ADMIRATION FOR BOTH YOUR PARENTS AND YOU THREE BOYS… SUCH A HARD WORKING DEDICATED TREMENDOUSLY REMARKABLE COUPLE…I am seventy years old and relate to having possibly having to give up on some aspects of my life…HONESTLY I AM ABSOLUTELY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIDEOS AND RORY TOO. MUCH LOVE TO YOUR PARENTS AND ALL OF YOU FROM CALGARY CANADA 🇨🇦
This is LOVELY! Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement. There are more videos to come! I hope you enjoy them too. Take care of yourself! 👍
Im glad I’ve found your channel. Your care of your parents speaks to the great people they are in raising a son like you.
BZ
That’s a lovely thing to say, thank you. My parents are legends, of that I’m sure 👍 thanks for watching
When I was a child we had all sorts of animals that needed extra care including a rare breed Soay lamb with tight curly brown wool who had a broken leg. I loved him so much. On walks to strengthen his leg, people would ask "what kind of dog is that?" lol.
😀 most folk have no idea! Soays are a cool breed also. Thanks for your comment!
Your Mother is a top class lass
💪💪 agreed! Thank you
Greetings from Poland another beautiful video and your family 's experiences. Thank you very much.
Thank you very much!
wow, from san portablo here, just found the channel, roughly the same age as your parents, so can empathise with it all, no need fo me to say anything, i think its all been said, but full respect for your Mum, .....and of course your dad. and all your family for helping out there. will keep watching thats for sure, and of course wishing best of everything, ....
Ah that’s really kind, Chris - thank you. I can imagine it’s a tough thing to approach older age and the health challenges it brings. I hope you’re doing ok and thanks for your support 👍
Well worth another view. This series is such a lovely introduction to your parents and life on the island.
You’re so kind, thank you very much Sue! I promise the next post will be a properly new video 😃
This channel was out of left field and has me in tears. You trained your whole life to tell this story and love is palpable in your video. What a intimate revelation to everyone. Thanks for letting us in and will be here for the next.
Goodness me this is so beautiful - thanks for being so kind! I see this series as kinda like a long love letter to the island ❤️ thanks for your support ☺️
i enjoy your videos, thank you for helping your parents, u r a human
You are so kind - thanks for watching! ☺️
Your parents have lived a good life 💪👍♥️🏴
They have! It’s hard work but it’s very rewarding. Thanks for watching!
Her description sounds like a bit of heaven.❤
Thank you for watching and your kind comment ☺️
Your mother is connected to nature , she is so interesting to listen to . I hope you will continue to be there for her .
Thank you! I intend to be don’t worry ☺️
Great as usual Hamish, all the best!
Thank you so much! ☺️
Another example of intending to look at just a few minutes of footage and watching the whole thing. I love the pace and the editing plus some of the shot framing (eg the moving tractor tyre in shot) - really nice approach to considering everything that appears on screen. The sound balance is great too, background music not too intrusive. And the quality of the footage is so impressive - please do a small episode on your kit and approach to filming. As a panacea to the hectic life most of us lead your episodes have a true medicinal effect - thank you.
This is extremely kind and thoughtful, thank you so much! I’ve been so touched by the encouragement from people about the series as I haven’t done anything quite like this before. I will certainly do a kit video when i get a chance! Thanks for watching and your support 👍👍
What a magnificent life your parents created for all of you. I would be so thankful if I’d ever have that opportunity. Thank you for sharing it with us and hope that your father doesn’t suffer much to this dreadful disease.
Thank you! It’s a truly cruel disease and unfortunately we really are suffering from it a lot now - things have progressed a lot since I filmed this in the summer. We are dealing ir with as best we can and we have wonderful memories. Thanks for your support ❤️
Loved watching it again. And it won't be the last time. What a gem
Ah thank you! I really appreciate your support ☺️
I stumbled on your account because i was curious about peat harvesting. I have never been happier to stumble upon a channel in my life.
Bless you and your lovely family!
That’s really kind, thank you! I’m so glad you found me 💪
Again, thank you for sharing your family life with us. It's harsh but unbelievably beautiful and pristine place on our planet. Lots of hugs to all of you from Airdrie, Canada.
Thank you so much! Your support means a lot ☺️
I wish your Mum & Dad and family my best wishes and my few miserable prayers that you will get the consolations and blessings that are so well deserved. The love ever present in these short videos is to be recognised and admired . May our God bless all of you in the uncertain future that you face.
That’s really kind, thank you! I see these videos as like an extended love letter to my home and a thank you note to my parents for an amazing start in life. Thanks for watching and appreciating 💪
I hope you keep making new videos of the happenings on the island and your wonderful family and friends.
That’s really kind, thank you for watching and your support! ☺️
What a life.... just incredible to see you guys.👍
Thank you! It’s certainly pretty unique ☺️
Your mum's last words of the video made my tear up. I live in the US and love all things wool. I once dreamed of having a small spinning flock and read about the Ronaldsay breed and their seaweed eating ability. Thank you for sharing this wonderfully different way of life on a remote island.
