Ar Lèirsinn Highland Cattle 

Ar Lèirsinn Highland Cattle is the collaborative effort between Quarter Section Run Highlands (Stacia) and several highland breeders in Scotland with the aim of importing Scottish genetics to the USA to broaden the genetic pool. Live bovine imports are prohibited. Semen and embryos are the only options. 

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How it started:

As part of my early research before jumping into highland cattle, I read books and articles detailing the crofting way of life in Scotland and the droving trade/routes to get cattle from the highlands to markets for sale. Since the beginning, I wanted to go to Scotland to truly experience what I was reading about. Although a bit different today from generations ago, the Highland Cattle Society has two annual shows & sales in Oban, Scotland. The February show & sale highlights bulls while the October show & sale highlights the females.

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Fast forward to February 2024. I find myself on a plane to Scotland and the rest is history. Many of the experiences comically chronicled on Facebook so I won't repeat here. The people of Scotland were so welcoming and ideas started developing. I was sold. I'm a lifer. 

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Where are we currently:

The friendships forged in Scotland have led me to developing a fold of pedigree cattle in Scotland with the eventual goal of embryo importation. The cattle are currently on 3 different farms across Scotland. ​​​​​​​​​​

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What direction are we headed: 

Big Susie, Big Lorna, Megan, and Muran are bred. Sorcha and Little Lorna 8th are too young for breeding. They will all enter into the embryo program as age and health dictate. The health of each animal is the top priority, above profits or anything else. 

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For Cruachan, he will be used for semen collection for use with the embryos and semen export to the USA. After his semen is collected, he will return to Cladich for live cover. 

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My goal is to purchase croft land to keep all the cows in one place. We have a couple other ideas we are working on. Those remain in their infancy and will be shared in due time if they develop further. 

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How did I select my animals:

• ​Easy keepers - they may not be the biggest in the show ring so they may not have won ribbons. However, I want an animal that can be reasonably maintained at home without excessive supplemental feed. Heavy feeding can lead to poor reproductivity, larger financial input costs, and increased risk of bloat and other health concerns.  

• Structurally correct (no such thing as perfect)

• Approachable

• Lineage and genetics - I am learning more about historical lines but do rely on my partners to help me with this

• A good head - I'm a sucker for a beautiful head

• My gut