Where to See Highland Cows Near Edinburgh
If seeing a Highland cow is somewhere on your Scotland bucket list, you’re definitely not alone.
Those shaggy fringes, enormous horns and distinctly unimpressed expressions have turned Highland cows – or Highland coos, if we’re doing this properly – into one of Scotland’s most recognisable sights.
And the good news if you’re staying in Edinburgh?
You don’t need to travel all the way to the Highlands to see them.
There are several places in and around Edinburgh where you can spot Highland cattle, from animals grazing in fields close to the city to dedicated experiences where you can get properly up close.
The important thing is deciding what sort of experience you actually want.
Do you simply want to see a Highland cow?
Would you like to photograph them?
Or have you travelled to Scotland specifically hoping to get close enough to meet one?
Here’s where we’d start.
1. Jacksons at Jedburgh – Best for a Hands-On Highland Cow Experience
Location: Jedburgh, Scottish Borders
Travel time: Around 1 hour–1 hour 15 minutes from Edinburgh by car
We’ll admit we’re slightly biased about this one.
But if you’re looking for more than seeing a Highland cow on the other side of a field, that’s exactly why our Highland Cow Experience exists.
Jacksons at Jedburgh is a real working family farm in the Scottish Borders, around an hour south of Edinburgh.
Our dedicated Highland Cow Experience includes a scenic tractor and trailer ride out across the farm before meeting our friendly fold up close.
This isn’t simply cow spotting.
Depending on the experience, you’ll have the chance to get hands-on with the coos, including touching, feeding and brushing them, while learning more about the cattle and farm life.
And naturally, there will be photographs.
Probably quite a lot of photographs.
Ways to see the Highland cows at Jacksons
The Highland Cow Experience
Our guided experience is the option we’d recommend if meeting a Highland cow is one of the main reasons for your trip to Scotland.
The Highland Way
During the main farm visitor season, you can also follow our self-guided Highland Way and see the fold from purpose-built viewing areas as part of a wider farm visit.
Transport from Edinburgh
Don’t have a car? Selected Highland Cow Experiences are also available with coach transport from Edinburgh, making it much easier to turn your coo obsession into a day trip.
2. Swanston Farm – Best for a Free Highland Cow Sighting Close to Edinburgh
Location: Swanston, Edinburgh
If you’re looking for somewhere much closer to the city and you’re happy simply to see Highland cows rather than interact with them, Swanston Farm is a good option.
Swanston currently has three retired Highland cattle living on the farm.
Visitors can see them in a field around a five-minute walk from Swanston Brasserie, and there’s no ticket or booking required specifically to go and see the cattle.
There is one very important distinction, though:
Swanston is not a petting farm.
Visitors aren’t permitted to touch or feed the cows and are asked to remain at least 10 metres away.
So Swanston is ideal if you want:
A quick Highland cow sighting
Somewhere close to Edinburgh
A countryside walk
Photographs from a respectful distance
If your dream involves actually getting close to or interacting with a Highland cow, you’ll want a dedicated experience instead.
3. Prestonfield House – Highland Cows Within Edinburgh
Location: Edinburgh, close to Arthur’s Seat
You don’t necessarily have to leave Edinburgh itself to find a Highland cow.
The grounds of Prestonfield House are home to Highland cows as well as the hotel’s famously free-roaming peacocks.
This isn’t a farm attraction or Highland Cow Experience, so we’d think of it rather differently from Jacksons or Swanston.
It’s particularly relevant if you’re staying, dining or visiting Prestonfield House and would love the added bonus of seeing Highland cows in its historic parkland.
If you’re planning a trip specifically to see the cows, we’d recommend checking directly with Prestonfield first rather than assuming where the cattle will be on any particular day.
4. Edinburgh Zoo – See Highland Cows Without Leaving the City
Location: Corstorphine, Edinburgh
Here’s one that has changed since this guide was originally written.
Edinburgh Zoo now has two resident Highland cows: Nessie and Thistle.
So if the zoo is already part of your Edinburgh itinerary, you’ve now got another chance to tick Highland cows off your Scotland list without leaving the city.
And there’s more than just viewing them.
Edinburgh Zoo currently offers a dedicated Highland Cow Magic Moment, where visitors can meet Nessie and Thistle with a keeper and may get the opportunity to brush them and feed them a snack.
Obviously, this is part of a much larger zoo visit rather than a Scottish farm experience, so it offers something quite different from Jacksons.
Which Highland Cow Experience Near Edinburgh Is Best for You?
If you’re choosing between them, we’d simplify it like this:
I just want to see a Highland cow
Try Swanston Farm.
It’s close to Edinburgh, free to visit and ideal for photographs from a respectful distance.
I’m already spending the day in Edinburgh
Consider Edinburgh Zoo, particularly if the zoo is already on your itinerary.
I’m staying or dining somewhere special
Keep an eye out for the Highland cows in the grounds of Prestonfield House.
Meeting a Highland cow is on my bucket list
Come to Jacksons at Jedburgh.
If you want a dedicated Scottish farm experience where meeting the coos is the main event rather than an added extra, book the Highland Cow Experience.
Why Travel from Edinburgh to Jacksons at Jedburgh?
Because there’s quite a difference between seeing a Highland cow and meeting one.
At some locations, you’re viewing cattle grazing from a distance.
That’s lovely – and if all you want is a Highland cow photograph, it may be exactly what you’re looking for.
At Jacksons, the Highland cows are the experience.
You head out onto a real working farm, meet the fold up close and get a glimpse of Scottish farming life beyond the city.
There’s also a wider farm to explore during our main visitor season, including sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and other cattle.
And the drive itself takes you out through the Scottish Borders countryside, giving you a very different view of Scotland from the one you’ll experience in central Edinburgh.
Travelling to Jacksons from Edinburgh
By car
Jacksons at Jedburgh is roughly an hour to an hour and 15 minutes south of Edinburgh, depending on where you’re starting and traffic.
You’ll travel south into the Scottish Borders towards Jedburgh.
Address:
Jacksons at Jedburgh
Kersheugh
Jedburgh
Scottish Borders
TD8 6QT
Free parking is available at the farm.
Don’t have a car?
The easiest option is to check availability for our Highland Cow Experience with transport from Edinburgh.
This combines coach travel from Edinburgh with the experience at Jacksons, so you don’t need to organise multiple buses, trains or taxis yourself.
Public transport into the Scottish Borders is also available, but services and connections change, so always check current journey information before travelling.
A Few Highland Cow Etiquette Rules
Whichever location you choose, remember that Highland cows are cattle.
They’re not giant teddy bears.
Please:
Follow the individual location’s rules
Don’t enter fields unless specifically invited as part of a supervised experience
Never feed cattle unless the farm or keeper tells you to
Give free-grazing cattle plenty of space
Keep dogs under proper control around livestock
Don’t sacrifice common sense for the perfect selfie
At dedicated experiences, always follow the farmer or keeper’s instructions.
The coos are considerably larger than they look on Instagram.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to see Highland cows near Edinburgh?
It depends on what you want.
For a dedicated hands-on Highland Cow Experience on a working Scottish farm, Jacksons at Jedburgh is around an hour to an hour and 15 minutes from Edinburgh.
For a quick, free viewing option closer to the city, Swanston Farm has Highland cattle that can be viewed from a safe distance.
Edinburgh Zoo and Prestonfield House are also home to Highland cows.
Can I see Highland cows in Edinburgh itself?
Yes.
Edinburgh Zoo currently has two resident Highland cows, Nessie and Thistle, while Prestonfield House also has Highland cows in its grounds.
Swanston Farm is also on the southern edge of Edinburgh.
Where can I pet or feed Highland cows near Edinburgh?
Don’t assume you can touch or feed Highland cows simply because they’re accessible to visitors.
For example, Swanston Farm specifically prohibits touching and feeding its Highland cattle.
At Jacksons at Jedburgh, the dedicated Highland Cow Experience is designed for closer interaction and currently includes opportunities to touch, feed and brush the cattle under supervision.
Can I visit Highland cows near Edinburgh without a car?
Yes.
Edinburgh Zoo, Prestonfield House and Swanston are within Edinburgh.
Jacksons at Jedburgh also offers selected Highland Cow Experiences with coach transport from Edinburgh.
Do I need to book to see Highland cows?
It depends where you go.
Swanston Farm currently doesn’t require a ticket or booking specifically to view its Highland cattle.
Dedicated experiences at Jacksons and Edinburgh Zoo should be booked in advance.
Are Highland Cow Experiences just for children?
Definitely not.
Highland cows appear to have developed an impressive ability to turn perfectly sensible adults into extremely excited tourists.
Couples, friends, solo travellers and families can all enjoy a Highland Cow Experience.
No child-shaped excuse required.
Want More Than a Glimpse?
If seeing a Highland cow from across a field is enough to tick it off your Scotland list, there are some brilliant options close to Edinburgh.
But if you want to make meeting the coos one of the memories you take home from Scotland, come and see us at Jacksons.
Take the tractor and trailer out across the farm.
Meet the fold.
Get hands-on with the coos.
Take far too many photographs.
And experience a little slice of real Scottish farm life while you’re here.
