Isle of Mull – Highland Cattle

Seeing and photographing highland cattle was near the top of my wish list while in Scotland last month. So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity on two different occasions to see these beauties. Here’s a bit of information I found about them. Originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland, highland cattle are a rustic, hardy breed able to withstand extreme and unpredictable weather conditions. While most groups of cattle are called herds, highland cattle are referred to as folds, due to the fact that in the winter, they were kept inside open stone shelters (called folds) to protect them from the harsh elements. Both males and females have horns. Most are reddish in color, but some of black. Their long, wavy double woolly coats – oily on the outside and downy on the inside – helps protect them from the rain and wind. It is said that they are almost as cold-tolerant as the arctic-dwelling caribou and reindeer. They are also adept at foraging food in steep mountain areas and use their horns to plow through snow and to find buried plants and other food sources. Attached are some of my favorite images of these creatures.