It is believed that the ancestors of Gotland Sheep was first established on the Swedish island of Gotland by the Vikings when native landrace sheep were crossed with Karakul and Romanov sheep brought back from expeditions deep into Russia. The Vikings brought sheep along on their journeys to provide meat and skins along the route. The Gutesheep are believed to be related directly to the Vikings sheep. Since the 1920’s an intensive selection among the horned Gutesheep followed by controlled breeding and has produced the sheep we today know as the Gotland Sheep (Formerly known as Gotland Pelt or Swedish Pelt).

The Gotland Sheep was first imported into the UK in 1972 with numbers growing year on year.
As a result of the enthusiam for the breed and the lack of a proactive association to help profile the breed the GSAUK was formed in 2025 for the benefit of the Gotland Sheep in the UK.