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Jane Dawson, Ellister Islay Highland Pony Stud, Isle of Islay, Scotland, U.K. PA48 7UE
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First, a bit about me.......
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| Long-tailed Duck (Photo: Rod Dawson) |
I'd kept horses for many years and bred a few too, but when I was advised by
Scottish Natural Heritage that I NEEDED a herd of ponies to help the Islay resident Choughs (birds of the Crow family), I
didn't hesitate. I bought Highland Ponies so that their dung could provide the invertebrates the Choughs needed.
My first stallion was Claymore Duisky, followed by Whitefield King Duncan.
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| Our Highland Pony stallion - Whitefield King Duncan |
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| Wild Barnacle Geese arriving into Islay for the winter |
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I was born in Cleethorpes, Lincs., UK in 1942 and was
educated at Norwich High School GPDST. An undistinguished scholar, I was
advised to "marry a farmer".
Following a stroke in July 2003, (partly due to being a heavy smoker - and partly due to some violent
disco dancing), I was put onto cholesterol-lowering drugs which caused the most horrendously painful side-effects,
leaving me with muscle and nerve damage and prevented full recovery from the stroke.
I now enjoy breeding Highland ponies on what remains of our estate, plus adjoining land I've managed to buy
back. The land is extensively grazed, consisting of permanent pasture, rough grazings and hill along three miles of
coastline. It has been managed under an environmentally sensitive area plan for the last ten years.
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| A 'rare and elusive' Corncrake in my garden |
| Me in the garden of Lagmore House, 2007. |
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Since the 1970s I've bred large numbers of Arctic sea-ducks, including
Long-tailed Ducks, King Eiders and European Black Scoters, which are among the most difficult species to keep and to
rear successfully. The nutritional requirements of the very fast growing Longtailed Ducks got me interested
in nutrition and deficiencies.
We began with various species of waterfowl and
when it became clear that seaducks were what we loved most, we moved our collection from Lincolnshire to the Isle of Islay
in 1974.
To be honest, my husband Rod had excavated every
wet hole on the farm there, so had to move so that he could continue to dig ponds !
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| Sunset in Portnahaven (Photo: Lucy Dawson) |
Rod and I moved to Islay with our daughter Heather in 1974; Lucy was
born a year later. However Rod died of cancer in 1977.
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| Rod - 1943 to 1977 |
| Overhead view of part of Easter Ellister |
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| The farmhouse here is now available for self-catering accommodation |
The old farmhouse at Easter Ellister (above) is available for self catering
holidays - it sleeps 10 and has a four star rating - run by my younger daughter Lucy - see link below.
The view from the large sitting room is of the foaling field where mares
are brought in to foal during late April, May or June.
Soon to be completed is another self catering house at the top of the glen
"An Linnean" - also run by Lucy.
My old house, "Lagmore House" is in the village of Portnahaven some three
miles away and only a few metres from the Atlantic. This will very soon be available for self catering holidays and
run by my older daughter Heather. Links will follow soon.
I have moved back to the farm and have a fabulous new bungalow there.
This website is being totally reconstructed - please bear with me while I work on it.
23rd June 2008
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