Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland 5 Feb 2025

Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Being the "black sheep" isn"t always a bad thing—just ask the Scottish Blackface, seen here in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. With its striking dark features and a knack for thriving in places others wouldn"t, this British breed has turned the idiom on its head. Far from an outcast, it"s the backbone of Scotland"s rural life and a true champion of the hills and moors. Interestingly, the Blackface sheep didn"t originate in Scotland but south of the Anglo-Scottish border. The breed"s history is fascinating, and varieties such as the large-framed Perth and the medium-framed Lanark types are found across the United Kingdom. Though it"s the most common breed in the region, the Blackface sheep has spread across the world. Its coarse fleece is perfect for making durable products like carpets and tweeds—definitely not your average sweater material.

© Mike Powles/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

What are these colorful insects?
5 Feb 2024Northern hawk-owl
5 Feb 2026Salt evaporation ponds on the island of Gozo, Malta

More Desktop Wallpapers:

12 Jul 2024Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, USA
15 Sep 2025Point Reyes National Seashore, California, United States
A beach of many colours
23 Jan 2024Maldives
On a dark and stormy night...
When only a hug will do
Best views tower
2 Oct 2023World Architecture Day
26 Nov 2023Fallow deer, Bradgate Park, Leicestershire, England
Waterfall capital of the world?
16 Dec 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
10 Jul 2024Collared aracari
3 Sep 2024Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, USA
18 Apr 2025International Day for Monuments and Sites
28 Nov 2023Giving Tuesday
A vibrant, sun-drenched island
24 Nov 2023Green Friday
29 Jul 2025International Tiger Day
How can we help at-risk animals?
29 Sep 2023Castell Coch, Wales
A labyrinth of luxury
High above the Aegean Sea
26 Aug 2024Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge
8 Feb 2025Medieval towers in Mestia, Upper Svaneti, Georgia
2 Jun 2024Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, Italy
24 Aug 2025Notting Hill Carnival
6 Apr 2024Japan Castle Day
30 Dec 2023Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
7 Aug 2025Sweetheart Abbey, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
To the infinite and back