The Best Way to See Highland Cows in Edinburgh

Visit Highland Cows in their natural environment just outside Edinburgh city centre.

The Highland Cow's at Swanston used to be Edinburgh's best kept secret, but recently they have proved very popular with both tourists and locals. Plenty of people arrive by bus and taxi to see them every day.

But what most visitors don't realise is that if they only see the three cows kept at the farm, they're missing out on the best part of the experience.

If you join a guided Highland Cow Hike with Mountain Marcus, you'll experience far more than just looking at a few cows in a field: you'll venture up onto the hills above Swanston and see the rest of the herd of Highland Cows in their natural environment.

Many people miss this part of the experience because they either don't know that there are more cows to see, or they can't find them on the hillside.

This is when it pays to join one of my guided Highland Cow Hikes: we make sure to find the cows high up on the hill, where we see them grazing, with good opportunities for photos of of the cows.

Hiking up the hill allows us to survey the large area from above, so we can easily find the cows. Visitors who miss out this crucial step often find it difficult to find the cows on the hillside, because there are many small hills and dips where the cows like to shelter from the wind or bask in the sun.

People who join my hikes often remark that they would have struggled to find the cows without a guide, and that the hike up the hill is totally worth it for the views.