Ancient drovers road

Walking along the old drovers road over Sheriffmuir late this afternoon I came across this Highland cow ( or was it a bull?) .
No matter, it was part of a very ancient landscape.

From the 17th to the 19th century cattle were driven from the Highlands along this drovers road over Dumyat to the tryst ( market ) in Falkirk where they would be sold on to English buyers.

The daily life of a drover was a hard one.
At about 8.00 am they would rise and make a simple breakfast of oats, either boiled to make porridge or cold and uncooked mixed with a little water. The whole might be washed down with whisky. Oats, whisky, and perhaps some onions were their basic diet. Occasionally, they might draw blood from some cattle and mix it with oatmeal to make "black pudding."