The hippies amongst cattle

It is lovely when Benedikt Scheffer, a passionate hotelier and farmer, speaks passionately about his 45 “shaggy” Highland cattle.
His respect and esteem for Highland cattle well-deserved, as they deliver the tastiest, best and easily digestible meat on the market in Austria. That’s a good enough reason for Benedikt Scheffer to breed them!

In the meadows all year round

It all began in 1986 with five cows, after he had the idea to bring the robust, low-maintenance and good-natured breed from the north of Scotland. The advantage is that the relatively small and light-weight breed can be kept outdoors all year round, and calve easily. In summer, the cattle graze on the Lacken Alm pastures and in winter they stay outside on the snow in the lower meadows.

The hippies amongst cattle

Scottish Highland cattle have an impressive but peaceful appearance. With their wide-spreading horns, which can easily reach a span of more than one metre, their long coats and their distinctive hairdos, which fall long over their foreheads and eyes and partially reaches down to their noses, it is easy to spot them in the distance. They truly are the hippies under the cattle breeds.

Tips and Info:

If you want to sample and savour the meat in town, visit the “Scottish Highland cattle days” at Scheffer’s Hotel. As part of the culinary walk, Benedikt Scheffer also serves special Highland cattle dishes.

Photo credits: Nadia Jabli Photograpy, Boom Creative Lab, Claudio Pribyl, Matthias Fritzenwallner, Christian Schartner