Now in paperback, the poignant and moving book which weaves together folklore and science, tradition and innovation, to examine how we accept and manage our common inheritance. Desperate to connect with his native Galloway, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on the family farm, investing in the oldest breeds of cattle and discovering how cows once shaped people, places and nature. The more he learns, the more he discovers how the rural heritage and landscape of southwest Scotland have been transformed, and how many losses have been suffered.