The landscape around Helen O’Keefe’s Sutherland croft spans ancient woodlands, glassy lochs, rolling hills, wetlands, moors and vast areas of grasslands. Beneath her feet grow rare wildflowers like yellow saxifrage, in the sky overhead soar golden and sea eagles. Majestic Suilven looms over Elphin where she farms her five hectares, cares for her sheep and chickens, and tends to her market garden crops. Covered with a layer of snow in winter, or blooming with wildflowers in spring, it could scarcely be less like Western Australia’s sun-baked Kalgoorlie desert, scared by one of the continent’s largest open-cut gold mines, pancake flat and where, until a few years ago was her home.
by Gemma Mackenzie
Helen O Keefe said she was delighted to win the award.
Sign up for our daily newsletter featuring the top stories from The Press and Journal.
Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter.
Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up
Sutherland shepherdess Helen O’Keefe has been named Young Crofter of the Year by the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF).
Ms O’Keefe runs a 100-ewe flock of Shetlands alongside running the Elphin Tea Rooms, where she sells produce from her croft, and serving as the grazings clerk for her local township.