Giancarlo Rinaldi
BBC, Scotland
A sheep, once described as the loneliest in Britain, has lambed for the first time.
She is 2023. spotted by a kayaker, indicating that she was trapped at the foot of a steep cliff in the Scottish Highlands.
A rescue operation followed, and she was then taken to Dalskone Farm in the south of Scotland, which soon became her new home.
The sheep Fiona, as she was later named, gave birth to twins - a male and a female lamb.
"The birth went very well," farmer Ben Best told the BBC.
"It was challenging," but she gave birth naturally and is "doing fantastically well."
Fiona was named after the story of another sheep, found living alone in New Zealand a few years ago.
This New Zealand animal was named after the character Princess Fiona from the animated film Shrek, and its 'cousin' from Scotland was also given the same name.
Fiona was not in good condition when she arrived at the farm and was overweight.
More than two years later, the farm decided it would be a good idea to give birth.
They thought long and hard about whether Fiona should have lambs, but the decision was made partly because she had failed to make contact with the other sheep.
"She never accepted any other sheep."
"She always stood out from the crowd, so that's one of the reasons we put her among the lambs, because we wanted her to have a small family."
"That's exactly the kind of connection we were looking for," Ben points out.
The lambs don't have names yet.
"We have a boy and a girl which is perfect, and there are lots of suggestions to name them after Shrek and Fiona's children."
In the film, Shrek and Fiona have triplets: Fergus, Farkle, and Felicia.
See photos of lambs
He admitted they were worried about how she would react to having her own lambs, but she "took them on straight away".
"She licked them and showed how much she adored them."
"When you see that connection and the love he has for them, then it's clear we brought the right one," he added.
Since her arrival in 2023, the farm has been monitoring Fiona's development and regularly posting her condition on social media.
Her case also helped launch campaigns to draw attention to mental health as a consequence of loneliness in agriculture.
Fiona now has a new role, which she seems very much looking forward to.
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