
This Whitebred Shorthorn, now classified as a rare breed and formerly known as the Cumberland White, is hardy enough for local conditions and is prized for producing the BlueGrey, a cross with Galloway cattle. Numbers of Whitebred Shorthorn have declined with the introduction of continental beef breeds but they are still part of the farming countryside in Borgue.
Field names often help us see the land before it was improved through drainage and enclosure. Moss is common Scot’s for a bog, usually a source of peat, although it can refer to a marsh or tract of soft wet ground. The undulating countryside of Borgue would have had many wet hollows where peat developed and these areas have been drained to create more pasture. Moss-side a field next to a moss is still wet in parts and is suitable for cattle breeds such as Galloways that are adapted to foraging in rough ground.
This information was gathered as part of the PLACE in the Biosphere project. Click on the links to visit their web site and blog.