Coronavirus: Forfar flock ignore social distancing to stand shoulder to shoulder in support of NHS heroes

Would ewe believe it – 450 Angus sheep have lined up for their tribute to the heroes of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a novel tribute on a grand scale, a farmer tempted his flock in for lambing with food craftily laid out on a hillside to get the animals to gather into formation as a thank you to the NHS.

Inspired by the Clap for Carers events which have been held on the past two Thursdays, Clark Farquharson came up with the unusual idea to let the frontline know their work is appreciated in every part of the country.

Clapping at the front doors and on balconies up and down the land was joined by the skirl of the pipes last Thursday as Scotland the Brave rang out in answer to a call for bagpipers to lead the show of support for key workers.

“There’s not a lot of people would hear us up here if we were to go out and clap at the front door so we discussed it one night and thought we could do something to show a bit of support,” said Clark, whose family farms at Deuchar, Fern, north of Forfar.

“Lambing has to go on and at this time of year we are kind of self-isolating anyway because we are so busy.

“We have about 500 ewes to bring in with them all expected to lamb in April, so with a little prompting managed to get them to stand in formation to show our support for the NHS.”

The formation feeding was achieved with some nifty quad work as Clark laid out breakfast for the ewes in the initials of the NHS on one of the farm fields near what was formerly Noranside open prison in Angus.

“We just wanted to try and do our bit and show support,” he said.