Akubra – The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd

10th January 202510th January 2025

New Christmas Reindeer 2024

So the newbies to Christmas this year are: Morse, Jelly, Ärta, Akubra, Jester, Busby, Cowboy, Mr Whippy, Gelato, Magnum and Mivvi. They were all trained in Oct/Nov this year to wear harness and pull the sleigh. This is always done alongside a reindeer who is already trained to show them the ropes. Most of them went out on Christmas events as a 5-6 month old calf but these boys have now all been trained to harness and to pull the sleigh so lets hear how they have all got on this season.

One of our Christmas Day parades at the Macdonald Resort in Aviemore! Ärta on the right looking very comfortable being led by an elf! Cuppa, Fika are the calves and the old pro (and Ärta’s big bro) Dr Seuss at the back.

Morse’s antlers are so big we had to train him alongside another Christmas reindeer who either had one antler or no antlers so he could fit. As a result we decided that once he was trained here in Glenmore that on actual Christmas events he wouldn’t pull the sleigh as we didn’t want him to have a bad experience so he just had to follow behind with the others. The last time he did Christmas event was back in 2018 when he was a calf so 6 year ago now, but, he hadn’t forgotten and has been great and looks so, so impressive. We did alter his team to only have 1 calf (usually there are 2) because we didn’t think there would be enough room at the back of the sleigh for two adults and two calves with the sheer size of his antlers.

Morse and Frost during a training session in snowy Glenmore.

Jelly and Ärta are Covid calves. This means they didn’t actually go out on Christmas tour in 2020 so it was a slightly steeper learning curve for them. The training the calves get at 5-6 months old is so valuable come adult hood when they have already seen what it’s all about. But, it’s not to say they can’t, it just takes special handling and picking the correct events for these reindeer to take part in. Both were harness and sleigh trained in Oct/Nov and I’d say Ärta was better than Jelly so we may need extra time for Jelly to get there. Jelly lost his antlers fairly early on in the season so he was just a ‘back reindeer’ behind the sleigh this year. Ärta has pulled the sleigh on a couple of straight-forward parades which weren’t very busy and he’s seems like he’ll be grand in the future. Like I said we just take things a bit slower with reindeer who need that extra training but in a few years time I suspect they will be the ones training the newbies so watch this space!

Poirot and Busby at the front of the sleigh whilst Ärta learns how to walk nicely at the back of the sleigh – taking it all in his stride.

The 3 year old boys have been absolute superstars this Christmas. Akubra from the day he joined the herd has always proved to be Mr Chill and the others – Cowboy, Busby and Jester aren’t far behind. They have all been out and about pulling the sleigh or walking at the back and it’s looking like we have some cracking ‘Christmas reindeer’ up and coming in these guys. They make us so proud!

Cowboy at the front of the sleigh in Dunkeld (next to old boy Druid). Cowboy was amazing and didn’t put a hoof wrong!

Another training session with Ben at the front of the sleigh with Dr Seuss and newbie Akubra, plus Busby at the back.

Jester at an event at Landmark, Carrbridge. He did a super job walking at the back of the sleigh.

The lovely Busby, also at Landmark. He pulled the sleigh during the parade and was fantastic.

Akubra and Busby pulling the sleigh on Christmas Day with Lotti leading. Ärta can be seen in the background.

Busby and Akubra pulling the sleigh whilst getting filmed!

Then we have four 2 year olds – Magnum, Mr Whippy, Gelato and Mivvi. We don’t usually geld our reindeer until they are 3 years old (unless we use them as a breeding bull), however, these four were particularly big for their age so we decided gelding them a year early wouldn’t impact their growth. We did train them here in Glenmore to pull the sleigh, which they were great at, we decided that on events if it was a long parade then they would walk at the back rather than put that pressure on a younger body. If it was a short parade with a light Santa then we might give them a go. All four have been so good and taking everything in their stride. Like the boys who are 1 year older they have the making of being a fantastic Christmas reindeer.

Gelato, Irish, Mivvi and Jester on display at Gleneagles Hotel.

Magnum pulling the sleigh for the very first time next to Clouseau. Adzuki at the back.

Mr Whippy pulling the sleigh for the first time next to Anster.

Mivvi on an event at Gleneagles. This was a ‘reindeer only’ event with no sleigh, but great exposure all the same and a lovely place to work!

So there you have it, class of 2024. A real mixed bag but all characters in their own way. When working with them at Christmas time we really get to know them as individuals which only makes that bond and knowledge all the better.