Aw thank you Cynthia ❤️ it’s so sad to see the passage of time and the end of our lovely family life on the island. My heart is broken at the thought of it not carrying on but we have incredible memories. I hope you’re taking care ☺️
This is a wonderful story of life in all its glory and somewhat heartbreaking at the same time. Beautiful family, friends and wildlife. Documenting this for us all to see must be amazing and difficult at the same time.
Ah thank you Steven - I really appreciate this as you’ve probably felt my heartbreak through the video. It’s all painful and hard to comprehend but we’re doing our best to stay positive 💪 thanks for watching
@@hamishauskerry I had a conversation the other night with my landlady about the sheep eating seaweed and the quality of the wool your mum helps create and work with. My landlady responded with "wow, you are talking about wool, what got you into that?". I told her about your channel and your family. I have learned from your videos and your family and for that I am very grateful. Your parents are the salt of the earth and you Sir are a diamond for educating us all. This makes me proud to be Scottish more than I already am. I will be watching for more episodes and my prayers are with you all.
Amazing video. Thanks for sharing. 🏴
Thanks so much Christine!
Thank you UA-cam algorithm
New sub
Thanks for the sub! Glad you liked the video :)
The bird sounds are reminiscent of our swamp sounds in Louisiana ; thanks from old New Orleans 😀 !
Haha I bet! I’d love to visit one day 🤞
It’s amazing that the sheep adapted to eating seaweed.
They’re perfectly adapted aren’t they! It’s amazing. They’ve lived on the shore since the Iron Age and we hope they’ll continue to thrive for a long time yet.
Your mum is badass
Thanks Darren! I agree 💪💪
What a beautiful video and a beautiful family.
Thank you so much!
Thankyou for sharing such a wonderful
Place .
I hope some pne will come along and want to shepherd theise sheep .
What a neat breed .
Thankyou again .
Thank you, that’s very kind ☺️
What a wonderful video. Thank you for sharing your life & the wonderful lives of your parents. What a gift..
You are so kind - thanks again Meg!
i am from NEWFOUNLAND CANADA we were a ENGLAND colony till 1949 we are an island in the atlantic ocean, i lost 2 uncles in the ww2 when my father died i would visit my mother weekly and buy her her dinners,
Thanks for commenting and watching! Take care 👍
Looks amazingly peaceful x
It is… until the storm hits! 😃 thanks for watching!
Your family are amazing, to live a difficult way of life, but the rewards and achievements obviously outweigh them.
Hope the farm will carry on and a future guardian is nearby
Thank you, this is very kind! ☺️
How fortunate you are to have such capable but poetic parents.
I am extremely lucky - they’ve taught me so much! ☺️
Years ago I stayed at the Orkney island and saw the wool of those sheep. I am spinning wool myself and never I had such wonderful wool!! It is truly a wonder special breed. I hope the flock can be saved. I would love to buy a fleece from your wool, is this possible?
I love your videos. Can you not keep a cottage for holidays? A kind of working holidays, helping the tasks which needs to be done? Thanks a lot for those videos, they are so precious and wonderful! All the best for your mam and your dad! Greetings from Belgium.
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind comment! We hope the breed can continue to thrive - and thankfully the island of North Ronaldsay still has a large flock of them too so it should do.
A holiday cottage would be great, but to be honest it’s so difficult to get out to Auskerry for a lot of the year with bad weather, it would be incredibly stressful trying to manage it for tourism. There would have to be a lot of late cancellations and that wouldn’t be fun for anyone! Take care and thanks for your support ☺️
This video is beautifully crafted. Thank you for sharing such an intimate glimpse of you and your parents life.
Thank you so much! That really means a lot Chris. I’m learning all the time but I’m proud of the memories I’ve protected with this film and the series in general. Take care 👍
As a Norwegian from the southwest coast of Norway I find the videos about your parents absolutely fascinating. I hope the North Ronaldsay sheep breed will survive. In Norway we almost lost our old sheep breed. If interested you might show your parents this little UA-cam film about our old Norwegian Sheep breed :
ua-cam.com/video/1nTvxWbif4g/v-deo.html
The "short tale breed ? ... Norwegian wild cheep is very common here north in Norway now by the coast ,vesterålen lofoten. .very resistant to the climate here .but never very cold out her by the coast anyway . Villsau which has lineage that dates back to Viking times. These Villsau, with their small, rough and rugged horns still look remarkably like their Viking ancestors. The Villsau lambs have a slower growth rate than the normal variety of sheep.
Ah this is amazing! I watched this last night and was really fascinated. I’ve been daydreaming about taking a trip to Norway to try to make a video about these sheep and the farmers who care for them 😃 if you know anyone I should speak to, I’d love to meet them! Thank you so much for sharing this fascinating insight ☺️
Wow that auld fergie was music tae ma ears,hold on for as long as you can guys,cheers fae Pat, 👍🏻👍🏻
Ah cheers Pat! We’re not giving up don’t you worry. Take care!
😊 wonderful viewing.
