From shearing his first sheep at just 16 to preparing for his tenth appearance on the world stage, seasoned Scottish shearer Hamish Mitchell has dedicated a lifetime to farming and the wool industry. With over three decades of competitive experience across the globe and six years as a stock manager in Scotland, his career has been shaped by hard work, pride, and a deep-rooted passion for natural fibre. As he gears up once again to represent Scotland at the World Championships – and continues his role as one of our ambassadors – he reflects on his journey, the challenges facing the industry, and the importance of championing wool in a changing world.

Can you tell us about your background in farming and the wool industry?

I started sheep shearing at 16 and have been involved with sheep ever since. For the past 6 years I’ve worked as a stock manager on a property in Scotland. I’ve also competed in shearing around the world for 33 years.

How many times have you represented Scotland in the World Champs?

This will be my tenth time taking part, although I did miss the one held in France. Having been involved so many times now, I know what it takes to prepare properly, both physically and mentally, and I’m looking forward to getting back into it again

What’s your preparation for the World Champs?

Shearing is like riding a bike – once you can do it, it stays with you. That said, you still need the fitness. To keep on top of that, I’ve started running every day and focusing on staying fit. I’ll be travelling to New Zealand at the beginning of February, and from then on, I’ll be shearing full-time in the lead-up to the competition, including competitive shearing at weekends.

How does it feel representing Scotland on the World Stage?

It’s very hard to put into words – it’s a mix of pride and emotion. Standing on that stage and seeing your family there, and knowing how proud they are of you, is a fantastic feeling. Hearing from the people who’ve backed you along the way, telling you how much you deserve to be there, makes you feel genuinely appreciated and worthy of it.

How did you first become involved with us, and what led to you becoming an ambassador?

When I was 16, I wanted to learn to shear, so I started out on a British Wool shearing course. At 19, I went to America and worked as a shepherd for a couple of years, with the aim of heading on to New Zealand. Because of that, I went on a shearing course every year for six or seven years to keep improving.

Shearing has given me a lot over the years, along with plenty of good times. The most important thing to me about being an ambassador is wanting to see things move forward and modernise. I want to be part of helping drive that progress.

What does your role as Ambassador involve on a day-to-day basis?

As an ambassador, the main thing for me is being able to relate to farmers and encourage them to deliver their wool. I’m in auction marts regularly, and through shearing I still meet a lot of farmers who’ve followed my career over the last 30 years. Farmers often look to me for advice on how wool sales are going and to hear about any new innovations in the industry.

What do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing our industry?

How many people are actually wearing wool now? To increase demand, we need more people choosing wool. Oil-based synthetic fibres are taking over, and too many folk are wearing them instead. We need to change people’s habits and get them back to wearing natural wool.

In three words, how would you sum up British Wool?

Natural, Sustainable, Origin