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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".
Rod and I married in Gibraltar in 1969, having
begun keeping waterfowl a year earlier. 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. Rod died of cancer
in 1977 at the age of 34.
| Rod Dawson 1943 - 1977 |
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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.
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| Long-tailed Duck (Photo: Rod Dawson) |
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.
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 |
I've recently moved back to the farm at Easter Ellister, while my older daughter Heather has taken over
my old house "Lagmore House" in the village of Portnahaven, a couple of miles away.
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| Portnahaven (photo Lucy Dawson) |
To find out more about the self-catering accommodation available at Lagmore House, click on the following
link:
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| Ellister House |
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Ellister House is the former old farmhouse and has been run by my younger daughter Lucy for a few years now as self-catering
accommodation. It's at the centre of the steading and the huge sitting room overlooks the foaling fields. As many
of my mares foal in broad daylight, a number of foalings have been watched by visitors.
An Linnean has just been completed and it too is available for self-catering holidays, run by Lucy. It's at
the top of the valley, just above the foaling fields.
| An Linnean |
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