There’s a farm up in the Peak District where you can get hands-on with Highland cows, even brushing out their fluffy fringes.
Highland Cows of the Peak Experiences at Whirlow Hall Farm has loads of activities for all ages, from Highland Cow safaris to cow cuddling.
This working farm is home to a herd of fluffy cows, who graze in beautiful pastures in the hills above Sheffield.
On a visit to the farm, you can learn more about this hardy (and very cute) breed, including their hierarchies, their family bonds, and plenty more.
Visitors have the chance to get hands-on with the Highland Cows, grooming the younger cattle and feeling their magnificent horns.
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The Highland Cow Safari sees visitors towed around the farm in an open-top trailer towed by a vintage tractor, observing both Peak District views and the Highland coos.
Then you can jump into the pastures with the cattle on a Meadow Moo-ch, wandering amongst the beautiful animals with their long shaggy coats and flowing fringes (dossens).
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It’s over to the barn next, where you can meet, pet, and groom some of the younger highland coos during the Highland Calf Hands-On Experience.
The Highland Cow safari in the Peak DistrictThe Highland Cow safari in the Peak DistrictHighland Cow meet and greetA Meadow Moo-chSee the farm animals up closeSee the Highland Cows in the Peak DistrictGrooming the Highland Cows
And, cows permitting, there’s a chance to do some Highland Cow Cuddling.
Once you’ve had enough of the Highland Cows (as if that could ever happen), there’s a vineyard up here in the Peak District, and wine produced from the grapes is sold in the farm shop.
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You can even get married here, in a huge barn on site.
You can find out more about the Highland Cows of the Peak Experiences HERE.
Adventurous cat caught taking a train from Yorkshire to Manchester Airport
Daisy Jackson
Train conductors have reunited an adventurous senior cat with her owners after she was caught taking a train all the way to Manchester Airport.
15-year-old Angel was discovered on board an hour-long TransPennine Express service from West Yorkshire to the airport.
The black-and-white moggy had been strolling along the train making friends with passengers on board, following conductor Will Saunders through the carriages.
It turns out Angel is something of a local legend in Brighouse, and has been caught riding rail replacement buses in the past too, as well as making herself at home in the local pub.
On this occasion, she fancied herself a little holiday and hopped on board the 3.55am service from Brighouse to Manchester Airport.
Will kept a close eye on the gorgeous cat all the way to Manchester Airport, where they settled her into a cardboard box at the station.
Will then took Angel home to Stockport for the night to keep her safe, later discovering a phone number on Angel’s collar.
He and his partner then drove Angel all the way back home to Brighouse.
Will Saunders, conductor at TPE, said: “As a cat lover myself, I couldn’t leave her to fend for herself. She was so calm and confident on the train – it was like she’d done it before!
“I’m just glad we could keep her safe and get her back home. She’s clearly a much-loved cat.”
Andrew McClements, Customer Experience & Transformation Director at TPE, added: “Our teams are used to helping customers reach their destinations, but this was definitely one of our more unusual passengers.
“We’re just glad we could make sure this adventurous feline made it home safely.”
Now back where she belongs, Angel’s tale shows that even the most curious traveller can count on TPE to help them land on their paws.
The three-day Switzerland train pass that costs less than a journey from Manchester to London
Daisy Jackson
Switzerland has the most famous landscapes in the entire world – and there’s a three-day travel pass you can use to explore that costs less than the train from Manchester to London.
Whether it’s a view of the Matterhorn and the Swiss Alps, cruising past lakes, or zipping around cities Geneva or Zurich, there’s a single ticket that can do it all.
And (slightly depressingly) it costs less than a peak train ticket between Manchester and London, for three days of unlimited travel around an entire country. Sigh.
The Swiss Travel Pass includes rides on the world-famous Glacier Express panoramic train, which weaves through the mountains of the Swiss Alps between Zermatt and St Moritz.
It also gets passengers unlimited travel on other panoramic train journeys like the Bernina Express and Gotthard Panorama Express.
As well as all that train travel, the Swiss Travel Pass includes buses, boats, cable cars and public transport in more than 90 cities.
AND, gets you into 500 different museums.
The three-day Swiss Travel Pass costs less than a journey from Manchester to London. Credit: Unsplash, Victor He
While Switzerland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe to visit, you can’t argue with the price of the Swiss Travel Pass – just £243.20 for unlimited journeys over three days.
Again – an on-peak train return to London from Manchester costs £386.00…
If three days isn’t enough, there are also Swiss Travel Passes that run for four, six, eight or even 15 consecutive days.
The Swiss Travel Pass is a rail pass that lets you travel around Switzerland as much as you want by train, bus and boat for a set amount of travel days.
You can use a Swiss Travel Pass if you’re a tourist and permanently reside outside Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Daisy Jackson -
10th August 2025 
