An essentially
Scottish animal, the highland cow is big, fluffy, and
ginger. With long, thick fur, a shaggy mane, and a
pink nose, highland cows have a very distinctive appearance, and are inexorably associated with the scottish highlands.
The highland cow has been farmed in
scotland since the 19th centuary, and was the country's primary meat breed until only recently. The highland cow is unusually easy to look after, having a docile temprament and a strong maternal instinct, eating almost anything, and coping easily with harsh scottish winters - highland cows have even been sucessfully kept in
Norway and
Alaska. With its thick coat of hair, the highland cow need less
body fat to keep warm, and thus is
leaner than other breeds. The
meat from highland cows (and their
hybrids) commands a high price, and nowadays pure-bred highland cows are raised in small numbers as breeding stock, for premium beef, and as tourist attractions.
It's almost imposible to
Visit Scotland! without encountering a (at the very least a
plush) highland cow...
http://www.grantsfarm.com/docs/highland.htm has a picture of a highland cow
http://www.plaidepalette.com/highcow.html sells plush highland cows
I reference http://www.heatheryford.com/Breed.html