Highland Cows in Scotland: Where to See Them, Plus 10 Fun Facts
Highland Cows in Scotland: Where to See Them, Plus 10 Fun Facts
For a lot of our guests, a Highland cow is as big a highlight as any castle. Here's where to find them, from the roadside in Glencoe to farms where you can feed them, plus the facts our guides get asked on every tour.
You can see Highland cows all over the Highlands and islands, usually in fields beside the road. The most reliable places for visitors are:
- Kilmahog, near Callander, where a small fold lives beside the Trossachs Woollen Mill and you can feed them.
- Glencoe and the A82 through the glen.
- The Isle of Skye, especially around Sligachan, Uig and the Trotternish peninsula.
- Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, around Balmaha and Aberfoyle.
- The North Coast 500, where they sometimes stand in the road.
- Scottish nameHeilan cooSay it "hee-lan coo"
- A group is calledA foldNot a herd
- LifespanUp to about 20 yearsLonger than most breeds
- Herd bookSince 1884The Highland Cattle Society
- ColoursRed, black, yellow, dun, whitePlus brindle and silver
- Tour with a coo stopLoch Ness day tourFrom £96 pp
Where can you see Highland cows in Scotland?
Highland cows are working farm animals, so you'll mostly see them in fields and on open hillsides rather than at attractions. These are the places where our guides find them most often.
1Kilmahog, near Callander
The easiest place to meet a Highland cow up close is the Trossachs Woollen Mill at Kilmahog, just outside Callander on the edge of the Highlands. It's about an hour from Glasgow and an hour and a quarter from Edinburgh. Three cows live in the field behind the mill: Honey, who was born there in 2011, Hamish Dubh and Holly. The shop sells bags of feed, and the cows know it.
It's the Highland cow stop on Day 2 of our 2-day Loch Ness and Highlands tour, when time and the cows allow.
2Glencoe
Glencoe is one of the most famous glens in Scotland, and Highland cattle graze the fields around Glencoe village and along the A82. A shaggy red coo with the mountains of the glen behind it is about as Scottish as a photograph gets.
3The Isle of Skye
On the Isle of Skye, crofts and open hillsides mean you'll often see cattle close to the road. Keep an eye out around Sligachan, near Uig and the Quiraing on the Trotternish peninsula, and on the roads to Elgol and Dunvegan. Many of these are working crofts, so stay on the road side of the fence.
4Loch Lomond and the Trossachs
The national park closest to Glasgow and Edinburgh has plenty of farmland between its lochs and forests. Look around Balmaha on the east shore of Loch Lomond, Aberfoyle and the road to Stronachlachar. See our Loch Lomond and the Trossachs guide.
5The North Coast 500
On the North Coast 500 route, Highland cattle are often grazing near Applecross, Shieldaig, Lochinver and Durness, and sometimes wander onto the single-track roads. Drive slowly, give them space and wait for them to move.
6Farms where you can meet them
Several farms offer Highland cow experiences, which are especially good with children:
- Kitchen Coos & Ewes near Newton Stewart in Galloway runs farm tours where you can meet the cows up close.
- Arnprior Farm near Stirling often has Highland cows among its farm animals.
- The Highland Cattle Society lists shows and sales, including the big sales at Oban, where you can see the best of the breed.
Highland cows are gentle, but they're big animals with long horns, and the cows are protective of their calves. Never climb a fence or walk into a field to get a photo, and don't feed them unless the farmer says you can. The best photos come from the roadside with a bit of zoom.
What is a Highland cow?
The Highland cow (or "Heilan coo" if you want to sound local) is an ancient Scottish breed of beef cattle, famous for its long shaggy coat, long curved horns and a fringe that hangs over its eyes.
They were bred to live outdoors all year in the Highlands, in rain, snow, wind and midges. A soft, woolly undercoat keeps them warm, and a long, oily outer coat keeps them dry, so they don't need a thick layer of fat to stay warm. Despite the horns, they're known for their calm, gentle nature.
Most people picture a ginger cow, but Highland cattle come in several colours: red, black, yellow, dun (a greyish brown), white, brindle and silver.
Where are Highland cows from?
Highland cattle come from the Scottish Highlands and the Western Isles. There were once two types: a smaller, usually black cow from the islands, and a larger, usually red cow from the mainland. Over time they were bred together into the single breed we know today.
Highland cattle breeders started a herd book in 1884, when the Highland Cattle Society was founded, which makes them one of the oldest registered cattle breeds in the world. Today you'll find them far beyond Scotland, including in England, Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.
What are Highland cows used for?
