His work has many nods to sheep farming traditions, with poems like Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes and The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie capturing the lives of shepherds and sheep in 18th century Scotland, and the spirit of the rugged landscapes in which they lived. These depictions provide a very special insight into the Scots who lived off the land, including those who raised generations of Scottish Blackface sheep across Galloway, Ayrshire and beyond.
Born in Alloway, South Ayrshire, Robert Burns came from a family of tenant farmers and his poetry was shaped by the year-round toil that was required to support parents and children by raising livestock and crops. Burns understood rural communities, and how important sheep farming was within the tapestry of country life. Most interestingly perhaps, he wrote about sheep not just as livestock but as companions and characters within their hamlets and villages.
Ca’ the Yowes to the Knowes particularly celebrates the quiet beauty of shepherding. The title translates to ‘drive the ewes to the hills,’ and describes a slower pace of life, the ewes taken to graze the heathered hills where rivers flow. In this poem, Burns doesn’t just write about sheep; he expresses a deep connection to the land itself. The pastoral setting becomes a space where people are part of nature, where each thing is connected to every other.
The Death and Dying Words of Poor Mailie is a work that reflects both the humour and the heartache in farming. In this poem Burns tells the story of his ‘pet yowe’ (ewe) called Mailie, who meets a tragic end. As Mailie dies, Burns gives her a voice to speak her final wishes for her lambs. The poem highlights Burns’ empathy toward animals – something he is famous for – and the bond he and other farmers formed with their sheep.
Burns wrote second poem about Mailie: Poor Mailie’s Elegy. It mourned the death of his ewe with reference to her ‘faithfu’’ nature and her gentle presence in his life. Mailie is characterised as a beloved companion, demonstrating the depth of affection that can exist between a farmer and his flock.
Burns’ South Ayrshire homeland was (and still is) ideally suited to sheep farming. The area became known for raising resilient breeds capable of withstanding Scotland’s unforgiving weather as it swept across high, sparse landscapes. The Scottish Blackface sheep embodies the same rugged spirit that has sustained local farming after Burns and for centuries before his time. The Scottish Blackface’s adaptability and hardiness mirror the qualities Burns admired in rural life and the natural world.
Burns’ passion for Scotland’s sheep and shepherding heritage is evident, and here at Merrick we share this sentiment. As we continue to raise the profile of Scottish Blackface sheep, its beautiful wool, and hill farming across the Biosphere and beyond, we carry forward a tradition we’re sure Burns would have appreciated – one that respects the land, the people, and the animals that make up Scotland’s heart and soul.
Did you know…? In one of Merrick’s earliest photo shoots we posed our Zip Vest alongside the statue of Robert Burns in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, another UNESCO site. Burns actually seems to be looking at his vest (which has buttons, of course); we wonder if it was made from Blackface wool!