The official beginning of the breed can be considered 1891 when a written mention of the bearded collie first appeared. This was done by DJ Thomson Gray in his work The Dog of Scotland. By this time, the dogs had already taken part in several exhibitions that took place in England and Glasgow. In 1897, an exhibition of the Scottish Kennel Club was held in Edinburgh, where the dogs presented were first recognized as a breed and the first standard was approved. The dogs got their name thanks to the shaggy hair not only on the body but also on the muzzle, which resembles a drooping mustache and beard.