The Highland fairy cattle or sea cattle are less dangerous than the Each Uisge, just as the tarroo ushtey of Man is less dangerous than the cabyll ushtey. They are "hummel", or hornless, and generally dun in colour, though those in Skye are said to be red and speckled, and are often described as black. The bulls of the water-cattle sometimes mate with the mortal cattle to the great improvement of the stock. In one way they are a danger to the farmer, according to J.G.Campbell in "Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands" (589: p.29). Sometimes one of the fairy cattle joins a mortal herd who follow her everywhere, and she leads them towards a fairy knowe which at once opens for her. If the cowherd does not turn his own cows back, they follow the fairy cow into the mound and are never seen again. The opposed characters of the water-horse and the water-bull are well shown in a story about Islay told by J.F.Campbell in "Popular Tales of the West Highlands":

There was a farmer on the north of the island who had a large herd of cattle and one day a calf was born to one of the cows with round ears. An old woman who lived on the farm and whose advice was always taken recognized it as the calf of a water-bull and told them to keep it separate from the other calves for seven years and feed it each day with the milk of three cows. As she said, so they did. Some time after this a servant lass went out to watch the cattle, who were grazing near the loch. A young man drew near and, after some talk, sat down beside her and asked her to clean his head. It was an attention often paid by lasses to their lads. He laid his head on her lap and she began to part and straighten his locks. As she did so she saw with horror that there was green seaweed growing amongst his hair, and knew that he must be the dreaded Each Uisge himself. She did not scream or start, but went on rhythmically with her task until she had lulled the creature to sleep. Then she slowly untied her apron, worked her way from under the head and ran for home. When she was nearly there she heard a dreadful thunder of hoofs behind her and saw the water-horse hard on her heels. He would have seized her and carried her into the loch to be torn to pieces, but the old woman loosed the bull. The bull charged at the horse and the two went fighting into the loch. Next morning the mangled body of the bull drifted to the shore, but the water-horse was never seen again.

J.F.Campbell "Popular Tales of the West Highlands" (644: vol.IV, p.304-306; 1290: 81-82)