Highland cow senses are surprisingly advanced, helping these iconic cattle navigate their world with intelligence and instinct. With senses tuned for survival in rugged environments, these cattle rely on smell, vision, and hearing in ways that might surprise you. In this post, we’ll explore how Highland cows use their senses to navigate their surroundings, stay safe, communicate, and interact with each other.
Why Highland Cow Senses Matter
Knowing how Highland cows experience the world helps farmers, handlers, and enthusiasts connect with them more effectively. Their senses aren’t just passive tools — they actively shape behaviour, social interaction, and even safety. Whether you’re visiting a farm, photographing a herd, or simply curious about these iconic cattle, understanding their sensory abilities gives you a deeper appreciation for their intelligence and instincts.
Smell: Their Primary Sense for Awareness
Like most cattle, Highland cows rely heavily on their sense of smell. Their large, moist nostrils help detect scents in the air, including food, predators, or other cows. They use scent to:
- Recognise familiar herd members
- Identify their calves or mothers
- Sense predators or unfamiliar animals
- Locate food or grazing patches
- Detect changes in weather or environment
Smell also plays a key role in reproduction. Bulls can identify cows in heat through scent cues and will often exhibit the Flehmen response — curling their lips and lifting their head to analyse pheromones.
Hearing: More Than Just Mooing
While we often focus on the sound Highland cows make (like mooing), their hearing is just as important. Their ears swivel like radar dishes, allowing them to detect sounds from multiple directions — especially important in open pasture or hilly terrain.
Highland cows use hearing to:
- Stay alert to distant movement or danger
- Respond to calf vocalisations
- Recognise familiar voices or feeding cues from farmers
- Monitor herd activity and maintain social awareness
Interestingly, calves can learn their mother’s vocal signature within days of birth — and vice versa. This acoustic recognition helps keep the herd connected, especially in large fields.
Vision: A Wide, Ground-Level Perspective
Despite their famously fluffy fringe (or “dossan”), Highland cows actually have good vision. Their eyes are located on the sides of their head, giving them a wide field of view — nearly 330 degrees. This helps them detect predators, vehicles, or approaching humans long before they’re close.
However, their vertical field of view is more limited, and their depth perception is not as sharp as ours. Highland cows likely see in muted colours and rely more on motion and contrast than fine detail. They are particularly sensitive to sudden movement or flickering shadows, which can startle them.
Touch: Horns, Noses & Grooming
Touch may be a secondary sense, but it’s important in social interaction. Highland cows use their horns to gently nudge each other during social bonding or play. Their noses are highly sensitive and are often used to explore people or unfamiliar objects.
When cows groom each other — a behaviour known as allogrooming — they’re not just strengthening bonds; they’re also using touch to establish comfort and herd harmony.
Taste: Sensing Safe Forage
While not a dominant sense, taste helps Highland cows avoid harmful plants. Their tongues are incredibly muscular and textured — allowing them to grip, twist, and sample forage before committing to chewing. Over time, cows learn which plants are safe and which ones to avoid, passing that knowledge down through herd behaviour.
Sensory Memory and Emotional Intelligence
Highland cows have excellent sensory memory. They can remember:
- Specific scents linked to good or bad experiences
- Voices of familiar humans
- Locations where they’ve been startled or injured
This memory supports emotional intelligence. Studies show that cows exhibit fear, trust, and curiosity — all shaped by sensory impressions. Understanding this helps handlers build safer, calmer relationships with their herd.
Frequently Asked Questions About Highland Cow Senses
Do Highland cows see well with all that hair?
It’s a common myth that Highland cows can’t see through their long fringe, but they actually have better vision than people think. The hair over their eyes provides protection from wind, rain, and insects — but they still see movement and light just fine. Farmers sometimes trim their “bangs” slightly to prevent irritation, but it’s rarely necessary for the cow’s sight.
Can Highland cows hear better than other breeds?
Yes, Highland cows have exceptional directional hearing. Their rotating ears help them detect distant sounds and changes in the environment. This skill is vital in open pastures or remote mountain settings, where early awareness of predators or humans improves safety.
Do Highland cows have a strong sense of taste?
Highland cows can distinguish between a wide variety of grasses, herbs, and shrubs. Their taste preferences help them avoid bitter or toxic plants. While not as dominant as smell or sight, taste supports their survival in varied environments — from Scottish moorlands to dry climates abroad.
How do farmers support healthy sensory environments?
Good farmers respect their animals’ senses. They avoid loud machinery near resting herds, provide clean grazing with varied textures and smells, and speak calmly when interacting with the cows. Enriching the environment helps reduce stress and supports wellbeing. For more on how temperament plays into care, check out our post on Are Highland Cows Friendly?.
How Highland Cow Senses Compare to Other Cattle
Highland cows aren’t the only breed with strong senses, but their adaptations to wild landscapes give them a sensory edge in many areas. Compared to commercial dairy cows, Highland cattle are often more reactive to changes in environment or routine — a sign of alertness rather than fear.
They also tend to rely more on social cues, especially in small family herds. This makes their hearing, touch, and scent detection vital to maintaining herd stability.
Seasonal Shifts in Highland Cow Sensory Behaviour
Just like humans adapt their senses to different environments, Highland cows adjust how they use their senses depending on the time of year. In winter, their vision is challenged by shorter daylight hours and snowy backdrops, so they rely more heavily on smell and hearing. Their thick coat also dulls tactile sensations, meaning they may engage in less grooming unless warmed by the sun.
In spring and summer, their senses shift into high gear. Insect season increases their sensitivity to touch and sound — especially buzzing or biting insects. You’ll often see them swatting flies with their tails, shaking their heads, or using trees and posts to scratch. These actions are part sensory response, part self-care. Learn more about how Highland cows maintain themselves in warm months in How Highland Cows Groom Themselves.
How Senses Shape Social Bonds
Highland cows are deeply social, and their senses play a major role in herd dynamics. Cows that have grown up together often recognise each other by smell, voice, and appearance. Even after being separated, familiar scents or calls can trigger calmness — a sign of emotional memory.
Touch is especially important. Young calves will often nudge, lick, or lean on their mothers — not just for comfort but to reinforce trust. When cows lie down in groups, they position themselves where they can monitor herdmates and listen for warning sounds. This is instinctive, protective behaviour passed down through generations of living in open, untamed landscapes.
Conclusion: Why Highland Cow Senses Matter
Highland cow senses are finely tuned to both their rugged environments and social needs. From detecting distant movement to recognising the voice of a familiar farmer, these gentle giants rely on their five senses every day. Understanding how they see, hear, smell, taste, and feel brings us closer to appreciating their intelligence, adaptability, and emotional depth. For more insight into how cows experience the world, the Nature journal explores sensory perception in livestock, including how they respond to environmental cues.