Lambing
We lamb in May each year, when the Orkney spring is further on and there is fresh grass for ewes and their new lambs.
Our story
A hill farm, a flock and a useful idea.
We are first-generation farmers raising rare-breed sheep on a remote Scottish island in Orkney. Sheep Unique grew from our determination to find a worthwhile use for every fleece.
Starting from scratch
Farming our own way.
We did not inherit a long-established family farm. We chose farming and learned it from the ground up, building our flock and our knowledge season by season on an Orkney hill farm.
Our rare-breed sheep are well suited to the island landscape. They graze outdoors in a place shaped by salt air, open hills and fast-changing weather. Their welfare comes first in every decision we make, from daily care to lambing and shearing.
Our own flock cannot supply every type or quantity of wool we need, so we also buy from trusted Scottish farms. We choose farms where good husbandry is clear and where we can understand the journey of the wool.
The farming year
From lambing to fleece.
The work follows the seasons. Each stage matters to the sheep and to the quality and traceability of the wool we use.
Shearing
Shearing takes place in July for the sheep's comfort and health. Each fleece is kept intact so it can be assessed properly.
Sorting by hand
Every fleece is hand sorted according to what it can do best, from rugs and craft fibre to practical products for gardens and wildlife.
How wool pellets began
A gardening need became a new use for wool.
We saw that gardeners wanted good-quality, traceable wool they could trust in their soil. Wool can slowly fertilise plants, help soil retain water and add useful organic matter as it breaks down, but it needed to be offered in a practical and consistent form.
That need led us to develop our pelleting process. By turning carefully selected Scottish wool into easy-to-use pellets, we created a product that is simple to store, measure and mix through compost or garden soil.
The result connects two things we care about: giving natural wool a valuable purpose and helping gardeners grow with fewer synthetic inputs.
Nothing wasted
Each part of a fleece is matched to an appropriate use. Leftover skirted wool is donated to local gardeners and gardening groups.
Welfare first
Whether wool comes from our flock or a trusted supplier farm, high standards of sheep welfare are our main concern.
Traceable wool
We work with wool whose origin we understand, creating products with a clear route back to Scottish farms and flocks.
Useful wool, made with care.
Explore the Sheep Unique range for your garden and home, or ask us about stocking our products.