Their meat is the prime topic of conversation where Highland cattle are concerned. It has very low cholesterol, is well-marbled, and its flavour is highly appreciated. Its rib-eye area is very well developed. Tests have also proved that this meat is very high in protein and iron.

It is surely its physical appearance and the flavor of its meat that have ensured the continued existence of this breed. If you talk with a number of customers who have tasted this meat, they will all tell you that it has an excellent flavor, and others will state that whereas they have difficulty in digesting red meat, with the meat from Highland cattle no such difficulty arises.

Calves may be slaughtered at 8 or 9 months for some markets, but ideally they should be left to fatten for up to 12 or 18 months. Males intended for slaughter should be castrated on weaning (at around 8 months), as if they are castrated at birth they stop producing testosterone, and will put on less weight between birth and weaning: this is an important consideration.

Fattening-up can begin at weaning in order to produce meat which is more tender and well-marbled. It should be noted that more and more breeders are marketing the meat from their own Highland cattle; this is a way to increase profitability and to eliminate the need for middlemen. Profits are thereby greater.

For more than 20 years the carcasses of Highland and Highland hybrid cattle have risen to the top of their respective classifications at the prestigious National Western Stock Show in Denver, Colorado. In Britain, meat from Highland cattle is considered the best and obtains the highest prices.