Rising wool prices offer hope for Scottish sheep farmers

Scotland’s sheep farmers once relied on the annual “wool cheque” as a vital source of income, with the value of a fleece once high enough to pay the rent on a croft for a year.

But decades of cheap synthetic fibres pushed wool prices into steep decline, leaving many farmers struggling to even cover the cost of shearing their sheep.

Now, after years of falling returns, Scotland’s wool industry may finally be seeing signs of recovery, as rising demand for natural and sustainable materials drives prices sharply higher.

Julie Roberston has a herd of more than 100 sheep just south of Stonehaven, as the cost to keep them rises the jump in prices has been welcomed.

She said: “The majority of our fleeces are used for carpets or for mattresses.

“The price we are now getting has risen which covers the cost of getting the sheep sheared, there’s no profit.”

“But if it means the wool is being used and we can cover our costs that’s a step in the right direction.”

“Scottish Wool” has become the latest product to receive a trademark – in a similar way that Scotch Whisky and Scottish Salmon are branded, its origin is clearly marked by a blue shepherd crook label.

The move follows a campaign from the industry body British Wool, its chief executive officer Andrew Hogley said: “British and Scottish wool make up a small proportion of the global market, but people are still keen to have it.

“The Scottish brand is a strong one and we think this clear label will help consumers choose the product.

“If they see the label they know that’s been produced in Scotland and the money goes back to Scottish farmers.”

Julie added: “Providence is such a big thing, people like to know where things are coming from and that it hasn’t had to travel halfway across the world to turn it into the product that they want.

“Wool is also incredibly hardwearing, and people are now prepared to pay the higher price for it because it lasts.”

Sheep farmers are facing rising costs to keep their flocks and globally the numbers of sheep are falling which also drives up the demand for natural products like wool.

But it’s hoped that demand will help farmers get fairer returns for their fleece.