Nanny and Kid, Feral goats on an Inverness-shire mountain estate. SCO 9081
Feral goats are a fairly common sight in the Scottish Highlands. The goats are descendants of livestock abandoned, through necessity, by Highlanders during the Highland Clearances. The goats act as a living reminder of the region's turbulent past. The feral goats that are frequently found in upland and coastal areas of Scotland are descendants of domestic animals but now live truly wild. No two animals look the same, given the tremendous variety in coat colours and lengths. Mating takes place in late autumn and kids are generally born into the chilly climes of January. Wild goats live together in herds, often in relatively large numbers. The British Primitive Goat encompasses what has previously been known as the Old English / Scottish / Welsh / Irish, British Landrace or Old British Goat. The breed descends from the goats introduced by the first farmers in the Neolithic period. It was this little, hairy all-weather goat that was moved around the periphery of Europe by the Celts, Vikings and Saxons. It sustained the people of the bronze and iron ages alongside a few cattle and sheep. This is the breed that was brought by the first farmers, was kept by the builders of Stonehenge, changed hands constantly during the Anglo-Saxon invasion and Viking raiding; was the herding goat of the Mediaeval manor, and the mainstay of the Cheddar Cheese industry. We had NO other breed until the late 18th century.
Size: 5553px × 4405px
Location: Monadhliath mountains, Inverness-shire, Highland Region. Scotland. United Kingdom.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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