​Crumbs Ceit… not where you should be

Luckily for Ceit, who was on the croft visiting the bull owned by Tony Robson, help was at hand to pull her out of the river.

The alarm was raised on the morning of Sunday December 29th and the rescue operation began which involved Angus Mackay contractors, Ceit’s owner DJ Macaulay, and Tony Robson and his son in law Shonny Macleod.

Describing the complexity of the operation, Angus Junior from Angus Mackay Contractors said: “I had just sat down with a cup of tea on Sunday morning when Tony called to ask for help that a cow had gone into a bog. We were worried for her when we arrived but Shonny, my father, and myself soon got her out. We are so glad we managed to get her out without a scratch.”

With Ceit now fully recovered, DJ Macaulay described the complexity of the operation to rescue cows in this situation: “Highland cows, known for their resilience and long, shaggy coats, can occasionally find themselves in challenging situations like getting stuck in boggy areas. Rescues like these often involve specialized teams, including farmers, animal rescue organizations, or even firefighters, who use equipment like straps, boards, or winches to safely extract the animal without causing stress or injury.”

Tony said: “We are grateful to all who came out to assist with getting Ceit out of the river to safety. It was a challenging situation that thankfully it was successful, and she is now safe and well.”

Ceit was checked over by local vet Hector Low and given the all-clear after her traumatic morning. She was then transported in a cattle trailer to Holm where she has been warming up and drying off in a cattle shelter in a sheltered croft. She is expected to have a calf later this year.

Highland Cows are notoriously resilient to extreme weather conditions and luckily for Ceit, her story had a happy ending.