🐑 Scotland's rare seaweed-eating sheep
North Ronaldsay's ancient adapted breed in the Orkney Islands
📌 Fast Facts
- Location: North Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, Scotland
- Breed: North Ronaldsay sheep, primitive heritage livestock
- Primary diet: Seaweed (kelp and wrack) supplemented with grass
- Population status: Approximately 500–600 on island; fewer than 1,500 worldwide
The North Ronaldsay sheep is a heritage breed in the Orkney Islands that survives primarily on seaweed rather than conventional pasture. Isolated on North Ronaldsay, the northernmost inhabited island of Orkney, these sheep have evolved over at least 350 years to exploit the abundant kelp and wrack found on the foreshore, making them one of the few livestock breeds in the world known to subsist primarily on marine vegetation. As of 2026, the breed remains active on the island and is managed ...