Q: Can Highland Cows see with that long fringe of hair over their face?

A: Yes! Their eyes are actually on the side of their head, so can see well, with around 340 degrees of vision. The long hair over their face (called the ‘Dossan’) is an important part of their welfare, keeping flies away from their eyes, as well as any debris that might be blowing in the wind, or any bushes they might be foraging in.  We want the Dossan to be long and full. Cow’s eyes have large rectangular pupils which absorb considerably more light than human eyes (which means they can see better at night) and gives them a wider, panoramic field of vision but they need longer to focus, which is why you’ll often see a cow stopping and staring or moving closer to the object of interest.