The Lost Flock

Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman’s Journey to Save Scotland’s Original Sheep

By: Jane Cooper

Narrated by: Jane Cooper

The Lost Flock is the story of the remarkable and rare little horned sheep, known as Orkney Boreray, and the wool-obsessed woman who moved to one of Scotland’s wildest islands to save them.

It was Jane Cooper’s passion for knitting that led her to discover the world of rare-breed sheep and their wool. Through this, Jane uncovered the ‘Orkney Borerary’–a unique group within the UK’s rarest breed of sheep, the Boreray, and one of the few surviving examples of primitive sheep in northern Europe.

As her knowledge of this rarest of heritage breeds grew, she took the bold step to uproot her quiet suburban life in Newcastle and relocate to Orkney, embarking on a new adventure and life as farmer and shepherd.

Jane was astonished to find that she was the sole custodian of this lost flock in the world, and so she began investigating their mysterious and ancient history, tracking down the origins of the Boreray breed and its significance to Scotland’s natural heritage.

From Viking times to Highland crofts and nefarious research experiments in Edinburgh, this is a so-far untold real-life detective story. It is also the story of one woman’s relentless determination to ensure a future for her beloved sheep, and in doing so revealing their deep connection to the Scottish landscape.

An unforgettable story of a heritage breed and the importance of its existence.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Jane Cooper (P)2023 Chelsea Green Publishing Company

Fascinating true story

I loved everything about this book! Jane Cooper audio narration is wonderful and her journey with her sheep is a story worth hearing - I’m so happy she chose to share it with the world

Absolutely Stunning!!

Informative, emotional, and a beautiful tale of persistence, stubbornness, and enterprise that any Scot would be proud to associate with. As a lover of all things heritage bred and Scottish, this was a wonderful journey through the highs and lows of rescuing a valuable piece of Scottish history. The Boreray Sheep is the purest form of Scottish inheritance. Beautifully narrated by the author. Can’t wait for the paperback copy to add to my collection of sheep literature! ♥️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐑🐏

Resilience of sheep and humans

The book was well written and very enjoyably read by the Author. I appreciated how Jane persevered through obstacles, very inspiring. Unfortunately Audible did not include the PDF so I am left wondering about yarn sources😠

Spinner / weaver from Texas, loved it !!

I have cleaned carded and spun from raw fleece. The POO Parties would have been a fun time. I loved reading about how the author fell into this momentous job, it is strange when life works out that way. I also come from a ranching/farming background and I was moved by the abattoir loss and how it cripples and harms livestock. I hope in time the Orkney area can get the facilities they need to grow and flourish. The US has less red tape but it is still an issues here for smaller flocks. This is a great book to explain how sheep wool can be used, food sufficiency and how being green starts with SOIL. How the people working with the animals stress you and bless you in equal parts. So many timely issues the whole world is needing to understand the farmer and the food that we need for life.

interesting story but doesn't do a great job if hooking the reader into the sustainability aspect.

Great story of saving a rare sheep breed and demonstrating the positive impact it has had on the life, ecology, and economy of Scotland.

I loved this book!

I knit. I like sheep. So I suspected I would really like this book. It is even better than I expected it to be! Partly a history of one ancient an extraordinary breed of sheep, partly a memoir of the extraordinary woman (and others!) who are helping bring these animals back from he brink of extinction, this book is both informative and entertaining. The author herself reads it, and does a lovely job. I highly recommend this book. An excellent summer (or anytime) read.

Gem of a sheep’s tale

This was wonderful to listen to. Well written and read. At first I wasn’t sure if it would keep my attention but it did. I found myself looking up information about Orkney for a visual to keep in mind as I listened. I may venture from Northwest rural U.S. for a visit. I have been feeling called back to the Isles of Scotland. Thank you Jane for all of your work with the sheep and this book!

Charming. Fascinating.

If you are interested in Scotland. If you want to just escape to an island. If you like to eat. If you like textiles. If you like animals. If you are interested in regenerative agriculture. If public policy impact on communities interests you. All, some, or any of the above. You will love this book. Beautiful written and gracefully narrated, the author traces her journey in support of one particular breed of sheep. She comes through as so human, smart, and accessible - her company is a delight. And I learned a huge amount about all of the above.

Interesting story, soothing narrator

I love learning about early humans and I love learning about the history of textiles... so this book was perfect! I also found the narrating so soothing. I've been dealing with a lot of stress and hearing her calmly teach me about early sheep and wool has been balm.

Lambs for the dinner plate.

I didn’t like the part about eating mutton. I’m a 75 year old vegetarian, knitter and spinner. I was hoping I would hear more about living in Orkney, the physicality of the environment, I’ve read many books about sheep.