By Mike Merritt

THEY are a sight you might expect to see roaming around the North Pole rather than the Highlands.

But the Cairngorms' famous reindeer has been grounded by Covid-19.

They will not be able to carry out their usual flying festive nationwide tour around the UK because of the pandemic.

For over 30 years the reindeer have proved a popular hit throughout the country including at Chelsea FC, Harrods, Cornwall, Wales and Northern Ireland.

They have even helped their home area to be named as among the top seven places in the world to see Rudolph.

The Cairngorms’ reindeer herd was placed second on the list by top travel guide Wanderlust.

The region is home to Britain's only free ranging herd of reindeer.

But reindeer herder Oliver Wilson said this year it was hoping people would instead come to visit the animals.

"By this point we would normally have done over 20 events but we have only managed two locally, with strictly controlled numbers etc," he said.

"We have taken a hit, but we still have people visiting and we are running hill trips, however the normal long visits around the country are out of the question.

"It is a shame because a lot of events are long-standing ones and are a chance for people to see reindeer at Christmas."

The reindeer herd at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre were started as a serious conservation exercise in 1952 by the late Mikel Utsi, a Sami, and his American wife Dr Ethel Lingren.

They visited wild, upland Scotland and saw it as similar to the reindeer habitat of Sweden.
Wild reindeer in Scotland were hunted to extinction around AD1200 and so a reintroduction programme was started.

Even with Utsi's knowledge of reindeer, there were veterinary problems, but he persisted.

Now, more 65 years later, the herd is flourishing in the Cairngorms and Cromdale Hills.

The herd has grown in numbers over the years and is currently held at between 130 and 150 by controlling breeding. Stud bulls, imported from Sweden, help make sure the bloodline remains pure.

Alan and Tilly Smith and their daughter Fiona and son Alex manage the Scottish reindeer on 6000 acres around the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre at Glenmore. Mr and Mrs Smith take more of a backseat these days.

The reindeer will breed at around three years old and live to between 12-14 years.

The Wanderlust chart was topped by another reindeer encounter in Swedish Lapland with Svalbard in Norway third.

"If you want to see Rudolph and co yourself – whether in the wild or in a conservation environment – you can’t go wrong with these destination," said Wanderlust.

"Reindeer (or caribou, as the non-domesticated North American reindeer is known) aren’t always easy to see in the wild. Often, your best chance of spotting one is to visit a reserve dedicated to looking after these majestic, and undeniably festive, creatures.

"That said, if you find yourself in the right part of the world, a wild sighting is totally possible and incredibly rewarding. So, don’t give up the ghost: there are chances to marvel at, engage with and even care for reindeer in the Arctic Circle, North America and even in the UK."

The Cairngorm centre has also made an appeal to help it through the pandemic.

"Thank you so much for your support through these crazy times," it says on its website.

"As we weren’t able to run our hill trips from late March right through to mid-July in 2020, the bulk of our income for that time, vital to the upkeep of the herd, vanished. We appreciate that these are incredibly difficult times for everyone, but if you do feel able to financially support us, please consider adopting a reindeer.

"As with the Foot-and-Mouth outbreak in 2001 which forced us to close temporarily, it’s times like these that the adoption scheme is vital to our survival as a business."