Sheltering from the cold inside the rustic cow shed are three impressive rare bovine breeds: theBeef Shorthorn, the Whitebred Shorthorn and the Galloway. Although one of the hardiest of farm animals, outdoor-loving sheep still need a little shelter, especially from the harsh Scottish winter. The Border Leicester and local Castlemilk Moorits can be found in the bespoke sheep pens of an evening. Whereas pigs, like the British Landrace on the farm, like to be outdoors, so they can dig and root. So even though they could hole up at night in the pig shelter, their pigsty is much more to their liking.

Fowl too, need a place to call home. The Scots Grey and Scots Dumpy hens have their own henhouses with cosy winter enclosures: it’s a veritable hen party inside. The Shetland geese and ducks also have handsome brick-built homes. The Duke of Rothesay’s personally selected prime egg-layer, the Cröllwitzer turkey, will be spending its winter warm inside. A good idea too – no one wants a frozen turkey at Christmas.

Rare Breeds

Some of the carefully selected livestock populating the Dumfries House Farm.

Scots Grey Chicken

A rare and native breed, the Scots Grey can be traced back to the 16th century. It’s a hardy breed that thrives in all weathers.

British Landrace Pig

Imported into Britain from Sweden in 1949, the breed’s genetic base was expanded by the importation of new bloodlines from Norway and Finland in the 1980s.

Shetland Goose

The breed of domestic goose originating from the sub-arctic archipelago is a hardy bird that will forage for most of its food.

Castlemilk Moorit Sheep

Originating from Dumfriesshire, this breed was created in the 1900s to adorn the parklands of the estate after which it is named.

Blue-Grey Cow

Crossbreeding a rare Whitebred Shorthorn bull and a Galloway cow creates this upland/hill suckler cow, known for its profitable breeding credentials.

Cröllwitzer Turkey

Chosen by His Royal Highness, this turkey is known for being useful on smallholdings as an egg producer and is a keen insect forager, which is great for pest control.