Shetland Sheep Colours, Markings, and Patterns
There are eleven main whole colours in Shetland sheep, with many shades and variants in between. The eleven whole colours are shown in the images below, which are taken from photographs by the late Dr SHU Bowie. There are two samples of Shaela because of differing meanings in different parts of the Shetland Isles.
Flecket, Yuglet
Foggy Hollow Ranch
Flecket, Yuglet
Foggy Hollow Ranch
Bleset
Foggy Hollow Ranch
Katmoget, Mirkface
Foggy Hollow Ranch
Markings and Patterns in Shetland Sheep
Bersugget
Bielset
Bioget
Blaeget
Blaget
Blettet
Bleset/Sneedled
Brandet
Bronget
Flecket
Fronet
Gulmoget
Ilget
Iset
Katmoget
Katmollet
Kraiget
Kranset
Krunet
Marlit
Mirkface
Moget-faced
Mullit
Sholmet
Skeget
Smirslet
Snaelit
Sokket
Sponget
Yuglet
Having irregular patches of differing colours
Having a circular band of a different colour round the neck
With a white back and darker sides and belly, or vice-versa
Having a lighter shade on the outer part of the wool fibre, especially in moorit and dark brown sheep.
White, with irregular dark patches resembling ground partly snow covered
With white patches on nose and top of head
Dark coloured with a white stripe (blaze) down the forehead
Having stripes of another colour across the body (i.e. going over the back)
Dark coloured with light coloured breast, or vice versa
White with large black or brown patches (not as well defined as in Jacob sheep when in full fleece)
Black/brown spotted with white head and black/brown spots around the eyes
Having light underparts with a dark coloured body, white inside the ears and under the jaw ('Mouflon' pattern)
White with spots of a different colour (usually grey or black)
Black or shaela with many white fibres, giving a bluish hue from a distance
Having a light coloured body with dark belly and legs and a moget face. The reverse of Gulmoget
Having light coloured nose and jaws
Having the neck a different colour from the rest of the body
Dark coloured with white around eyes and head
Dark coloured with a white patch on the top of the head
Various shades of different colours, mottled
White with dark patches on the face
Applied to the characteristic face markings of the Katmoget pattern on sheep not otherwise displaying that pattern
White with dark nose and jaws - the reverse of Katmollet
Of any colour, other than white, with a white face
Stripes of different colours on the sides, not going over the back
With white around the mouth head or neck
Light coloured body with snow-white face
With legs of a different colour to the body - giving the effect of wearing socks
Dark coloured with small white spots
Having colour around eyes different from remainder of the body
Selection of pictures showing a few of the markings found in Shetland Sheep Society member's flocks.
Bersugget
Bielset
Bleset
Bleset
Gulmoget
Katmoget
Katmoget
Krunet
Smirslet
Yuglet