A Highland bull named Hamish has become an online star after being captured on video adoringly hugging his owner.

The gentle giant, who weighs in at more than 2000Ib, lives with farmer Marc Stewart in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Adopted as a baby, he has spent every single day of his life with cowboy Marc, which has led to a special bond between the pair.

So much so, a video of the big hairy softy hugging his owner has been viewed more than three million times.

"It has borne me away completely. I've been posting videos of him for a few years and never got more than a few comments saying how cute he was - or to go out and get myself a dog," says Marc.

"But there's no stopping it now. I've had a really great response."

Hamish, with a little help from Marc, now has 20,000 loyal followers online who tune in to see him enjoy his daily groom and playtime with fellow farmyard friends Kyloe the bull and Siggy the pig.

"When I was growing up I was always told about Scotland," says Marc. "My mum told me stories about Mary Queen of Scots and everything else.

"Up until my mid-30s I genuinely thought that's who I was - a Scotsman. I even went for a trip to Scotland and came back and looked into my genealogy.

"I had a scrap of paper my grandmother had written my family tree on 80 years before to go on."

After some digging, Marc found out he actually did have a link to West Lothian, to the Baron of Calder no less.

"The third lord had three sons and my ancestor was the third son so he was unable to claim the title," says Marc.

"So he packed his backs in 1650, married a Dutch woman and went off to the US."

Many years later, the baron's distant descendent is still keeping the family's Scottish links alive, albeit nearly 4000 miles away.

When a farmer in the area was getting ready to retire and had to find a home for some of his animals, he had one Highland calf and just the right tartan-loving man in mind.

"He knew I had a love of Scotland and he said he had a cow if I wanted it," says Marc.

"He was 10 months old at that time."

Hamish came to live with his cowboy friend and the pair have been inseparable ever since.

"In all honesty it's because I spend so much time with him," says Marc, who also has Kyloe to care for.

"They both have quite big personalities, though Hamish is the one content to sit back and lay in the shade."

There are a number of breeders of Highland cattle in the US, though their ancestry is firmly in the Highlands and Western Isles of Scotland.

The Highland cattle registry was established as far back as 1885, making them one of the oldest registered cattle breeds in the world.

Highlands also have a long history of living with humans, with early Scots often keeping the family cow inside their homes during the winter.

They tend to be docile and calm and do not stress easily, which explains in some way Hamish's patient love of being groomed.

Highlands are easy to work with despite their long horns, with horns on females generally upswept and finer textured than those on the males.

Male horns, like Hamish and Kyloe's are more forward pointing and massive.

Marc says he is surprised but delighted with the attention his Highland friends have been receiving in the US, especially from true fans.

"I had a message from one girl who was taking care of a 92-year-old war veteran," says Marc.

"Most of his days were spent in misery, she said, as everyone he knew had died but he'd come to the States in the back of a wagon with cattle and he missed them.

"It was his birthday soon so she showed him pictures of Hamish and Kyloe and when he saw them he apparently lit up like a Christmas tree."

Spotting a way to do something nice for the veteran, Marc went online and asked all of Hamish's fans to wish the gentleman a happy birthday.

"He passed away a week later but he got to see all those messages," says Marc.

"He'd been having a hard time but that last week of his life, it was the best time for him."

Stories like that, say Marc, are the reason he keeps the page going.

"One woman said I was the reason she kept Facebook," he says disbelievingly.

"When you sit back and think 'wow, my cow did that' it's pretty impressive."

Marc has since written a short book about his trip to Scotland, which he is hoping to release next week.

He also says he is constantly dreaming of a return trip to beautiful Alba.

"I've been trying for 15 years to come back," he says.

"I have a kilt and I wear it properly unlike most Americans. If you're going to dress like a Scotsman you need to act like a Scotsman."

His opinion of the land his ancestors came from, he says will always remain unchanged.

"I described my feelings about Scotland to a friend the other day," he says.

"It's not about feeling her under your feet, it's about feeling her in your heart. Watch for me, I'm coming home."