THE Prince’s Countryside Fund (PCF) has given a further grant to the Orkney Sheep Foundation (OSF) to help preserve North Ronaldsay’s sheep dyke.
A 12-mile dry stain wall circles the island, keeping its native sheep on the shore to eat seaweed.
The fund – which was launched by Prince Charles, the Duke of Rothesay, in 2010 – awarded a grant of £15,000 to the North Ronaldsay Trust in 2018 to support a “gateway house”, in which newcomers come stay.
Keith Halstead, executive director of the PCF said: “We hope that, by awarding the Orkney Sheep Foundation £3,500, it will now enable them to apply to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to cover the costs of rebuilding the foundations of the historic drystone dyke.
“The community, the sheep, and the dyke are all inextricably linked to the future of North Ronaldsay, which is why this project is so significant, and deserved our support.”
Kate Traill Price, convenor of the OSF, added: “The grant will allow us to work with a wide range of organisations and agencies to seek the funding required to ensure the future of North Ronaldsay’s sheep dyke and the island’s unique sheep.
“This grant comes at a time of great regeneration for the island, with the arrival of several new families and the imminent reopening of the island school.
“The PCF grant will enable the OSF to take the vital first step in preparing for a major funding application for the essential structural work needed, and to ensure that the ancient breed and traditional communal flock management can survive into the future.”
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