Sheep shearing, Lewis

Sheep shearing, Lewis

ID: QZP99_97193_04_05 DESCRIPTION: Harris and Lewis make up the largest of the Western Isles. The top two thirds of the island is Lewis. The majority of the population live in Stornoway or in the string of crofting townships that run down the west coast from Port of Ness. The northern half of the island is covered in peat bog while further south, towards Harris, the land gets hillier. Lewis has been ruled by the Vikings, the Macleods, the Mackenzies, Sir James Matheson and Lord Leverhulme. A large proportion of the economy of the island is based on crofting, fishing and weaving Harris Tweed. This photograph shows men shearing the sheep. Shearing was hard, physical work so a lot of people were needed. Sheep would be placed on a wooden bench or a mound of turf and sheared with hand shears. After shearing the sheep would be marked with their owner's mark for identification. This image comes from a collection gifted to Edinburgh Central Library by Dr Isabel F. Grant. The collection includes photographs taken by a number of different photographers. PLACENAME: Lewis OLD COUNTY/PARISH: ROSS SOURCE: Edinburgh and Scottish Collection, Edinburgh Central Library COLLECTION: I F Grant Photographic Archive Asset ID: 38912 KEYWORDS: