The Remark-Able Ranch Heritage Page:
Chronicling our link to the Bloodlines that Saved the Breed

Exploring the scientific facts and ancestral roots of our foundation herd from Scotland to the 1930s West and the revival of the breed after the "Great Die Up" of cattle in the American West in the 1800's. 

​​

In an excerpt from the American Highland Cattle Association's "History of AHCA" Page, we read: 

"Records on the Highland cattle first brought into this country from Canada and Scotland are rather obscure due to the absence of a U.S. registry prior to 1948. We know there were small importations made of Highlands between 1880 through the 1920’s. Mainly due to western cattlemen looking to replace or cross breed for hardiness to their herds of predominately Texas cattle after the catastrophic winter of 1886-87, which was known as the Big Die-Up.

​

The earliest known importation on record from Scotland was made in 1896 by S.F.B. Biddle, a cattleman who owned the Cross Ranch near present day Biddle, MT. This importation consisted of four registered bulls and twenty-six cows. They were railed to Moorcroft, WY then trailed North along the Little Powder River to the ranch according to the Crook County (WY) Monitor. Prior to this, Biddle had obtained Highlands from KS, these cattle may have been imported from Scotland through Canada. A later importation was made by Walter Hill into Montana in 1922. These cattle would eventually make up the first four bulls and forty-five cows in the U.S. registry after being purchased by Baxter Berry of Belvidere, SD in the 1940’s. Also around this time, Jess, Cyrus and Earl Shoop of Browning MT, collectively known as the Shoop Brothers, were found to have one of the largest herds of Highlands in the country. Their foundation stock also came from Walter Hill around 1925. Many early day breeders got their foundation stock from these brothers. The Shoop Brothers deserve much of the credit for saving the breed from disappearing in the U.S. before the formation of this breed association."

​

​