Photograph by Arpat Ozgul
The Soay Sheep Society was founded in 2000 by a group of Soay breeders realising the need for a representative body to speak and act on behalf of Soay sheep breeders. Borerays were classed as feral by the RBST at this time. In 2003 Borerays were recognised and taken under the wing of the Soay Sheep Society and in 2015, at the AGM, it was agreed to include them in the Society name.
The Society aims to assist new Soay & Boreray enthusiasts with welfare and management regimes, educate other people about their particular characteristics, and help each other with problems if and when they arise. We produce a regular newsletter, and act as a go between when new blood is needed in a flock, helping with ram exchanges and sales. As Soay and Boreray sheep are registered through the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in partnership with Grassroots Systems, we are assured of their umbrella care when concerns about the breed, their genome and their special characteristics, are being threatened by government legislation.
