Highland Cattle

The story of Lakeview Couples Retreat’s most photographed residents.

In September 2016, Lakeview luxury couples retreat welcomed a very special foursome. After a journey of around 6 hours the group arrived to great fanfare. We welcomed them with refreshments and admired their impressive coats. The ladies were not as famous as their human counterparts, but for Highland Cattle, the group certainly had plenty of charisma, fabulous looks and an undeniable presence.

Our guests often ask us about our little herd of Highland Cattle: their names, how old they are and their relationships to one another. They’re one of our favourite topics of conversation and we’re proud of our shaggy friends, so we thought we would take a moment to share with you their story so far.

Trevor had always wanted to own and develop his own herd of cattle but the responsibility of managing 30 acres of land while developing our Orange luxury retreat left little time for much else. So, when the opportunity arose to develop a small herd of Highland Cattle and add something unique to the property, we needed very little convincing.

After a few weeks at the luxury retreat, located just 15 minutes out of Orange, the cattle were happy, settled and thoroughly enjoying their new home. Highland Cattle are known for being tame and good-natured, so they love nothing better than their daily interactions with the staff and guests at our luxury accommodation.

After a few weeks we discovered that Hamish was a girl, so he was quickly renamed Alice. Meanwhile Alice’s mother Zsa Zsa got to know the neighbouring Angus Bull and after jumping the fence, she quickly fell pregnant. Unfortunately, Zsa Zsa’s calf was too large to deliver—but it did offer some insight as to why Alice herself was a half Highland Cattle and half another unknown breed! Not long after that, a smaller Angus Bull arrived, and cheeky Zsa Zsa jumped the fence once again. This resulted in young Maisy’s safe arrival in February 2019—the first of Lakeview’s home-bred calves.

In October 2018, we also welcomed a young, scrawny yet lively pure-bred Highland Bull named Houston. After putting the cattle in with Houston in over the spring and summer, Alice was the only one who fell pregnant. Agatha was born in September 2019, and the following year Zsa Zsa and Alice both fell pregnant, delivering Hestia and Calypso. Because Houston has only produced female offspring so far, he has been fondly nicknamed ‘Henry the Eighth’.

A holiday highlight for Lakeview guests

Our herd of Highland Cattle has added a special touch to Lakeview Retreat in ways that we had never imagined. They’re not very commonly seen in Australia—with only around 2000 registered with the Australian Highland Cattle Society—so their presence helps to add to the sense of being transported somewhere far away, truly escaping the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our guests love to take and share pictures of the photogenic herd, and we love to be tagged so that we too can enjoy them.

The herd also has a calm presence, working in harmony with the seclusion and peaceful surrounds of the retreat. No matter the season or the colours of the landscape, the Cattle always seem to look at home. Just as we love seeing our herd grow and develop, so do our guests. Many return eager to learn whether we’ve welcomed any new additions and to see how their favourites are faring. Highland Cattle are renowned for being great mothers and we’ve seen that here firsthand. The cows are currently in with Houston again (who has grown into a fabulous specimen of a bull) and we can’t wait to see what happens from here.

Stay tuned for the next update as we share the herd’s most recent adventures and hopefully welcome some adorable new calves to Lakeview Retreat.

Posted by Lakeview Retreat on December 10, 2020