In Shetland they’re disease-ridden, enormously destructive, almost valueless, stupidly romanticised subsidy objects, and if it wasn’t for the ramifications I’d have been out this morning already with the .20 gauge terminating the ones that have destroyed our trees, bulbs and grass. Despite the cattle grid installed at enormous expense.

We found out this week that the ecoli-0157 infested creatures which have all but ruined the township of Hillswick with shite and chewing are not subject to normal environmental health rulings, because of old crofting laws on grazing. This despite the fact that the single crofter who deliberately allows his sheep to stray has no grazing rights in this township. The sheep simply wander along the road, eating the verges (that’s the idea – saves on winter feed) and causing traffic accidents. But, hey, that’s the charming rural idyll!

We know they spread disease, too. But the only way to stop them – and they have wrecked the lawns of the local hotel, too – is, it seems, to take the owners through the small claims court for every single piece of damage. Either that or change the redundant and unsafe crofting laws – but given the sentiment surrounding what has become for some a ruthlessly systematic form of subsidy jugglingm that seems unlikely. The courts have proved successful elsewhere in Shetland, so that’s they way forward. Either that or I’ll mount a Mad Max-style set of spikes on the front of the Torslanda and hunt the woolly bastards down one by one.

Do I sound a bit harsh? have a look at Patrick Vickery’s blog here:
http://www.ruralgateway.org.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=1404

With sheep, things can turn nasty…