Congratulations ewe! Loneliest sheep now pregnant with twins two years after rescue

He was dubbed ‘Britain’s loneliest sheep’ after falling off a coastal cliff before spending two years on a Highland beach, isolated from his flock.

And even when Fiona the sheep was dramatically rescued from unwanted exile, she struggled for months to bond with other animals.

But now, after a spruce up and a strict weight loss programme, Fiona is set to become the heart of a new family after it was revealed she is pregnant with twins.

Ben Best, manager of Dalscone Farm in Dumfriesshire, announced the happy news in a video on the farm’s Dalscone Daily Facebook page: ‘Fiona is having twins. What did we do? We actually caught it with lamb. There’s pressure.’

Fiona became an internet sensation after a kayaker who first spotted her stranded on cliffs near Balintore in Easter Ross in 2021 was stunned to find the sheep still trapped two years later.

Fiona spent two years on the Highland coast before her dramatic rescue

Fiona and Ben Blast, who are expecting twin lambs

Jill Turner, of Brora, Sutherland, pleaded for someone to rescue her and a petition calling for a rescue operation has attracted more than 55,000 signatures.

Donations came from as far away as Australia, the US and Canada to help with the rescue effort, raising four times the initial target of £2,500.

Expert climbers used a crane mounted on a truck parked at the top of the cliff, 200 meters of rope and a bait bag fashioned into a makeshift sling in what was described as an ‘epic’ mission.

Two men remained at the top to operate the crane while three others were lowered 250 meters down the steep slope, where they found Fiona in a cave and guided her towards the rock face.

They were stunned to discover how fat the three-year-old had become.

Fiona the sheep was lifted off the cliff during rescue

Fiona the sheep is seen with her rescuers

He was brought to Dalscone in November 2023, where Mr Best noticed he was struggling to socialize with other sheep and suggested he had “forgotten how to be a sheep”.

The farm’s social media channels and webcam reached over three million views in the first days after the farm’s arrival, as interest in its story increased internationally.

Viewers watched as once-chubby Fiona dropped to 90kg and was given hormones to help her get pregnant before being handed over to a Suffolk trainer.

The plan worked very well as she is currently expecting to give birth in early February.

Mr Best said Fiona’s weight loss had also helped her cope with arthritis in her front leg, adding: ‘She is doing really well. ‘He is the most famous sheep in the world.’

He has regular blood tests.