Highland Fine Cheeses

Reggie and Susannah Stone ran their micro dairy with 14 Dairy Shorthorn cows and a vicious, depressive bull called Geordie who occasionally lifted the gate and set off into Tain for a little fun.

The cheese making all began by accident when Reggie complained that no one made Crowdie anymore, Susannah suggested she could and set about souring a 10 gallon churn of milk. However 10 gallons of milk became a stone of crowdie – a little more than Reggie had planned on.

Sussanah claims to be a direct descendant of Mariota de Ile, born in 1429 to the clan chieftain – The Macdonald of the Isles. Mariota was the first responsible for taking the cream and instead of churning it into butter, she matured it in barrels to create her ‘chieftans cheese’ – Caboc. At 75% butter fat, Caboc was something of a health hazard if over indulged but her father seemed pleased. Legend doesn’t reveal whether the chieftain died in battle or had a massive coronary after a feast of Caboc cheese but the Campbell clan later stole Mariota and she was forced to marry into the least trustworthy clan in Scotland.

With a strong cheese history running through the family, you can still find the Stone family firmly behind the reigns today. In 1994 Rory joined mum, Susannah, and his older brother in the family business of cheese-making, and has headed up the company ever since. Now the company is focused on mould ripened cheese with brie, blue and washed rind styles. The milk comes from three farms, Sibster just west of Wick, Thrumster with a herd of organic Jersey cows and Rootfield on the Black Isle which is converting to Ayrshire cows.