THEY are the rare sheep on a northern gale-battered Orkney archipelago that are only alive due to seaweed.

According to an investigation of old bones on Orkney, their DNA is 8,000 years old, as old as the origins of island agriculture itself.

But North Ronaldsay Sheep, the oldest breed in Northern Europe and among the oldest and most rare in the world are currently under threat.

Problems with maintaining the special dyke that protects the seaweed-loving woolly beachcombers from other breeds on Orkney's North Ronaldsay island has been cited as one of the reasons that has caused the sheep to be labelled as ‘vulnerable’.

Now a warden is required to look after a historic stone dyke on Orkney seen as vital for the breed that is vital part to the island's economy, with both North Ronaldsay mutton and wool exported around the world. The 6ft high, 13-mile dyke was erected using beach stones and encircles the entire island to keep the sheep on the rocky foreshore and away from grassland where they can mix with other breeds.

The Herald:

The successful applicant will be responsible for looking after and repairing the historic dyke, which can get damaged by winter storms and has become a continual challenge for islanders.

John Scott, chair of the North Ronaldsay Trust, said: "The warden role was always something we've wanted on the island as the amount of dyke that needs rebuilt is beyond what local people can do.

READ MORE: North Ronaldsay's unique sheep given new(e) protection

"If we have a person who's full-time, we can get more dyke built and more critical 'strategic' dyke built too.

"They need to be physically able, resourceful and fairly resilient as it's hard work."

He added: "Given the unique nature of the sheep dyke's construction, we're not necessarily looking for someone who has a lot of experience in dry-stane dyking."

The dyke is protected by conservation law, being Grade A listed and recognised as the longest freestanding drystone structure in Europe, if not the world. It came about as a result of the collapse of Orkney’s kelp industry - the then Laird, John Traill, decided that the most lucrative use of the island’s land would be agriculture and cattle farming.

The Herald:

In 1832, to utilise the acreage to its full potential, the native sheep had to be pushed off the pasture and onto the foreshore.

A local laird ordered the construction of the dyke around the island to keep the sheep on the shore and off the land.

Contrary to expectations, the small and hardy flock thrived in their new habitat and are now genetically adapted over the centuries to thrive on their foraged seaweed diet.

It is believed that, apart from a single kind of lizard from the Galápagos Islands, they may be the only animals in the world that can survive entirely on seaweed.

But the breed is vulnerable to copper poisoning due to its seaweed diet, so the dyke both protects the animals from health issues and eliminates the chances of gene-pool pollution of the 2,000-strong flock through cross breeding with other sheep.

The Herald:

An annual sheep festival sees volunteers from around the world travel to North Ronaldsay to help repair the dyke and learn building skills particular to the wall's unique construction.

The event, which has been running since 2016, has proved a huge success but the community has been keen to explore other ways of securing the long-term economic health of the island.

READ MORE: Orkney named best place to live in the UK

But the new sheep dyke warden will need to fit into the small community and work on their own initiative.

"It could just be someone who is able to pick up the necessary skills fairly quickly, while showing a willingness to roll up their sleeves and contribute to all other aspects of daily island life.

Footage of the 2nd annual North Ronaldsay Sheep Festival

"There's a very strong sense of community on North Ronaldsay and this role will give the successful applicant a hugely rewarding lifestyle. Everyone who's moved to the island in recent years has been made to feel very welcome and it'll be the same for whoever is fortunate enough to land this unique job.

The sheep dyke warden role is being funded for an initial three years by the North Isles Landscape Partnership (NILPS) and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

In March it was announced the breed was to be conserved as Scotland's first Slow Food Presidium, and become part of a global movement set up to preserve quality produce at risk of extinction, protect unique regions and ecosystems, recover traditional processing methods and safeguard native breeds and local plant varieties.

A dozen members have signed up to the project, including crofters and restaurant owners, and all have pledged to work to promote the sheep and help the flock to grow and stay sustainable.

Each Presidium involves a community of small-scale producers and provides technical assistance to improve production quality, identify new market outlets and organize exchanges with producers internationally through the large Slow Food events.