Fiona

20th December 202420th December 2024

Differences and similarities between Highland cattle and reindeer: part 2

For anyone who didn’t read part 1 then check it out here!

Halter training:

October is halter training time for our reindeer, we will (temporarily) take the calves away from their mums and start doing some training. This is very helpful in case we need to catch them for any treatment in the future or walk them to a new area. Some of the well-trained, castrated reindeer end up doing some Christmas events in the festive season and sometimes the cattle will go to an event or show, needing to be halter trained.

Reindeer or cattle, the first time on a halter can be a bit difficult as it’s an unfamilar sensation having something on your face. We will try to give them lots of nice food and the best experience as possible. The second day will be much more relaxed for both handler and animal already, but is does take some work and patience to get them to walk nicely on a halter without them being stubborn or without any pulling.

Halter training with cattle can be a bit more dangerous as they are heavy in weight and pretty strong. Not only that, where reindeer physically can’t kick backwards with their rear legs, cattle can! At least, luckily both reindeer and cattle will not bite you, as they both don’t have upper teeth, but instead have a strong dental pad (gum without teeth).

One of the reasons why we halter train all our reindeer is so we can catch them out whilst free ranging incase we need to move them. This bunch of free rangers were easy to catch with that big bag of bribery next to Lisette!

Relaxing:

Reindeer or cattle, they all do love a bit of relaxing time!!

Dr Seuss relaxing, probably after eating lots of hand feed!

Green things(!):

Reindeer in the Cairngorms and Highland cattle in Glen Nevis, they all love the color green; bags, scoops, bins, or even green vans!

Reindeer calves eating out of the green bag – Tub, Magnum, Viennetta, and Mr Whippy!

Beret seeing if we’ve got any extra food for her in our green bins in the hill enclosure.

Enjoying a quick snack from a green scoop!

Selfies:

Reindeer and cattle don’t mind a selfie or close-up photo either!

Cow and calf:

Popularity:

Another thing they both have in common, they’re native to Scotland and tourists love seeing them!

Happy people on a Hill Trip visiting the reindeer.

People enjoying seeing the Highland cow herd in Glen Nevis.

Reindeer used to be native to Scotland but went extinct. Nobody knows exactly when, but we think the last reindeer (still roaming in Caithness and Cairngorm area, the coldest places in the UK) went extinct around the 1000 years ago due to different reasons, such as range restriction and people overhunting them. In other areas of Britain, reindeer disappeared much earlier, due to natural climate change after the last ice-age, the habitat changed and there was less suitable food for this Artic animal.

We think Highland cattle have descended from the Egyptian Long horn cattle. These cattle were well established and domesticated in the Nile village around 6000 years ago. Neolithic farmers brought these cattle into Britain. The group of cattle settled in the Highlands had to adapt to the colder and windy weather, growing lots more hair!

Another story is, that the Celtic immigrant people brought their Short Horns, another old breed (all cattle likely come from the Aurochs, originating either in North India or Central Asia and spreading into North Africa and into Europe) to the Scottish Island, where again, they had to adapt to the harsh weather. These cattle, black in color, were first called Kyloe (from the way they swam or were ferried across the kyles) and are now known as Highland cattle, mixing with the cattle on the mainland and domesticated into different colors, mostly red haired due to Queen Victoria’s preference. The Highland cattle herd book was established in 1885.

After the reindeer got re-introduced in Scotland to the Cairngorms (still the coldest place in the UK) in 1952, people fell in love with them and the Reindeer Centre has been taking people to see the reindeer on Hill Trips or in our Paddocks.

On the Glen Nevis Estate I’ve started taking people up to see the cattle since last year, March-October, either on a guided walk in the Glen or on the Hairy Cow Experience (find out more here: https://www.glen-nevis.co.uk/activities).

Lisette

29th November 202427th November 2024

Photo Blog: November 2024

November has been a very mixed month for me in terms of work! Here at home I’ve been on the hill working with the herd, taking lots of people up to meet the reindeer on Hill Trips, and spending most afternoons sleigh training or working though the gazillions of adoptions that are coming in ahead of Christmas. I’ve also been on road with Christmas teams doing parades in Dumfries and as far south as Wilmslow. The reindeer were super and made me incredibly proud. Biggest shout out to Akubra who pulled the sleigh like an old pro in his first public events!

31st of October: I had to cheat a little as turns out I was rubbish at taking photos during the first week of November so here’s Feta and her calf Earl Grey from the last day of October!

31st of October: Another one from October for good measure – here’s Helsinki and her son Irish!

