Belted Galloway

The Belted Galloway is a heritage beef breed of cattle originating from Galloway in the west side of southern Scotland, adapted to living on the poor upland pastures and windswept moorlands of the region. The exact origin of the breed is unclear although it is often surmised that the white belt that distinguishes these cattle from the native black Galloway cattle may be as a result of cross breeding with Dutch Lakenvelder belted cattle. It is the belt that gives them their name.

Belted Galloways are primarily raised for their quality marbled beef, although they are sometimes milked and purchased to adorn pastures due to their striking appearance.

In the United States, Belted Galloways are often nicknamed Oreo cows because their color pattern is reminiscent of an Oreo cookie, the sandwich cookie consisting of two chocolate disks with a cream filling in between. The black and red coat colors are caused by the same alleles of the MC1R gene, E^D for black and e/e for red, as in most other breeds of cattle.

Galloway

Galloway (Gaelic: Gall-ghàidheil; Latin: Gallovidia) is a region in southwestern Scotland comprising the counties of Wigtown and Kirkcubright. The name means "foreign Gaels" referring to the Gaels of mixed Scandinavian and Gaelic origin who were once prevalent in the area.

Galloway is bounded by sea to the west and south, the Galloway Hills to the north, and the River Nith to the east; the border between Kirkcudbright and Wigtown shires is marked by the River Cree. The definition has, however, fluctuated greatly in size over history.

A hardy breed of black, hornless beef named Galloway cattle is native to the region, in addition to the more distinctive 'Belted Galloway' or 'Beltie'.

Geography and landforms

Galloway comprises that part of Scotland southwards from the Southern Upland watershed and westward from the River Nith. Traditionally it has been described as stretching from "the bras of Glenapp to the Nith". The valleys of three rivers, the Urr Water, the Water of Ken and River Dee, and the Cree, all running north-south, provide much of the good arable land, although there is also some arable land on the coast. Generally however the landscape is rugged and much of the soil is shallow. The generally south slope and southern coast make for mild and wet climate, and there is a great deal of good pasture.

Galloway (car)

Galloway was a Scottish car maker founded in 1920 as a subsidiary company to Arrol-Johnston. It was based at first at Tongland, Kirkcudbrightshire, and from 1923 at Heathall, Dumfries. It closed in 1928.

History

The company was very unusual in the world of car making in that it was largely run and staffed by women. For a while the cars were advertised as "a car made by ladies for others of their sex". The factory had originally been built as a wartime aero engine plant and Thomas Charles Pullinger, the manager of Arrol-Johnston, was persuaded by his daughter Dorothée Pullinger to keep the factory open to provide local employment. She was made a director of the new enterprise and set up training courses and apprenticeships specifically for local women. The apprenticeships were to last for three rather than the usual five years as the girls were thought to be better at attending and quicker learners than boys.

The factory was near the River Dee and a dam fitted with water turbines was built to provide power, supplemented by a steam engine. It also had two tennis courts on the roof.

Galloway cattle

The Galloway is one of the world's longest established breeds of beef cattle, named after the Galloway region of Scotland, where it originated, during the 17th century. It is now found in many parts of the world, such as Canada, the USA and Australia.

It is now found in many parts of the world, being exported to Canada in 1853, the US in 1882 and Australia in 1951. The breed enjoyed success during the 1950s but this subsided during the foot and mouth crisis. Today, the breed is enjoying a revival, due to the demands of the beef market. The breed is considered average size and they have a thick coat, due to the climate of their native Scotland.

Etymology

Galloway was an ancient region located in the south-west of Scotland. The word 'Galloway' is derived from the words Gallovid, or Gaul. The Gauls were the south of Scotland.

History

The Galloway breed comes from the cattle native to the south-west region of Scotland, first fully developed in the 17th century. Originally there was much variation within this breed, including many different colours and patterns. The original Galloway herd book only registered black cattle, but the recessive gene for red colour persisted in the population, and eventually dun Galloways were also allowed into the herd book. As a result, although black is still the most common colour for Galloways, they can also be red and several shades of dun. In 1877 the Galloway Cattle Society was formed.