Endangered Irish cattle brought to Scotland for west coast 'rainforest' restoration project

The Droimeann cattle have been brought to Ardtornish, a remote estate on the west coast, in what is believed to be the breed’s first introduction to Scotland for centuries.

Rather than simply being grazed on pasture, the cattle will be used as part of the estate’s efforts to restore ancient woodland, otherwise referred to as Scotland’s rainforest habitat. Their grazing, browsing and movement are intended to break up dense bracken, control coarse grasses and create space for a wider variety of plants. They can eat a variety of vegetation from sea weed to thistles and browse woodland species like ivy almost as much as they eat grass.

The project, the estate said, reflects a shift away from trying to restore Highland landscapes solely by planting trees. Ardtornish has already reduced grazing pressure from sheep and deer and established areas of native woodland. The cattle are intended to provide another tool for managing the land as it recovers.

“These cattle are remarkably good at finding food across woodland, scrub and rough ground,” said Alec Heywood, the farming partner leading the project.

“That makes them valuable partners in the work we want to do here.”

Mr Heywood said the intention to bring the cattle in was also to produce organic food from the recovering land.

The Droimeann is one of Ireland’s oldest cattle breeds, with written records dating back more than 1,000 years. Once widespread, it declined as Irish agriculture increasingly favoured more specialised breeds. The Irish government formally recognised it as a native rare breed in 2020.

The animals are known for their ability to forage over difficult and varied ground. The first arrivals at Ardtornish included several of the breed’s traditional colour patterns, including cattle with the distinctive pale stripe along their backs from which the name Droimeann derives.

The breed also has connections with the Gaelic culture of both Ireland and Scotland. Old Gaelic milking songs celebrate its different colourings, while historical texts lament the disappearance of the cattle from Highland Scotland.

The Ardtornish team said they hope eventually to establish a breeding herd, although they are still seeking genetically suitable bulls.

Hugh Raven, the estate’s managing director, said the cattle formed part of a broader attempt to reverse the effects of generations of heavy sheep and deer grazing.

“For generations, this landscape has been shaped by large numbers of sheep and deer,” he said.

“Renewing it will take more than planting trees. We need the right animals, in the right places, helping natural processes return while people continue to farm and produce food here.”

The cattle came from herds belonging to Tom Keane, a farmer in west Limerick, and Anthony MacNamara. Mr Keane farms beside the Shannon Estuary and has about 70 Droimeann cattle. He and his brother Michael began keeping the breed in 2001 and subsequently worked with other breeders and the Droimeann Cattle Society to preserve it and establish its herd book.

Mr Keane said establishing a herd in Scotland would help spread the breed’s bloodlines while giving it a new practical role.

“A great many people have worked to keep the Droimeann going and build its numbers,” he said.

“Seeing a herd establish itself in Scotland is encouraging for the breed and great for Ardtornish.”