Bertie

We met Bertie on the east side of the island raking on the shore. He was checking on the sheep. He told us the dyke built to keep the sheep down on the shoreline was built in 1832. At the time there was about 550 people on the island and they wanted to keep the sheep off the grazing land which the population used to feed itself.

Population is now about 60 folk. Bertie reckons there are about two and a half thousand sheep. He said there are not many people left to work with the sheep or to repair the dyke. He spends some time down on the beach everyday.

He was also keen to hear the news from the Mainland.