At first glance, it may look as though the cow is wearing a wig. But don’t be fooled. That shaggy crop of hair hanging over its eyes is sometimes called a “dossan” and it’s a signature feature of a Scottish Highland cow.
It’s one of the things that drew Robin Darter to the small, rugged beasts.
“They’re just so beautiful,” Robin said. “Every single one is so unique, so different. They’re a little sassy and they definitely throw their weight around and have no cognizance of space or anything.”
Darter, along with her husband, Shawn, own and operate Sterling Hills Farm – 30 minutes north of Ashburn in the rolling hills of rural Loudoun near the Potomac River.
The farm isn’t a farm in a traditional sense – no crops are grown here – although a peony field is in the works. And the roughly 50 head of cattle they have are not raised for their milk, their meat or their hides.
To read more about the cows – which are sometimes called “hairy coos” imitating a Scottish accent – and how this unique farm came to be, check out the full story at the Ashburn Magazine website here.
(Photo at top: Love Runs Wild Photography)