Lambs of Britain's 'loneliest sheep' are named

The offspring of the sheep once described as a loneliest in Britain have finally been named.

Fiona hit the headlines in October 2023 after she was rescued from the foot of a steep cliff at the Cromarty Firth and rehomed at a farm in Dumfries.

She was named after Princess Fiona in the Shrek films, so farmer Ben Best has stuck to a similar theme when naming her lambs which were born earlier this month.

The twins have been called Fergus and Felicia - the names given to Shrek and Fiona's children in the movie franchise.

Fiona was given her name following a story about another sheep which was discovered living alone in New Zealand several years ago.

Professional shearer Cammy Wilson - who led the Scottish rescue operation - revealed the New Zealand sheep was named after the animated character Shrek, so its Scottish counterpart had to be named Fiona, after the ogre's wife.

Fiona and her lambs live at Dalscone Farm in Dumfries.

Farmer Ben Best said from day one it looked likely the twins would be named Fergus and Felicia.

"It was the only route to go down," he told BBC Scotland News.

"They are thriving and are some of the biggest lambs we have had born this season."

Fiona was spotted at the bottom of cliffs in 2021 by a kayaker, but it was thought she would be able to make her own way back up to fields above.

However, when the kayaker saw what she believed to be the same animal two years later, she raised concerns for its welfare.

Despite the "ample grazing" in the area, plans were made to mount a rescue operation - but the difficult terrain meant that specialist equipment was needed.

Wilson, a sheep shearer from Ayrshire and presenter with BBC's Landward, put together a team that managed to get the sheep up the cliffs and into the care of Dalscone Farm.