Scottish Moorlands Farming - Upland Farms, Sheep Grazing, PLouging, Gathering Crops

Moorland People > Moorland Farming

Farming on the Moors

Farming on moorlands brings its own rewards – and problems! The land is less fertile than in lowland areas and the weather can be harsh. Moorland farmers often have to adapt their farming methods and timings to take this into account.

Lambing can begin later than on some lowland farms and good shepherding using dogs, quad bikes and land rovers is needed to manage the flocks properly.

It is important to move the cattle around the moor during the summer to prevent over-grazing occurring in one area, and some form of shelter is required for the harsh winter months.

The shelter can be a building or just the sheltered edge of a forestry plantation.

Frequently, many generations of the same family will have lived and farmed on the same moorland area but today, many of the younger members will have moved away and into other occupations.

"shelter is required for the harsh winter months..."

Farming is an important part of good moorland management along with gamekeeping and conservation – they all help to create a healthy moorland landscape.

An upland farm with sheep grazing on the improved ‘infield’ area and moorland ‘outfield’ beyond. Image (C) David Gowans.

Farming Through the Seasons - Spring (March, April and May)

Hopefully, by the end of March, there is enough fresh growth to allow the livestock to be put out to grass.

Sheep that are pregnant are inoculated and dosed for worms, and those that were sent to lowland farms for winter-feeding – usually ewe 'hogs' (ewes that have not yet lambed) - are brought back to the upland farm.

These are branded and dipped before being turned out onto the hills.

This is also the best time of year to sell the 'stirks' (calves born last summer) at market.

April sees the beginning of lambing, although a few lambs may be born early. Lambing is a long, tiring day's work that begins at 5:30 in the morning and lasts until 9:30 in the evening and can often entail a call-out during the night to help a difficult lambing.

This period lasts for 6-8 weeks and it is an exhausting time for the moorland farmer that leaves no time for any other jobs.

During spring, the calves are de-horned and castrated and put out to grass. The bull is put in with the cows and the male lambs are also castrated.

A ewe with her twins at Balnaboth Moor. The marks on their flanks allow the farmer to tell whose lambs are whose.
Image (C) Gail Renwick.

Farming Through the Seasons - Summer (June, July, August)

Throughout the summer months, weeds need to be controlled by spraying and fields are ploughed, re-seeded, rolled and fertilised to provide hay and silage as winter feed for the farm stock.

Summer is also the time to shear the sheep. This used to be carried out by the farmers and their own labourers, but is now frequently done by professional shearers because there are fewer people working on the farms.

Once the sheep are clipped they are then dipped or 'pour-on' is used to prevent tick infestations and to keep the sheep (and fleece) healthy.

The use of dips and pour-on insecticides means that sheep can be used as mops to clean the moors of ticks especially. The sheep are sent out over the moor to collect the ticks in their fleece and a programme of frequent dips then kills these pests.

"sheep can be used
as mops to clean the
moors of ticks..."

During the summer months, Country Shows throughout Scotland are attended with the sheep and cattle, often in the hope of winning a prize, and odd jobs around the farm are attended to.

"during the summer country shows are attended with sheep
and cattle..."

In July, the fields are cut for the hay and silage – hay is only made 'while the sun shines' as the cut grass needs to be turned and dried for it to become hay.

If the weather doesn't allow this, sometime 'haylage' is produced – a mixture between the two. Gathering in the crop of grass to use as feed throughout the winter.

Come the beginning of August, the workload eases off and a well-earned break can be taken.

This is also the time to begin fattening-up the blackface 'shearlings' (lambs that have been clipped for the first time) and the rams, in readiness for the sales in September/October.

Ploughing to re-seed the grass crop.
The gulls follow the tractor and feed upon earthworms and other soil animals turned over by the plough.
Image (C) David Gowans.

A timeless scene
the moorland farmer with his faithful collie.
Image (C) David Gowans.

Gathering in the crop of grass to use as feed throughout the winter. The traditional hay is now replaced by silage and ‘haylage’ because they are less reliant on good weather during harvesting and are easier to store. Image (C) David Gowans.

Farming Through the Seasons -Autumn (September, October, November)

This is the time of year when the lambs are weaned and dipped. The lambs that were out on the hills are brought down to the lower fields while the ewes stay out.

Stock is sorted into those that will go to the sales, the tups (rams), and lambs to make into 'shearlings' for the following year.

Those animals chosen to go to the sales are taken during September / October, when the sheep sales take place. As many ewes and lambs as possible are sold as this decreases the number of stock needing fed over the winter months.

Tups are sometimes bought-in by the farmer to put to the ewes.

At the end of October, the ewe 'hoggs' (sheep between 10-15 months old) are sent to a lowland farm to over-winter.

The first week in November sees the cattle sales and the farmer tries to sell as many calves as possible, in order to reduce the stock numbers.

At the end of November, the tups are put in with the ewes and 'gimmers' (ewes expecting their first lambs).

Once an ewe has had its first lamb, it is then known as a 'first crop ewe'.

Lambs being prepared for dipping. The solution used for dipping the sheep keeps them free from ticks and other insect pests. Image (C) David Gowans.

Farming Through the Seasons - Winter (December, January, February)

By this time, most cattle are brought in off the hill for the winter but those not due to calve until the spring can stay out.

The tups are removed from the ewes around mid-January, and the feeding and bedding of all stock brought down from the hills begins – this continues throughout the winter months.

Supplementary feeding in winter is important – ewes that are kept in good condition and given extra feed are more likely to give birth to twins.

If, on the other hand, the ewes are in poor condition and don't get supplementary feed, they can 'absorb' the foetus and the farmer has a poor crop of lambs.

"Supplementary feeding
in winter is important..."

Towards the end of January, some cattle are beginning to calve – the average on some hill farms is 40 calves per year.

In February, the bull sales begin. At the end of February, sheep are scanned to find out whether they are carrying twins – if they are, then they are brought down from the hill and given extra feed.

"In February the
bull sales begin..."

Throughout the year, the moorland farm is a busy place – from season to season the stock and the land need tending.

Produce from these upland farms is renowned for its quality and flavour – the beef, lamb and mutton, and wool from the fleece – without the hard work and dedication of our moorland farmers this would not be possible, and the land would not be as well-managed.

Sheep being given supplementary feed in winter conditions. Image (C) David Gowans.

‘drystane dykes’, are used to divide the land, or to contain cattle and sheep.

In some parts of Aberdeenshire, on the fringes of the National Park, these walls, or ‘drystane dykes’, are used to divide the land, or to contain cattle and sheep. Some have been shown to date back to around 5 000 years ago and this emphasises the antiquity of farming in our landscape and the fact that the landscape we enjoy today is the product of millennia of change by humans.

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