One of the favorite beasts here is the Highland Cattle breed. Poor as they are on the test stations for daily rate of gain on controlled programs, they have become hereabouts "estate cattle", with slow growth and several unique qualities but with incredible personable traits. They are frugal keepers, existing on the toughest of pasture and in the worst of weather with little or no shelter. They have a great fury hide to tan like a buffalo, and great whacking horns to intimidate city folk intruders.Ttheir back fat content measures less than skinned boned chicken breast. They inspire a dignified air to any country place, like a cupola and a wind vane on a barn roof. I understand the blunt economics of the cattle biz, but indeed why are there not more highlands in Orkney? Were they not the original beasts up there? Stephen (google highland cattle association)

stephen davie wrote: > One of the favorite beasts here is the Highland Cattle breed. Poor as > they are on the test stations for daily rate of gain on controlled > programs, they have become hereabouts "estate cattle", with slow > growth and several unique qualities but with incredible personable > traits. They are frugal keepers, existing on the toughest of pasture > and in the worst of weather with little or no shelter. They have a > great fury hide to tan like a buffalo, and great whacking horns to > intimidate city folk intruders.Ttheir back fat content measures less > than skinned boned chicken breast. They inspire a dignified air to > any country place, like a cupola and a wind vane on a barn roof. > > I understand the blunt economics of the cattle biz, but indeed why > are there not more highlands in Orkney? Were they not the original > beasts up there? From what I remember from our time in the Scottish Highlands (Brora, Sutherland - 30 years ago) Highland cattle both graze and browse as well as eating plants that other cattle avoid. I don't know about the rest of Orkney but the monks on Papa Stronsay used to have a few Highland cows. The original inhabitants of Skara Brae ate cattle that might have been of the highland type - see <http://www.cruachan.com.au/history.htm> -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?"

My Dad referred to one of them as a " Mukkle coo !! " Isabella ----- Original Message ----- From: "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay)" <[email protected]> Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:41 am Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Highland Cattle To: [email protected] > stephen davie wrote: > > One of the favorite beasts here is the Highland Cattle breed. > Poor as  > > they are on the test stations for daily rate of gain on > controlled  > > programs, they have become hereabouts  "estate cattle", > with slow  > > growth and several unique qualities but with incredible > personable  > > traits. They are frugal keepers, existing on the toughest of > pasture  > > and in the worst of weather with little or no shelter. They > have a  > > great fury hide to tan like a buffalo, and great whacking > horns to  > > intimidate city folk intruders.Ttheir back fat content > measures less  > > than skinned boned chicken breast. They inspire a dignified > air to  > > any country place, like a cupola and a wind vane on a barn roof. > > > > I understand the blunt economics of the cattle biz, but indeed > why  > > are there not more highlands in Orkney? Were they not the > original  > > beasts up there? > >  From what I remember from our time in the Scottish > Highlands (Brora, > Sutherland - 30 years ago) Highland cattle both graze and browse > as well > as eating plants that other cattle avoid. I don't know about the > rest of > Orkney but the monks on Papa Stronsay used to have a few > Highland cows. > The original inhabitants of Skara Brae ate cattle that might > have been > of the highland type - see <http://www.cruachan.com.au/history.htm> > -- > Bruce Fletcher > Stronsay, Orkney > <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> > "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?" > _______________________________________ > Orcadia Group Photo Album > http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ORCADIA- > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > Isabella

I remember seeing some highland cows at Braebuster (in Deerness) this past summer. Peggy "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay)" <[email protected]> wrote: stephen davie wrote: > One of the favorite beasts here is the Highland Cattle breed. Poor as > they are on the test stations for daily rate of gain on controlled > programs, they have become hereabouts "estate cattle", with slow > growth and several unique qualities but with incredible personable > traits. They are frugal keepers, existing on the toughest of pasture > and in the worst of weather with little or no shelter. They have a > great fury hide to tan like a buffalo, and great whacking horns to > intimidate city folk intruders.Ttheir back fat content measures less > than skinned boned chicken breast. They inspire a dignified air to > any country place, like a cupola and a wind vane on a barn roof. > > I understand the blunt economics of the cattle biz, but indeed why > are there not more highlands in Orkney? Were they not the original > beasts up there? >From what I remember from our time in the Scottish Highlands (Brora, Sutherland - 30 years ago) Highland cattle both graze and browse as well as eating plants that other cattle avoid. I don't know about the rest of Orkney but the monks on Papa Stronsay used to have a few Highland cows. The original inhabitants of Skara Brae ate cattle that might have been of the highland type - see -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?" _______________________________________ Orcadia Group Photo Album http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message --------------------------------- Luggage? GPS? Comic books? Check out fitting gifts for grads at Yahoo! Search.

The tradition cattle were small and black Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device -----Original Message----- From: "Bruce Fletcher (Stronsay)" <[email protected]> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 18:19:00 To:[email protected] Subject: Re: [ORCADIA] Highland Cattle stephen davie wrote: > One of the favorite beasts here is the Highland Cattle breed. Poor as > they are on the test stations for daily rate of gain on controlled > programs, they have become hereabouts "estate cattle", with slow > growth and several unique qualities but with incredible personable > traits. They are frugal keepers, existing on the toughest of pasture > and in the worst of weather with little or no shelter. They have a > great fury hide to tan like a buffalo, and great whacking horns to > intimidate city folk intruders.Ttheir back fat content measures less > than skinned boned chicken breast. They inspire a dignified air to > any country place, like a cupola and a wind vane on a barn roof. > > I understand the blunt economics of the cattle biz, but indeed why > are there not more highlands in Orkney? Were they not the original > beasts up there? From what I remember from our time in the Scottish Highlands (Brora, Sutherland - 30 years ago) Highland cattle both graze and browse as well as eating plants that other cattle avoid. I don't know about the rest of Orkney but the monks on Papa Stronsay used to have a few Highland cows. The original inhabitants of Skara Brae ate cattle that might have been of the highland type - see <http://www.cruachan.com.au/history.htm> -- Bruce Fletcher Stronsay, Orkney <www.stronsay.co.uk/claremont> "Do you get virgin wool from ugly sheep?" _______________________________________ Orcadia Group Photo Album http://tinyurl.com/28bx9x ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message