On the Isle of Skye, and for that matter all over Scotland, there are sheep. A LOT of sheep. What cattle are to the American west, sheep are to Scotland, or so it seems. The sheep and their abundant pastures are a significant component of the Scottish landscape — you encounter them everywhere when you walk or drive. I’ll let you speculate on the purpose of this road sign for a moment before explaining… (If you read this post where the next paragraph is already visible, pause and see if you can figure it out.)
Especially along rural routes, such as this single-track road near where we stayed on the Isle of Skye, you may find yourself driving essentially through pastures. Sometimes low stone walls or fences line the route, but they often have lamb-sized gaps. So you might be driving along and spot the some (ridiculously cute) lambs cavorting along the edge of the road. You might think that it is enough to simply slow down, but there’s a particular lamb-ish behavior you must watch for. See the little arrow between the lamb and its mother on the sign? At the last moment, when the lamb’s fright over your approach becomes acute, it will suddenly dash across the road right in front of you as it runs to mama.
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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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