The unique appearance of Belted Galloway Cattle inspires many questions about their origins.  With a white middle sandwiched between a black, red, or dun color, they are  familiarly known as "Belties" among breeders of the animals.  Although references to "sheeted" cattle occur in literature and art as early as the 11th Century, the Belted Galloway's first recorded reference indicates that they were developed during the 16th Century in the former Galloway district of Scotland, a rugged and hilly seacoast region where hardiness was necessary for survival.

The Belted Galloway's protective coat has nearly 4,000 hairs per square inch.  As a result of this heavy double coat, Belted Galloways have significantly less fat than other commercial beef cattle breeds.  The benefit is a low fat, low cholesterol meat that is similar in fat content to chicken and some fish.  Due to this thick hair coat, Belted Galloways were rated the top breed group for flavor and juiciness by the USDA Meat  Animal Research Center in Clay Center, Nebraska.