Thank you so much for watching! ☺️
Hey..i have so much respect fod your parents..ive dreamed of such a life..but with money constraints..its awfully hard and quite disheartening. I'm a trained dementia carer..and can fully understand the difficulties encountered..
Ah thank you Jason. Yes the dementia is very cruel to witness in my dad. We’re just trying to keep going and stay positive! Thank you for watching :)
I apologize if you've already discussed this but doesn't the salt content hurt the sheep?
Don’t apologise! The sheep are perfectly adapted to process the minerals from their diet after living on this diet since the Iron Age! In fact, this breed of sheep would die if they were made to eat only grass. Thanks for watching!
no the salt content hurts the politicians because they are bitter-sweet
Fascinating. Thanks for the information.@@hamishauskerry
Beautiful Hamish
Thank you! ☺️
Y'know, I'm a norwegian viking reenacter. There may be a market for such reddish brown colours in our communities as I understand it is the closest thing to viking sheep. White was unheard of or very rare I'm told.
I wouldn't be surprised if you've been approached already but I really believe it could become quite something if there is availability and put reenactors are educated to it
Yes our sheep are very close cousins of the sheep the Vikings would have kept! If you’re interested, check out my mum’s website isleofauskerry.com :)
thank you for this heartfelt and candid episode, look forward to the next one.best wishes to you and your family and friends.
Ah Ronald, thank you! That’s very kind. All the best to you too 👍
I just love this!
Thank you as always Veronica!!
Absolutely brilliant, I hope someone from the family can take over and help your parents to retire and enjoy the living they have produced.
Thank you Richard - I appreciate your support!
Hermoso,gracias por compartir
Gracias! Thank you for watching ☺️
That's the kind of experience I would love to have!
It’s very special here! ☺️
I was expecting to hear (and possibly not comprehend) a very broad Scots accent!
Ah yes! The name Hamish would be a clue, but my parents are a mix of English, Welsh and Irish so I’m stuck with my generic accent 😂
Very interesting and a lovely lifestyle. It's sad that time waits for no one and circumstances will dictate the future of your parents and the island.
Yes it’s tough to accept that things will never be the same again but we’re doing our best to keep things going and protect the history. Thank you for watching 👍
How have your parents improved the fleeces? I can’t imagine.
Hi Mary, good question! When we choose our breeding females and new rams each year, one of the most important factors for our decision is determining wool quality and length. Over 25 years, that starts to make a difference! Thanks for watching 👍
❤❤❤ you've Mom & I have a few things in common.
😃 She’s a powerhouse - I’m sure you are too!
I’ve been out of poker for a while. Is your mom’s book still coming along.
Hi Kaye, there’s not been much progress on it lately I believe as it’s lambing but we’ll make sure she gets back to it as soon as possible! Thanks for getting in touch ☺️
@@hamishauskerry wonderful. I’m sure she is busier than ever. Best wishes to your entire family.
hamish why should it be a final chapter ? why cant we get a bunch of like minded souls to move to the island and make a go of it !!
i used to visit my gran and grand-dad on ( Owey Island, which lies just a short distance off Cruit Island near Kincasslagh in west County Donegal, although uninhabited for much of the year, having no permanent residents, does have some residents during the summer months.)
i live and work in dundee now, im 63 this year so still have a few years before i retire.
my point is !!! the geo-political instability we are living in right now and the intentions of the world economic forums agenda 21 and 30 plan are stealing our freedoms on a daily basis. can we not get a group of kind-hearted souls and join in a united front of love and peace and kindness and focus on defeating the forces of evil on this planet.
i know its deep but itis what it is .!
I like the sentiment Bob! We’re keeping at it for now and seeing how things develop with my dad’s health but we certainly are working our ways to keep it thriving! Thanks for your encouragement 👍
Hamish i would appreciate a way to buy directly (from the US) or a way to authenticate that I am buying from this couple or where my purchase would benefit them. Compelling.. Yes. Riveting.. Yes. Action? Yes please but how?
Hello! Ah that’s really kind, thank you. My parents’ business is isleofauskerry.com and we ship to the USA. Take care and thanks for watching!
It will be sad when your parents have to leave Auskerry.Is your family the only inhabitants on the island.Would anyone take on the farm,sheep etc.
There are a lot of things to consider Greg! We hope there will be people to keep the sheep farm going into the future but we’ll see how things develop with my dad’s health and my mum’s energy levels!
Cheers for watching Heather!
Sir can I help me
🙏
Why there s no trees in the island? Your people dont like trees?
😃 no no we do like trees! They just do not grow here. It’s a very harsh climate of strong winds and salt spray, and nothing grows taller than whatever it stands next to in the form of shelter. There haven’t been many trees on these islands for thousands of years
RRRRRR
😆
youre partner.. so ridiculous. Partner in what? being a man? in life? your soul mate? How about girl friend. how about bride to be? how about just Faye.. what does your partner add to her title? it detracts from it really. its ridiculous.
This seems a really odd thing to get upset about? She is my partner in life, yes. Saying she’s “my girlfriend” demeans her independence, whereas “partner” to me indicates equality in the relationship.
Live and let live mate