The story of the Craigowmill Fold

Ken and I started our adventure with Highland cattle in 1987 founding the Craigowmill Fold with three heifer calves. Since then we have expanded just a wee bit (as Ken wood say!!)

Highland cattle have been in Ken’s family since the early 1900s when his great uncle, John Christie, established he famous Gartlea Fold which twice won the Bull Championship at Oban, latterly with the renowned Fearchar of Gartlea in 1938. Of forty Bulls exported to North America after the war twenty were direct descendants of Fearchar!

Ken’s father carried on the Highland tradition until 1950 when farming policy was changed.

Some of our cows purchased from Rosemary Dalgleish (The Leachy and Barbreck Folds) are direct descendants of the Barbreck foundation stock bought from Gartlea in 1930.

Black Cow with a little brown calf next to a yellow gorse bush.

Our policy has been to build up a wide variety of bloodlines to study the different characteristics of the breed. We like all colours and choose bulls to compliment our females and to maintain a steady improvement in our stock.

The cattle at Craigowmill graze in the natural conditions you see on our site, with most of the breeding stock being kept at 1,000 feet or higher. In winter cows and older heifers graze our hill ground with only molasses and minerals to supplement the available grass.

Cows are ‘snacked’ with 1kg of cobs from early February and the older heifers receive the same ration from late March until the new grass comes. This regime allows the cattle to mature steadily in their natural environment and to nurture their hardiness and true breed character.

Eva Brown