Where to Find Highland Cows in Scotland: Highland Cattle
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Where to Find Highland Cows in Scotland: Looking for Highland Cows in Scotland? I know I was when we visited! Use this guide to help you find hairy-faced cuties across the country.
When you think of Scotland, chances are you think of the tartan kilts, eccentric bagpipes, tasty shortbread and thick accents.
But one of the most famous icons, (and of course, the cutest) is the trusty highland cow.
That’s right, you’ll find this visual wonder made into a soft toy, a magnet, or a bookmark in any tourist shop, and not surprisingly, tourists love ‘em (including myself).
So, you may ask, where can we find these hairy cows with shaggy features?
Lucky for you, I’ve written down all of the places you’re guaranteed (well, nearly) to find the great Scottish coos.
When I first visited Scotland, I think Tom was pretty much losing his head with how often I asked him if we could go and find highland cows.
Surprisingly, they’re actually harder to find than you think, and most of the time you end up spotting a bog-standard cow instead (I mean, they’re cute too, but they’re not a highland cow, are they?)
The locations I write about below are an ongoing working list.
The following are places I have personally seen Scottish highland cows, and I will continue to add to the list as I continue my many returns to Scotland.
🏴 Visiting Scotland? Check out my epic 7-day road trip route for the adventure of a lifetime!
Other Scotland posts:
- 7 Day Scotland Road Trip Route & Itinerary (2022)
- Isle of Skye Guide: Best Things to do on Isle of Skye, Scotland
- Fairy Pools Skye Walk: Everything You Need to Know (2022)
- 13 BEST Things to do in Aviemore (+ Travel Guide!)
- Old Man of Storr Walk Guide: Isle of Skye, Scotland
🗺️ When we were travelling Scotland, we used Take The Slow Road by Martin Dorey to help us decide on our next destination. If you’re looking for more recommendations of Scottish wonders, I also recommend this Scotland guide.
Where to find Highland Cows in Scotland
1) The A896 into Applecross (from Bealach na Ba)
I may have nearly caused a car crash when I spotted these guys on the side of the road whilst entering Applecross, but my god was it worth it!
A spot of heaven for highland cows, you’ll find around 6-7 of these beauties grazing on the long grass with just the most chill attitude.
The spot is super quiet, so we pulled over and got some great pics of the cows from about 2m away.
Unfortunately, there were no calves at the time we visited, but we found a few shaggy redheads, a white and even some black highland cows. A must spot for anyone in search of the hairy coos!
🏴 My Scotland must-have: I use my Insta Mini 11 to take photos on all of my trips. As they print instantly, they’re perfect for making a scrapbook and writing in all your favourite and funniest memories. I’ve even got my boyfriend joining in on it now too!
2) Duirinish (near the Skye Bridge)
Next was a town called Duirinish, where we saw a few ginger highland cows roaming behind a metal gate.
They were a bit further away than the ones in Applecross, but we did manage to see a few baby calves (which are so worth the drive! Their hair is just so floppy).
Park in the centre of the village, and walk past the small cafe (the village is tiny, you’ll know where I mean as soon as you visit). Just beyond the cafe is a large turf where the cows will be grazing.
Rumour has it, they sometimes let the cows roam free around the village, so you could be lucky and get an even closer look!
It’s a great place to find the highland cows in Scotland.
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3) The NC500 between Applecross and the Torridon Mountains
One of our funniest and most golden locations for spotting a highland cow was on the NC500, around 10 minutes north of Applecross.
Through pure chance, we managed to catch an Alpha cow chilling on the side of the road when we were driving towards the Torridon mountains.
Drive north from Applecross, the road is a single stretch, you won’t miss them, and there was a small huddle of them further in the distance from the Alpha.
If you’re lucky, they’ll be close to a layby or somewhere that you can pull over, but be sure to stay safe and not block up any passing places just to have a photo with a Highland cow!
🗺️ My Scotland must-have: Well, it’s a little more advanced, but if you want to take high-quality photos, make sure you invest in a good camera. This doesn’t have to be thousands of pounds, and our favourite is the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.
