It was used for its warmth and comfort for generations. Wool from the Scottish sheep was used to make carpets that covered the floors of nations across the globe.
Once farmers and crofters could depend on fleece for a healthy income, but cheaper imports, the loss in processing mills and slumped demand caused wool prices to plummet.
The problem reached its apex last year with farmers having to pay to have wool removed. Piles of fleece were then burned or thrown away.
A Skye crofter tested a possible carpet solution that would not just provide a sustainable use for wool, but could also help to regenerate Scotland’s precious peatlands.
Skye wool is no longer used to make luxurious carpets for homes. It has been used to create a thick, water-repellent underlay for outdoor paths across a peaty Bog. This opens the door to wool becoming a more sustainable material than traditional plastic-based materials.
It has also raised hopes that the excess wool can be used to help restore peatlands. Tests have been done elsewhere, which involved stuffing wool in drains, locking it in place, and creating an environment for sphagnum moses to thrive and the soil to regenerate.
Some projects to restore peatlands use plastic membrane linings to keep water away. Or they require digging deep trenches, which must be filled with peat. This process can cause damage to delicate peat environments and requires heavy machinery.
The wool carpet was used on a 100m stretch of Kilmarie coast path at Strathaird, Isle of Skye that had become very muddy. The John Muir Trust manages the path which takes walkers past Kilmarie House, which was owned by Ian Anderson (singer and flautist for Jethro Tull).
The repair would normally involve the use of a plastic membrane that is topped with gravel or wood. This eventually rots.
John MacRae, Skye Crofter and John Muir Trust Skye Team member, decided to replace the plastic with sheep wool to create an ethereal path.
This technique can be traced back in time to the Roman Empire when fleeces were used to build roads on waterlogged ground. One century ago, wool was also used in the construction in Ireland of railway lines.
Mr MacRae obtained approximately 300 raw and unprocessed fleeces of local crofts, including about 50 from his own flock, to use as an alternative to geotextile matting.
The fleeces were folded in half and rolled before being laid along the path for 80 metres. The remaining 20 meters were covered in plastic-based matt to compare.
The wool-based method protects peat and soil, allows easy drainage of water, and prevents the gravel from sinking in the mud.
The John Muir Trust looks after many of Scotland’s most famous sites, including Ben Nevis, East Schieallion, and Quinag.
The Trust maintains approximately 60km of footpaths throughout the Isle of Skye.
Mr MacCrae said that the use of wool for foundation materials for outdoor paths is contrary to days when wool was more expensive than it is today.
He said that older crofters would talk about how the wool check would be sufficient to cover your farm rent for the entire year.
I can recall as a child being told by my parents to walk around the fences and pick up any wool left, as it had value and was worth keeping.
However, the price of it is so low that many people dump it because they cannot sell it.
I know that this year, people were going to dump their wool in any way they could, because it would have cost them money to transport it to distributors and wholesalers.
I have 50 sheep and this has helped me to get rid my wool and make more space in my sheds.
The Herald reported that farmers and crofters shared their experiences with The Herald last Sunday, August, about how they were left with pennies, or in some cases no money at all for their sheeps wool fleeces.
After deducting the costs of transporting his fleece, at least one Western Isle crofter ended up owing money the British Wood Board.
Others claimed they were paid less than a take-out coffee for wool shorn by around 100 ewes. Some farmers threw fleeces on the ground to provide grip on muddy gateways.
The pandemic and a slumping demand from carpet and mattress producers, which is what most of the rough Scottish fleece are used for, partly explains the collapse in prices.
Reusing unwanted wool as a floating layer for paths in boggy areas or in peatland restoration will provide a more sustainable option to plastic-based mats and divert fleece away from landfill.
Mr MacRae said that in the past, people used branches and beech logs to stop stones and gravel from sinking in peaty areas.
This is my first time using wool, and it was a trial. However, it worked really well and all I can find indicates that it will last a long time.
While I was working on the path I was thinking about where the geotextile material came from and how much it cost to make and get there. Wool, however, was a local product that was free and didn’t need to travel.
