Some lucky sheep have had an unusual journey to their new home.

Smallholder Lynne Burt had decided that it was time to reduce her flock, but didn’t like the thought of them simply going to the abattoir - and so a friend put her in touch with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

By a stroke of good timing, the Trust were looking for a hardy breed of sheep to graze the windward side of Looe Island, as part of their management of the island nature reserve.

On a sunny Saturday morning, the 24 Shetland lambs were carefully carried onto the island ferryboat skippered by Dave Butters, to make the short voyage up the Looe River and over the channel.

The Shetland lambs join a handful of Hebridean sheep already resident on Looe Island, and have settled in well.

As a native hardy breed, said the Trust, the new arrivals will be free to roam the windward side of the island, rather than the more sheltered wooded side.

Keeping the nature reserve maintained is a full-time job for wardens Claire and Jon, who were joined in the efforts to transport the flock from the mainland by Paula, Lynne, and a group of volunteers from mainland Looe.

‘Grazing more sheep will help keep the maritime grass and scrub down so wildlife can flourish,’ said warden Jon

‘An open landscape will improve areas for nesting birds. The sheep tracks and foot divots leave little churned up areas of mud, called ’poaching’, which are ideal for seeds to germinate, that insects and birds can then forage on.’

Lynne still keeps a few ewes as pets on her smallholding at No Man’s Land, and she and her mum say they’re looking forward to paying a visit to the flock in their new island home.