View of sheep shelter from S Digital image of D 3215

Description View of sheep shelter from S Digital image of D 3215

Date 14/8/1996

Collection Scottish Farm Buildings Survey

Catalogue Number SC 740883

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of D 3215

Scope and Content Sheep shelter from south, Purgatory Farm, Sanday, Orkney Islands Purgatory is a small steading on Sanday, one of the largest of the Orkney Islands. Low-lying and almost treeless, Sanday lacks shelter. Purgatory ceased to be a working farm in the 1960s but the farmhouse is still in use and has a well-stocked kitchen garden. This shows the sheep shelter in the top corner of a field beside the steading. It is stone-built with a flagstone roof and floor. Sheep were usually left to graze unherded but shelter was sometimes needed, particularly during the lambing season which began at the end of April and lasted well into May. As sheep were usually free to wander while they grazed, it was necessary to mark them for ownership. New lambs were marked when about one month old. The traditional method was to cut a 'lug' or ear mark. Each owner had his own registered mark and any change had to be recorded and approved. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/740883

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap