An endangered Irish cattle breed has been introduced to Scottish Highlands in a bid to restore a landscape described as Scotland's rainforest habitat.

The herd of 12 Droimeann cattle have been brought to Ardtornish, a remote estate on the west coast, where they will be put to work across woodland, scrub and rough grazing.

The animals will break up dense bracken, manage coarse grasses and help create the conditions for a wider range of native plants and habitats to recover.

They will also form the beginnings of a working herd that can produce food.

It is believed to be the first time in centuries that the ancient cattle breed has been introduced to Scotland.

Cattle

The arrival is a new dimension in Ardtornish’s long-term effort to restore land shaped by generations of heavy sheep and deer grazing.

The estate has worked to reduce grazing pressure and created a native woodland.

The Droimeann cattle will be directed to areas where their grazing, browsing and movement can help the land recover.

Droimeann cattle have a rich history in Irish folklore, with written records going back over 1,000 years.

The breed was once widespread in Ireland but became rare as farming moved towards more specialised breeds.

The Irish government recognised the Droimeann as a native rare breed in 2020.

Landscape

Hugh Raven, managing director of Ardtornish estate, said the landscape has been shaped by large numbers of sheep and deer for many generations.

"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.

"Bringing Droimeann cattle to Ardtornish is an important step in that work," he said.

The project is being led by Alec Heywood, farming partner at Ardtornish, who researched the breed and arranged for the cattle to be brought from Ireland.

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

"We can use them to break up dense bracken, graze areas that need careful management and help make room for a richer range of plants," he said.

Heywood said the project will also aim to "produce good organic food as the land recovers".

Ardtornish will follow the cattle’s impact across different habitats as the project develops.

The cattle were sourced from the herds of Irish farmers Tom Keane and Anthony MacNamara.

Tom farms beside the Shannon Estuary in West Limerick, where he has a herd of around 70 Droimeann cattle.

"A great many people have worked to keep the Droimeann going and build its numbers. Seeing a herd establish itself in Scotland is encouraging for the breed and great for Ardtornish.

"It spreads those precious bloodlines to another country, promotes the shared cultural connection that these cattle can foster, and gives the Droimeann a role doing what hardy, adaptable animals do well: living on the land and helping to manage it," he said.