As parts of eastern Scotland are being described as 'the savannah without the lions', farmers and crofters out west are suffering one of the wettest summers in a generation.

On the islands and west coast, dry days have been few and farm between since spring, leaving silage and shearing to be crammed into long days when weather windows allow.

Angus Macdonald, of Ardbhan, north Uist, said: “It is the worst summer since 1985. I know some tourists who arrived on the Friday for two weeks' holiday and left on the Monday due to the weather.

"It's just terrible – we have had five days of sunshine tops. We are having to keep the cattle out of the hill to prevent them getting stuck in bogs. It is as wet here today as it should be in February.

"My son managed to get the sheep clipped but it wasn’t easy, you can only get a few done at a time. When you get a break in the clouds you end up working 20 hours in the day just to get the job done. The ground is soft and the grass as green as cabbages.”

Further north on the Outer Hebrides, Norman Mackay, of Manaisiader, Isle of Lewis, said: “It has been dull, overcast and wet all summer. We cant cut silage until September 1 as we are in a environmental scheme, but when we do, I know it is going to be very wet.

"I was shifting cattle yesterday and I managed to get the quad stuck which should never happen in August – it was drier here in March. The grass has grown this summer which is a saving as we didn’t apply any fertiliser as it is costing us £850 for a 600kg bag when it cost only £260 for the bag last year.”

Across in Skye, Jake Sayles, of Dun Flashadder cottage croft, who is the local NFU mutual agent, said: “It has been a pretty challenging year so far. The two big things which have been impacted is the shearing and the silage.

"The shearing has been hellish to organise and we have had sheep clipped in the wet which is never good. There is also silage being made in the wet which is leaving fields in poor conditions afterwards, but you have to get it off.

"Everything is just much more delayed this year, compared to last year it is chalk and cheese. We try to fit everything around the brief glimpses of dry and sunshine. We have had maybe five or six completely dry days since March. Pretty much it has rained every day for three months.”

Over on the mainland by Ullapool, Mairi Mackenzie, of Loggie Lochbroom, said: “It is very localised, across the hill from us has been very wet but here is has been more damp. There has been warm weather but not hot. There is a huge amount of growth in the grass and plants. Everything is growing which is good as I am hearing that a round bale is costing west coast crofters £47.”

Further south in Kintyre, Duncan McAllister of Glenbarr farms described its summer as 'grey'. “We have had very little sunshine – up until a week ago you could count the sunny days on one hand. I have ramularia in our barley for the first time I can remember. We will find out how it has impacted yield when we cut at the end of August and September.

"Grass-wise we have loads, it is coming out of our ears. We don't need any more rain until Christmas.”