A Perthshire shepherd is pleading with drivers to slow down after two of his lambs were killed on the road.
Douglas McCartney discovered the dead lambs on the Glenturret estate when he started work at dawn.
Everything had been fine with his flock when he clocked off at 10pm the night before.
The twin lambs were found within a few yards of one another on the unfenced road that runs through the land.
Both were lying dead on the tarmac with serious injuries.
Douglas says it was a sickening sight.
(Readers may find the following photo distressing)
“I don’t know if it was boy racers or what,” he said.
“But everything was fine at 10 o’clock on Saturday night and by 5 o’clock on Sunday morning the two of them were dead.
“They’re still lying by the road today,” he added.
“I don’t like doing that. I’ll pick them up tonight. But it’s slowed people down today at least.”
Fat lambs sell for about £150. But Douglas says the price doesn’t reflect the blood, sweat and tears that go into producing them.
“I don’t think people appreciate the hard work that goes into getting them to this stage – all the rearing and feed and medication that ewe would have had, just to have both of her lambs killed,” he said.
“It’s hard enough protecting lambs from things like vermin without folk running them over.”
Glenturret estate popularity can lead to conflict
Douglas farms about 1,800 sheep at Brae of Monzievaird on the Glenturret estate.
The animals graze on either side of the unfenced road that passes through the land.
The route, with 10mph limit, is popular with hillwalkers and sightseers.
And Douglas says this is not the first time he has come into conflict with road-users.
“I’ve had verbal abuse, people threatening to run my dogs over,” he said.
“I try to speak reasonably to people.
“But some days you do feel threatened – for your own safety, never mind the dogs’.”
Despite his issues, Douglas says he has no desire to restrict access to the countryside.
“I like folk having access to the hills, for their enjoyment and their mental health,” he said.
“All we ask is that they respect the code, and don’t speed when they are around animals on roads like this.”
‘What do people not understand?’
Douglas posted a photograph of the lambs on Facebook with a message saying “please slow down”.
It prompted an angry response, with some posters urging the guilty driver to come forward.
One said: “What do people not understand? As soon as you drive over cattle grids you’re driving through open fields of livestock, through farmers fields, basically through private(ish) land that needs respect.
“Whether its people driving, dogs off leads, etc, the level of disrespect/thoughtlessness of the countryside is becoming ridiculous.”
Another wrote: ” I was up there earlier in the week and there are lambs and sheep all over the road.
“I pulled in to let a car by me and it shot off a great speed, also a HGV going up the road in was in my opinion too fast.”
The law states that drivers must stop and report an accident to the police if they hit any dogs, horses, cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, donkeys or mules.
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