New neighbours for Finn McCool as cattle return to graze at Giant's Causeway

Three Luing cows will spend the winter grazing in Portnaboe, close to the Causeway’s visitor centre – the most appropriate place along the coast, as its name translates as “Bay of the Cow”.

Long ago livestock would have been a regular sight on the shore, but were only brought back there four years ago.

After four decades without cattle, Portnaboe had grown a thick mat of dead grass, bramble and bracken.

And as the area’s home to a rare form of tiny snail – the narrow-mouthed whorl snail, which measures less than 2mm and in Northern Ireland is only found in a total of four bays – habitat specialists realised they had to take action that would protect the area while also being environmentally sound.

Explains Cliff Henry, nature engagement officer for the National Trust: “Before reintroducing cattle to the bay in 2020, there had been no grazing for nearly 40 years.

"[The bracken and grass] made it very hard for wildflower species and all of the associated insects and invertebrates to survive and was threatening to swamp the fragile snail habitat.

"Things have already improved markedly in the last four years since cattle have returned.”

Farmer Sandra Hunter, who owns the three cows and whose family have grazed livestock in the bays around the Giant’s Causeway for decades, said: “It’s lovely to see these Luings back in Portnaboe – two of the three were here last year, and it looked like they were very happy to get back out. “Luings are a small, native, hardy breed that can easily climb the steep slopes in the bay and they aren’t fussy eaters, so don’t mind eating the rough, coarse grass that grows here. They are related to Highland cattle, with a good heavy coat, so they will have no problem putting up with the cold, blowy conditions here over the next few months.

“The visitors seem to love them as well, I think they must be some of the most photographed cows in the country. As soon as we released them, we could see people stopping to take their photographs in the beautiful surroundings of Portnaboe.

"It’s great to see them making a positive difference to the wildlife too.”