Shepherd’s hoping for Galloway return
A shepherd is appealing for a helping hand to get her back to the hills of home.
Lennie Bateman started herding ewes at Knockgray near Carsphairn more than 40 years ago.
She had hoped to have returned to Galloway by now – but a planned house move fell through.
Lennie is currently lambing in Dorset with her five dogs and will finish up within the next two weeks.
Two ponies she uses for herding are being looked after at Walkerburn in the Borders until she gets settled.
The 63-year-old told the News: “I’m not looking for a permanent house at this moment.
“I’m currently living in a van doing a lambing in Dorset.
“My employers think that my five dogs are incredible and call me a hero, which is nice.
“But I need somewhere to go next, from mid-May.
“I am confident that in time I’ll get contract work, especially gathering, as good hill shepherds and dogs are in short supply.
“But in the meantime I need somewhere to stay, ideally with grazing for the ponies – whether a scrap of a paddock or hill ground.
“I would also need space to park a horsebox and my van, where I’ll live.
“To park in an open-fronted shed with electricity would be sheer luxury – but I’d be happy with a lot less.”
Lennie, who describes herself as “female, single, non-smoker and non-drinker, and happy and even-tempered”, is keen to offer her services to anyone able to put them to good use.
She said: “I am an experienced shepherd with 42 years on the hills.
“I worked at Knockgray for 13 years then at Chapelhope between Moffat and Selkirk for a further 16.
“I did the gathering and clipping at Chapelhope myself, 1,300 ewes on 4,000 acres.
“I did all my herding on two ponies who are staying with a friend and getting horribly fat and I look forward to getting them back into condition.
“The safe option would be to return to where I was before and get work there.
“But I want to start building my new life in Galloway and make connections.
“I’d love to be able to help beginners who like working with sheep or a big-scale farm who could use me for a week.”
She added: “I would hope there’s a farmer who could really do with a hand and lets me stay for a few days.
“If somebody offers me a longer time that would be good – or perhaps there’s clipping teams who would appreciate me going round with them.
“I’m actually excited about this new adventure, not daunted.”
Lennie, originally from Edinburgh, first began working with livestock on a red deer farm in Kincardineshire.
Five years doing seasonal jobs in England followed before she came back to Scotland and decided to become a shepherd at Knockgray.
She said: “The Galloway News featured me several times in the past – in the Carsphairn Show report in June 1984 and another year at a drystone dyking course.
“Also I won the supreme championship at the Castle Douglas crook-making show in 1996.
“I have found nowhere more beautiful or varied than Galloway, and there is nowhere I’d rather be.”
Lennie can be contacted at lennie. bateman568@btinternet.com or on 07596 722103.
I would hope there’s a farmer who could really do with a hand and lets me stay for a few days Lennie Bateman