HIGHLAND CATTLE GALORE Book Review

by Una Flora Cochrane

A must read for the Highland enthusiast, this collection of old photos, prints and stories is the perfect, lighter follow-up to the author’s in depth coverage of the breed in ‘A Keen Eye’. The latter is no longer available as all copies have been snapped up, but this most recent soft cover of 56 pages is still around and really opens your eye up to some of the history that surrounds our breed.

From sea or loch crossings where cattle used to swim on route to sales, through to the use of Highland cattle in cartoons and advertising, there is many an eye catching image of these mystical animals. One example is of a photo of a group of about 10 animals swimming across a wide stretch of water (right). This routinely happened up until the early 1900’s where herdsmen took cattle from the islands off the west coast of Scotland, to markets on the mainland.

I could not believe how inexpensive this book was, but will guarantee that you will marvel at the fact and folklore contained in ‘Highland Cattle Galore’. Una writes with passion and has obviously researched extensively for this book. Both by speaking with some who can still remember the old days, or the tales of parents or grandparents, and by reading every available snippet of information that one could get their hands on regarding Highland cattle. So if you are a Highland breeder who can not get enough of these magnificent animals and their long history, or even if you just wanted to see bikini clad models handling a Highland cow & calf, this book should be on your coffee table.