Highland cattle were kept for both meat and milk, but today they're raised mainly for beef. Because they grow slowly on rough grazing and keep warm with their coats rather than fat, their beef is lean and well marbled.
They're also used in conservation grazing: their appetite for rough grass, bracken and scrub helps keep wild land open for other plants and wildlife. And of course, they've become a symbol of Scotland, on postcards, tea towels and a great many Instagram feeds.
How much does a Highland cow cost?
Prices depend on age, pedigree, sex and whether the animal is for breeding or beef, and they vary a lot between countries.
- In Scotland: pedigree animals are sold at the Highland Cattle Society's sales in Oban. At the February 2026 spring sale, good pedigree heifers sold for several thousand guineas, and a bull called Jock of Cnoc na Sith set a record for the breed at 34,000 guineas (about £35,700). Unregistered and commercial animals sell for much less at local markets.
- In the United States: US buyer guides in 2026 put Highland calves at about $2,500 to $5,500, and registered breeding stock at about $6,000 to $15,000 or more.
Remember that the price of the cow is the start. They need plenty of space, good fencing, shelter, winter feed and company: they're herd animals and shouldn't be kept alone.
10 fun facts about Highland cows
- They're one of the oldest registered cattle breeds in the world, with a herd book going back to 1884.
- A group of Highland cattle is called a fold, after the stone shelters they were once kept in overnight in winter.
- They have two coats: a soft, downy undercoat and a long, oily outer coat that sheds rain and snow.
- The fringe has a name. It's called a dossan, and it protects their eyes from rain, wind and insects.
- Both cows and bulls have horns. The cows' horns tend to curve upwards, and the bulls' are shorter and point more forwards.
- They live a long time, often into their late teens and sometimes to about 20, much longer than many commercial breeds.
- They're excellent mothers and can keep calving well into old age.
- They're sure-footed and happy grazing steep, rough hillsides that other cattle avoid.
- There's a royal fold. The royal family has kept Highland cattle on the Balmoral estate for decades.
- "Coo" is just Scots for "cow". So a hairy coo is simply a hairy cow, and it rhymes with "moo".
Tours where you can see Highland cows
Our guides know the fields where the cows like to stand, and they'll stop for a photo whenever they can. On several of our tours from Edinburgh and Glasgow, a Highland cow stop is part of the plan, although it depends on the cows, the season and the timing on the day, so we can't promise one.
"Richie also arranged for a last minute stop to visit a highland coo which made for the perfect ending." Carey R., Loch Ness Day Tour, Google review
Loch Ness Day Trip from EdinburghThe Highlands, Fort Augustus on Loch Ness, Glencoe and Loch Lomond in one guided day.From £96 pp50% depositView tour →
Loch Ness & Highlands 2-Day TourLoch Ness, a night in Fort William, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Glencoe.From £196 pp25% depositView tour →
Isle of Skye 3-Day Tour from EdinburghTwo nights on Skye via Glencoe and Loch Ness: the Old Man of Storr, Fairy Glen and Eilean Donan.From £248 pp25% depositView tour →
5-Day Outer Hebrides Tour from EdinburghLuskentyre Beach, the Callanish Stones, Lewis blackhouses and Loch Ness. Ferries included.From £428 pp25% depositView tour →Our Loch Lomond tours and Glencoe tours also pass through Highland cow country. Travelling with children or want a guaranteed coo? A private tour can include a farm visit.
Highland cow FAQs
Where is the best place to see Highland cows in Scotland?
For a guaranteed close look, the Trossachs Woollen Mill at Kilmahog near Callander, where you can feed them. In the wild, Glencoe, the Isle of Skye, Loch Lomond and the North Coast 500 are all good places to spot them from the road.
Can you see Highland cows near Edinburgh or Glasgow?
Yes. Kilmahog, near Callander, is about an hour from Glasgow and an hour and a quarter from Edinburgh, and there are Highland cattle on farms around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. Our Loch Ness day tour from Edinburgh often includes a chance to see them.
Are Highland cows friendly?
They're calm and gentle animals, but they're large, have long horns and the cows protect their calves. Enjoy them from the other side of the fence.
How long do Highland cows live?
Often into their late teens, and sometimes up to about 20 years, which is longer than most cattle breeds.
Why do Highland cows have long hair?
Their two-layer coat keeps them warm and dry in the Highland weather. The long fringe, called a dossan, protects their eyes from rain, wind and insects.
What is a group of Highland cows called?
A fold.
Can you touch or feed Highland cows?
Only where the owner allows it, such as at the Trossachs Woollen Mill or on a farm experience. Don't feed or touch cattle in fields you pass.
More Scottish wildlife
Last updated September 2026 by the Scotland's Wild team.