7th of November: Juniper! The only ‘polled’ reindeer in our herd (meaning she doesn’t grow antlers).

7th of November: Vanilla looking beautiful. One of three pure white reindeer in the herd.

8th of November: If there’s a white bag on the hill, Beanie is never too far away!

9th of November: Mel and I took this handsome bunch to a primary school for the day. They did a super job. In the team was Dr Seuss, Clouseau, Akubra, Magnum, Espresso and Irish.

12th of November: Lisette feeding a lovely bunch of free rangers.

16th of November: Dr Seuss back on tour! Here he is gently resting his chin on the sleigh before a parade. Clearly trying to impress the crowds as he is usually known for causing mild havoc by wrecking our decorations!

17th of November: The boys resting in Dunfermline with Magnum at the front. They were back on the hill in the evening.

19th of November: Akubra back on the hill after a weekend away! He was a total star and pulled the sleigh in two parades.

19th of November: Feeding the calves out of the bags. Earl Grey on the left and Pukka on the right both with a foot in the air!

20th of November: Adzuki looking very smart in the snow!

21st of November: Turtle enjoying the snow!

21st of November: Christie alongside a snow bunting! I love these incredibly hardy birds! A flock of around 40 came and joined us on the Hill Trip.

25th of November: The snow had mostly gone after Storm Bert but Scully and Feta found a patch.

25th of November: Pip proving that reindeer can’t bite! Look at the small row of bottom teeth and the hard palate at the top of her mouth.

27th of November: Latte coming in for a close up. What a funny face!

Ruth

15th November 202415th November 2024

Christie and her boys!

Caddis on the right and Christie as a calf with big antlers already – September 2017.

Christie is a wonderful reindeer for many reasons. She was born in 2017 making her seven years old. I’m particularly fond of all that cohort as they were all born the year I first became a reindeer herder and so I’ve had the privilege of watching them grow up.

She’s a beautiful lass and very distinctive with her gorgeous freckly nose and back legs. She comes from a wonderful family line, her mum Caddis was also big and beautiful, and her younger brother is Sherlock, perhaps one of the most ‘famous’ reindeer in our current herd due to his enormous antlers. Christie has now had a calf every year for the past four years and all four have been male, dark, and very similar looking.

We rarely breed the same female on the trot year-on-year but Christie is just such a good mum and always comes back after a summer out free ranging in great condition, with a cracking set of antlers, and a stonking big calf by her side. Often mothers with a calf at foot may grow smaller antlers or look a little bit lean as they have diverted their energy to their wee calf, but not our Christie! This of course might change as Christie gets older and I’m sure she’ll enjoy a year off from motherhood before too long.

Gelato, Espresso, and Christie feeding next to each together – October 2024.

Below is a load of photos of her four lovely sons. They look so alike that for some of pics I only know which is which due to the date taken!

Akubra – born 2021

Christie and new born son in May 2021 – we later named him Akubra.

Finding a bunch of free rangers in August 2021 including lovely Akubra! What a big lad, now 3 months old.

Akubra in August 2024. He’s now a trained ‘Christmas reindeer’ and can pull a sleigh like a pro!

Gelato – born 2022

She’s done it again! Christie with new calf in 2022, we later called this little lad Gelato.

Christie and Gelato in February 2023 – not sure that Gelato is too impressed with his mum’s attention!

Christie and Gelato in April 2023 right before Christie calved again.

Christie reunited with her yearling son Gelato in August 2023 – practicing their synchronised dance moves!

Colorado – born 2023

Another stonking male calf for Christie in May 2023, we later called this lad Colorado.

Christie and Colorado posing beautifully – November 2023.

Christie and Colorado adopting the same sleeping pose!

Colorado and Christie in Feb 2024 – both with broken antlers!

Espresso – born 2024

Another one! Newborn Espresso in May 2024.

Espresso with Christie behind – May 2024.

Christie and Espresso free ranging in July 2024 looking very scruffy as they go through the moult.

Espresso and mum in September 2024 after returning from the free range!

Ruth

30th August 202425th August 2024

Photo Blog: August 2024

August has been a busy and fun month. The first half of the month was very busy with visitors and sold out Hill Trips. Without the Paddocks and Exhibition this year it feels like the Hill Trips have been even busier than usual. Sometimes we even put a bonus additional Hill Trip on so as not to disappoint too many folk! The reindeer were not complaining about another opportunity to hand-feed!

