Vets raise legal question and call for review over island sheep treatment

Two vets have called for a new review to address legal questions over the controversial treatment of sheep on a group of remote Scottish islands.

The Scottish Government has also been urged to act over the Soay sheep on St Kilda, which one MSP said appeared to be “a case of out of sight, out of mind”.

But the Holyrood administration has indicated there are no plans to change its long-standing position.

Working group

The issue is now set to be examined by a new working group set up by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC), which advises ministers on ethical and scientific issues.

During recent parliamentary questions, cabinet secretary Mairi Gougeon said the flocks were classed as “an unmanaged population of wild animals” and protected under the same legislation as wild deer.

But critics believe that designation is not only incorrect, but means the flocks in the Outer Hebrides archipelago are not protected from the risk of starvation which is estimated to cause the deaths of hundreds of adults and lambs each year.

Vets David Buckland and Graham Charlesworth have welcomed the SAWC review, but said its working group should go further than solely examining the “moral and ethical issues” facing landowners managing feral animals.

Ignored legislation

The pair, who have campaigned extensively on the issue, believe officials have ignored their own legislative guidance and the commission’s remit allows it to address matters relating to welfare legislation.

They said: “We urge members of SAWC to ‘clear the muddy legal waters’ created by the Scottish Government.”

Although the review is said to have been requested by Scotland’s chief vet, Sheila Voas, independent MSP John Mason called for action when he raised the issue at Holyrood earlier this month.

‘Clearly feral’

He said: “In the first place, the sheep are clearly feral. Sheep are not wild animals. Those sheep were put on St Kilda by human beings in the 1930s.

“They are in a confined space. If the same sheep were in Perthshire or Angus in a confined space, they would not be considered wild.”

SNP backbencher Christine Grahame supported Mr Mason, telling the chamber: “It seems to be a case of out of sight, out of mind.

“After all, we put the sheep there in the first place and left them to their fate, and their fate is most unpleasant.”

Long-standing position

In response, Ms Gougeon said: “The Government has a long-standing position on this matter and we do not intend to change it.”

But she added that officials were also engaging with a separate review being undertaken by the National Trust for Scotland, which manages the islands.

A trust spokesperson said its process, which is expected to be completed during the second half of 2026, would consider the potential impacts from all options for managing the sheep, adding: “This is a complex matter with much to be considered.” They also welcomed the SAWC’s review, saying its conclusions would be “vital” to informing the trust’s own findings.