Meet Angus and Winston: Portpatrick’s Most Famous Highland Cows

September 22, 2026

No animal sells Scotland better than the Highland cow, and if you’re after Highland cows near Portpatrick, you’re in luck. You’ll find them on tea towels, tote bags, shortbread tins, and now on people’s travel plans too. In fact, more and more visitors are planning whole trips just to meet one.

Bred to survive, not to look cute

Highland cattle were not bred to be cute. Instead, they were bred to survive. The Highland Cattle Society, which keeps one of the oldest breed records in the world, explains that this breed was built for wild land and hard winters. For example, they have two coats of hair: a rough outer layer and a soft layer underneath. On top of that, their long fringe keeps rain and flies out of their eyes. As a result, they can live well on rough grass that most other cattle could not survive on.

The famous fringe

That fringe has a proper name: the dossan. It also happens to be the most photographed part of any Scottish farm, which brings us to why this cow became so famous in the first place.

How a cow became famous online

Social media changed everything. To begin with, VisitScotland’s #Coosday hashtag has run for over ten years. On its tenth birthday, for instance, posts reached more than three million people, according to The Highland Times. You can read more about how it grew on VisitScotland’s own page.

Then TikTok made it even bigger. According to The Times, people now travel to the Highlands just to film these cows, with billions of views under related hashtags. Meanwhile, when the public voted for Scotland’s favourite animal, the Highland cow won with 56% of the vote, as reported by The Herald.

It brings real visitors, not just likes

Because of all this attention, the effect on tourism is real too. Reports on Scottish tourism show more visitors coming from abroad just to see Highland cattle. Some farms have even started building visits around their herds. So for small businesses in the countryside, a few well-loved cows can bring in real guests, not just likes online.

Where to find Highland cows near Portpatrick

Here is something many visitors don’t realise: you do not need to go all the way to Skye or drive the NC500 to meet a Highland cow. Instead, this breed is kept all across the country, including here on the Rhins of Galloway, about four hours from Glasgow and even less from Carlisle.

Meet Angus and Winston

Angus and Winston are our two resident cows, and they are both two years old. They live in the fields around our lodges and geodomes at Coorie Retreats, just five minutes from Portpatrick. Every lodge also comes with a Coorie cow care kit, so you can brush and feed them yourself. If you would like to read more about meeting them, take a look at our blog.

Make a full day of it

While you’re here, why not walk the coast path to Dunskey Castle, visit the lighthouse at the Mull of Galloway, or explore the gardens at Castle Kennedy? Our things to do page has more ideas, and afterwards, the Wild Wellness Spa is perfect for winding down in the evening.

Check availability and come meet Scotland’s most loved animal, in one of its quietest corners.

Sources

Coorie Retreats, Portpatrick