But as Scottish schools went back the second half of the month got slightly quieter with visitors and we’ve been having lots of free range action which I love. Generally we start to see the free ranging females more as they come down in altitude as the weather gets cooler. Towards the end of the month we also start bringing in the mums and their calves back into the enclosure. They spend June through to August/early September out roaming the hills learning how to be little wild reindeer and enjoying all the best grazing, but when the autumn rolls around it’s time for them to learn what a feed bag is and in time, how to walk on a halter etc. The following photos are a small snapshot of what’s been occurring this month…

1st of August: Sheena leading down Mivvi with Cairngorm mountain in the background.

2nd of August: Frost coming over to say hello!

5th of August: Kernel and Jelly, both 4 years old, leading the herd on a very dreich Hill Trip.

5th of August: Mivvi looking so smart in his short, dark summer coat.

6th of August: Harness training in the sun!

7th of August: The most identifiable nose on the hill?? Dr Seuss saying hello!

8th of August; Amy being mobbed by a bunch of boys (and girl Alba is bottom left) wanting their breakfast!

9th of August: A free ranging mission with Cameron. Moving a group of VERY old girls, Ibex, Sambar, Gazelle, Sika and Pavlova with a collective age of 79!

13th of August: Haricot on a beautiful breezy morning.

14th of August: Wafer coming over to say hi! He looks great this year, with very pretty antlers.

14th of August: Winnie and Alba looking super! Both were hand-reared last year.

15th of August: A late afternoon excursion from the office to find and move some free ranging reindeer. This is the lovely Emmental who was certainly not shy!

16th of August: Cows and calves are back in the enclosure! This is Christie, her male calf, and Solero in the middle.

16th of August: Brie’s calf is exceptionally cute! But I could say that about all of them…

19th of August: Marple and her calf behind.

20th of August: Jenga spending a short while in the enclosure for a wee health check after a summer out free ranging.

24th of August: Ryvita aged 15 and looking fantastic!!

24th of August (a): Vienna and calf being retrieved from the free range. I enjoyed a lovely evening walk with them back to the hill enclosure.

24th of August (b): Vienna and calf home! Back in the enclosure after a summer out in the hills.

Ruth

15th December 202316th December 2023

Well hello boys!

In the autumn, we move all of our entire males (apart from the 2 or 3 lucky chosen breeding bulls) over to our hill farm, away from the females and out of trouble for the duration of the breeding season. With no hint of love on the air, this keeps them calmer and easier to manage, though they still enjoy play-fighting. By December the rut is over and our breeding bulls have also joined them, so there is a slight vibe of an all-boys hangout. As Tilly is caring for these fellas every day, and she is less up on her social media, I thought I’d take the opportunity to grab some photos for you all this week when I was over at the hill farm.

Boys hanging out chilling in the sunshine on the hill

Spartan is a picture of relaxation! Pure white yearling 99, and Cornetto are closest to camera.

Yearling males 99, Kulfi, Cornetto and Zoom

The bulls spend a lot of time practicing their tussling skills – here’s a friendly bout between 99 and Zoom

2-year-old Akubra looks a bit sleepy for tussling just now!

2 year old Cowboy (centre) is certainly in charge of yearlings Calippo (left) and Iskrem (right)

The more mature bulls have already cast their antlers. Spartan and Sherlock are now getting a rest from carrying all that weight on their heads!

Mr Whippy is the biggest of the yearlings

Like some of the other young bulls, Zap has broken parts of his antlers. He’ll grow back a full set next year after casting this set, a completely natural process.

Sunny, who we hand-reared last year. He’s grown into a very handsome fella.

Big Morse and young Kulfi enjoying the winter sun.

Andi

15th July 20221st September 2024

All Change!

June and July are the months when our reindeer have to complete a full moult from their incredibly thick winter coats to their short, sleek summer coats. They don’t quite look at their most glam at this stage (though obviously they’re always beautiful!) but there can be some entertaining looks going on, which we thought you might all appreciate!

2-year-olds Legume and Arta with just a bit of shaggy winter coat on their backs

Beastie is always one of the first reindeer to be (nearly) into full summer coat

Wee Sunny is in his “calf” coat, which will moult to an adult coat over the next few weeks.

Cannellini is one of the last to get moulting, with just a bit lost on his face.

Poirot’s dark colouring is showing through with only a little winter coat still to lose.

Yearling Cowboy still looking glam despite his questionable coat choice!

The reindeer do groom off loose hair – here’s Olmec with the evidence!

Strudel with a beard of groomed-off winter coat.

