#510 Highland Cattle #510
by William Lum
Title
#510 Highland Cattle #510
Artist
William Lum
Medium
Painting - Watercolor
Description
My watercolor painting of Highland cattle that I saw on my visit to the Little Bear Tree Farm in Alta, California. In the middle is Little Bear Highlands first bull calf, Tobi.
The UK holds about 15,000 Highland cattle while the overall population in the USA and Canada is estimated to 11,000 animals. The Highland (Scottish Gaelic: Bò Ghàidhealach; Scots: Heilan coo) is a Scottish breed of rustic cattle. It originated in the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland and has long horns and a long shaggy coat. It is a hardy breed, bred to withstand the intemperate conditions in the region. They have an unusual double coat of hair. On the outside is the oily outer hair—the longest of any cattle breed—covering a downy undercoat. This makes them well suited to conditions in the Highlands, which have a high annual rainfall and sometimes very strong winds. They can dig through the snow with their horns to find buried plants.
Mature bulls can weigh up to 1,800 pounds and heifers can weigh up to 1,100 pounds. They have a docile temperament and the milk has a high butterfat content, so have traditionally been used as house cows. They are generally good-natured animals but very protective of their young. The collective name for a group of cows is usually a herd. However, a group of Highland cattle is known as a ‘fold’ – named after the open shelters they can be kept in over winter. If you are seeking the Highland Cow whilst visiting their country of origin, you may find yourself with more success if you ask the locals to point you in the direction of the “Hairy Coos”, as they are locally and affectionately known.
This 15” X 22” watercolor was done on Arches, 140 lb, rough paper.
Uploaded
October 9th, 2020
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