Ally Williamson, a farmer on the Isle of Lewis, opened up on BBC's This Farming Life about the hardships of a previous breeding season, describing it as "pure heartbreak" and saying he was close to "giving up".
Heartbreak and Recovery
In the episode, which first aired in February 2026, Williamson reflected on the contrast between this year and last. "We have been very blessed that we have had a lot of very good weather," he said. "Lambs have been coming out OK, you are going to get the odd problem, but you are going to get that every lambing. When we are down to like, maybe 70 left, 60 maybe, and we have just hit 360 this week, what a difference to last year."
Detailing the poor breeding season the previous year, he admitted: "Last year was just pure heartbreak, it was a case of wanting to give up to be honest, it was that hard going. But we have been very fortunate this year."
Helping His Son's Flock
Williamson was also looking after his teenage son Noah's small flock of Herdwicks. A young ewe had just given birth, but as a first-time mother, she was confused. "She had that lamb and has basically gone 'What the heck was that?'" Ally explained. "She can hear it, but it's not kicked in what she's got to do with it."
He added: "She doesn't realise she has got to feed it yet." However, he was confident the ewe would figure it out. "We will pen them up, and she will be alright with it," he shared.
Balancing Farming and Studies
With high school exams looming, Noah was prioritising his studies, leaving Ally with less help. "An extra pair of hands is always handy, but I'm giving him as much of a chance to study as I can," Ally explained. "He's not one for doing it in the past but he's actually, to be fair to the boy, got a fair bit done."
Despite his own feelings about the sheep, Ally supported his son's interest. "I'm certainly not the biggest fan of these sheep but Noah seems to love them, for some strange reason, and if that's what keeps him in the industry then so be it," he added as he helped the lamb latch on to its mother for its first feed.
Ally also admitted: "I hated school, I left school as soon as I could," praising Noah for showing more interest in academics. This Farming Life is available on BBC iPlayer.
