How Highland Cattle are named

Many breeders of Highland Cattle start up with a number of cows, which may, in all likelihood, have been acquired from different breeders. Breeding Highlanders begins and heifer calves are born and need to be named. A common way to name these heifers is to use the name of the dam to preserve the identity of the female line.

For example, Anabladh of Alpha is bred in the Killochries fold and so the heifer calf would be named Anabladh of Killochries. If the next year the foundation cow has another heifer calf then this calf would be named Anabladh 2nd of Killochries.

The highland Cattle Society are always keen to encourage the use of Gaelic names, which is a tradition that is kept up here at Killochries. Below is a list of Gaelic names and translations.