A "straw-aid" ship set sail for a remote Scottish island after a rural charity helped farmers hit by the poor summer - saving them from "financial disaster" and having to cut herds.

NFU Scotland said that due to the exceptionally wet seasonal weather - when parts of the country received their highest rainfall for more than a century - some farmers and crofters have struggled to produce the necessary volumes of winter feed and bedding.

Scotland's unique rural charity, RSABI, established a fund to assist farmers with the haulage of straw to Orkney.

Straw destined for the island of Westray would traditionally have been shipped to mainland Orkney before further ferry transport to the island.

However, the first emergency shipment left from Montrose aboard the MV Burhou yesterday to travel directly to the remote island.

John Kinnaird, chairman of RSABI said: "We are delighted to be able to help the farmers on Westray - it is what we are here for. The weather on the Orkney Islands has been terrible this year, and many are struggling to make ends meet.

"Straw is an essential item and normally sourced locally. The huge costs to import straw to Westray may well have meant financial disaster for many. Thank you to NFU Scotland for putting this together.

"While RSABI has been delighted to assist Westray farmers and has a wider fund in place to assist shipping straw to Orkney, these are tough times for all who work and live in the Scottish countryside."

Phil Bews, NFU Scotland's Westray Branch chairman, said: "This much-needed shipment of straw for Westray has helped the island economy - without it farmers would have struggled to have maintain their breeding cow numbers and would have been forced to reduce their herds.

"We really appreciate all the work the different organisations involved have done to make this happen."

The straw has been sourced through the machinery ring Ringlink. While farmers will pay the market rate for the straw, the shipping has been part-funded by the organisers.

The shipment - the first of three - is also the culmination of work carried out by the Westray branch of NFU Scotland, NFUS head office, Scottish Government and Ringlink Machinery Ring which saw them organise supplies of straw and hire a cargo vessel to ship the straw direct to the island.

NFU Scotland Chief Executive Scott Walker said: "A lot of work has been carried out to ensure this vital shipment of straw goes to Westray.

"The exceptional quantities required meant that traditional ferry options were not viable and I am very pleased that NFUS with the strong support of others has been able to charter a dedicated ship to ensure that the livestock farmers on Westray get the support they need to see them through the winter.

"The weather this year has impacted on farming across the whole of Scotland. The high concentration of cattle on the island of Westray, the volume of straw required and the difficulties involved in getting it there in sufficient time has meant we have had to take extraordinary measures to ensure that we protect the farms which are economically critical to the island."

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead added: "Orkney experienced its worst weather in over a century in the first half of this year, with the poor conditions hitting farmers on Westray particularly hard.

"In recognition of these exceptional circumstances being faced on Westray, I can confirm the Scottish Government is providing a significant contribution towards the cost of these direct shipments. I hope this shared endeavour will provide welcome relief to farmers on the island.

"Earlier this year RSABI received new funding from the Scottish Government to support farmers, and my officials are continuing to work closely with NFU Scotland and other industry partners on the wet weather working group to monitor the impact of the poor conditions on production and explore what else can be done to help."