4) The Old Church House B&B, Isle of Skye
Located near the Skye bridge, this one is perfect for anyone who wants to see a real shaggy beauty. We managed to spot a few ginger beasts, behind a metal gate and grazing on the grass around them.
We saw around 3 highland cows here, and they were all ginger in colour. Sadly, no baby cows were at this location (but who knows when you visit!)
The cows were so peaceful here and even began running off into the distance like some sort of rom-com when we left. It was quite a picture.
Looking for things to do on the Isle of Skye? Check out my detailed Isle of Skye guide here!
🗺️ My Scotland must-have: Don’t forget an additional memory card and hard drive for saving your photos on the road!
5) Rothiemurchus Highland Estate
Rothiemurcus (one of my favourite places in Scotland, for other reasons than just the highland cows), you can spot a number of the impressive beasts dotted around the park with an incredible backdrop of the Cairngorms National Park.
Here you’ll find heaps of the highland cows in Scotland, ginger, white, black, and most importantly, incredibly shaggy.
Visiting Aveimore? I love it so much that I’ve written a guide ALL about it! You can check it out here!
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What does a highland cow look like?
A giant beast. No, I’m kidding, but it is the most impressive-looking cow you can possibly find.
Wild, rugged, and intimidating, these fellas have shaggy hair all over their bodies and are known for their two large protruding horns sticking out the side of their heads.
The baby coos (coo is Scots for cow) won’t have horns until they are adults, but they have even shaggier faces and are even cuter than their parents. Honestly, when you see one with your own eyes, you’ll get it.
🗺️ My Scotland must-have: A portable power bank. Don’t get caught short and lose your phone battery whilst travelling! If you’re solo travelling, you’re going to rely on it to get you from A to B.
Are highland cows dangerous?
To put it simply, no. Unless you’re a complete idiot and wind them up.
These gentle giants have a friendly nature, but can be easily spooked, so make sure you’re careful around them and their babies (common sense).
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Do we eat highland cows?
Yes. Highland cow meat is exceptionally good quality. With 40% less fat and cholesterol than normal beef, the highland beauties are well sought after.
🗺️ My world travel must-have: Whilst out during the day, I use a tote bag to hold my belongings like my camera, notebook, purse and Microfibre towel. It’s easier to pack away than a big beach bag, and can be neatly tucked away when you don’t need it!
Where to find Highland Cows in Scotland: The Facts
- Highland cows aren’t just the rich ginger you may think of them to be. Quite often they are white, yellow, black and a darker shade of orange.
- Scottish Highland cows most famous asset, their shaggy hair, can grow as long as 13 inches! This extra layer keeps them warm when the temperature drops.
- Their long and recognisable horns help them to forage for food during the Scottish snowy seasons.
- Strangely, a group of highland cows are not called a herd, but a ‘fold’ instead.
- Highland cows are known to be caring mothers to their young, and can live for as long as 20 years!
- A Scottish Highland cow mother can birth around 12 little calves. Imagine that!
- The larger than life, Scottish highland cows are the oldest cattle breed in the world.
Just be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the highland cows, as they can be anywhere!
These shaggy-haired bovines are a real sight to behold, and they can be found all over the Scottish countryside.
While they may look intimidating at first, highland cows are actually very gentle creatures, and they’re always up for a photo op.
So if you see one while you’re out and about, don’t be shy – go say hello! Just be careful not to get too close – those horns can be sharp!
Where to find Highland Cows in Scotland: In a Nutshell
Well, there you have it. Some of my favourite places to find Highland cows in Scotland.
Whilst I’m sure there are others, finding these animals is actually a lot harder than it looks!
Have you got another location to add to this where to find Highland cows in Scotland post? Let me know!
Oh, and before I forget, I have an EPIC Scotland road trip itinerary for you to look at. Enjoy!
Happy travelling!
Jennie 😀
x
🗺️ Booking hostels? I always use Hostelworld as their deals are usually the cheapest. They also have reviews from other backpackers, and explain the vibe of the hostel (party, chill, social…) so you know exactly what you’re booking.
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