Anyone fancy trying their hand hairdressing a Highland cow?

Jun 12 2007 By Anna Lognonné, The Journal

Highland cattle may look fearsome, but one North-East couple know better and are so enthusiastic they have set up a tourist attraction devoted to them. Anna Lognonné reports.

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Visitors are flocking to the world's first Highland cattle visitor centre, not in the Scottish Highlands, but in the gentle, rolling hills close to the Tynedale village of Stocksfield in Northumberland.

More than 1,000 visitors a week have been making the trip to Dere Street Farm, for the visitor centre set up by enthusiasts Richard and Marianne Halford.

It is also the first farm-based tourist attraction in Tynedale and is intended to provide a fun and an educational day for adults and children alike, with visitors encouraged to adopt a hands-on approach.

They are invited to handle the animals and to assist with the combing of the cows, collecting eggs, bottle feeding the orphan lambs and feeding the ducks, geese and hens.

Owner Marianne has been passionate about her "Highlanders" since she started to keep them on the farm in 1997. Today she has one of the finest herds of these much loved cattle in the UK and has won many awards, including titles at the Great Yorkshire Show and the Northumberland County Show.

She believes that by opening this attraction she has found a unique way of sharing her animals and some of her best friends with the general public.

She said: "We want to give other visitors the opportunity to get as close as possible to the animals.

"The type of interaction available is extremely hands on - weather and season permitting - giving people a unique experience of farm and country life and hopefully memories that will last a lifetime."

Although the animals may look fearsome with their shaggy manes and long horns, Marianne says they are very gentle and if treated calmly, are docile. "They never use their horns on people," she promised.

Richard explained that the idea for the farm came from his son Edward, 28.

He said: "Edward attended Durham School, which had a fold of Highland Cattle. He was very interested in them and persuaded us to buy four. We knew nothing about farming, but we decided to buy 59 acres for the heifers."

Last year the couple, who breed the cattle for show and as pets, decided to open a small visitor centre, supported by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and found that demand was too high.

Richard, who still runs a textile business in Gateshead, said: "It was so successful we closed it, as too many people were coming. Rather than do a bad job, we decided to stop and build a new shed, a bigger tea room and gift shop, educational room, and hire more staff. We hope by reopening the centre that visitors will appreciate the cattle as much as we do.

"They are great characters, very gentle, beautiful and not aggressive at all. They will come to you if you call them, just like pets."

In addition to the Highland cattle, visitors to the centre can also enjoy the rare breed pigs, geese and goats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

The Highland cattle centre is open to visitors seven days a week from 10am until 5pm until the end of October and at weekends from November to February.

It includes a tea room, gift shop and educational room, farm walks, nature trails and a children's play area. There is a range of packages for school and group visits.

Further information can be found at www.thehighlandcattlecentre.co.uk