Dr Seuss has moulted out all of his lower coat and hardly anything off his back… here he is tapping his antlers to stimulate the growth.

Frost looking incredibly scruffy… but it’ll not be long until he’s handsome again!

Andi

11th March 202218th August 2024

2017 Calves part 2: Dr Seuss and Christie

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about Kipling, one of the reindeer born in 2017 (click here to read the first installment). This week I will write about two more reindeer born in that year and given names belonging to the theme famous authors and poets.

Dr Seuss

Dr Seuss was the first calf I ever got to know due to his unmistakable white face passed down from his mother Merida. From a young age he was full of cheek and character and also had a large appetite for food. As a little dumpy chubster he was probably the reindeer I gave the most fuss to during my first winter in the form of food and cuddles, although the latter I enjoyed more than him. Reindeer aren’t ones for being fussed but it was hard to resist for this little man.

Joe (with flowing long locks!) and Dr Seuss.

Being a male, Dr Seuss went through his 1^st and 2^nd year in true teenage fashion, spending most of his time at the farm and tussling the other young bulls his age during the autumn. In the summer months he would be in our hill enclosure fattening up and meeting visitors. He’s always loved his food and will never let an opportunity go a miss if he spots the white handfeed bag.

At 3 years old and fully grown Dr Seuss was trained to become one of our Christmas reindeer and pull the sleigh on events. Being so relaxed and friendly by this point he took to it very well and looked super impressive with his distinctive large, wide antlers. He was so good, he also featured on the Channel 4 programme ‘A Baby Reindeer’s first Christmas’ as one of the stars of the show pulling Santa’s sleigh with a team which included his fellow co-star and reindeer celebrity, Holy Moley. Since then Dr Seuss has featured in a couple of other film or photography events but I don’t believe I am allowed to reveal them just yet. Dr Seuss is one of our friendliest and still most distinctive reindeer, he’s a lovely lad who all herders have taken a strong liking too. From a small round calf he’s now a whopping size with a huge backside that’s important fat reserves for the winter. That’s my excuse for him anyway.

Dr Seuss pulling the sleigh in November 2021 in the middle of Bradford – what a star!

Back on the snowy hills in December 2021, after a weekend away on sleigh-pulling duty!

Christie

From a young age Christie has always been a very pretty reindeer with her white spotted face and legs. Her mother Caddis was a true great of our reindeer herd and it was actually her who caught my attention when I first started getting to know the herd. At the time Caddis was more or less the matriarch of the herd, she was one of the biggest females in both size of body and antlers and for as long as I knew her, always seemed to produce the biggest calf each year. With all her majesty though, she never seemed too pushy with the other reindeer and was very tame. As a young female Christie never left her side until eventually Caddis had another calf, now known as Sherlock, a year later and Christie was naturally pushed away. Unlike her mother, Christie in nature is a lot shyer. As a yearling she spent almost a whole year free- ranging and although I rarely saw her I was always interested to see how she was getting on. Unfortunately Caddis sadly passed away before Christie was 2 years old and as her last female calf, I wanted Christie to one day take after her mother and become as big and strong as she was. As a two year old Christie did spent more time in the enclosure during the winter when I moved to the Reindeer Centre. Like Kipling I would often try to give her a little extra feed and handling to encourage her to be more tame but she’s never quite become completely relaxed around people. I do see her sometimes handfeed from visitors and stand in and amongst groups of people more but not as regularly as our tame or greedier reindeer. I’ve began to enjoy this characteristic about Christie though, I know she’ll never be like her mum was with regards to how she acted around people but with a little encouragement Christie will still accept your presence and a tasty handful of food. This year I was so excited to see Christie become a mum and give birth to her first healthy calf. A surprisingly dark male called Akubra, who we named after our hat themed year. Like Caddis once did, Christie has produced the largest calf of the year and has also grown an incredible set of antlers for a mother. It’s really nice to see that Christie has taken after her mother in this way and has carried on the legacy of family genetics. I still think the best of Christie is yet to come and although she may not be the tamest of reindeer, I’ll keep doing my best give her that extra bit of food during the coming winter months and see if she grows in confidence as time goes on.

Looking fabulous free-ranging in August 2020.

Christie and her young calf that we later named Akubra – May 2021.

Joe

21st January 202218th August 2024

Photo Blog: December 2021

As Ben and Fiona have explained in previous blogs (click here, and here to read), we had a busy December with events and parades up and down the country, as well as a busy Centre here in Glenmore with fully-booked Hill Trips and Christmas Fun paddock slots! Plus hundreds of adoption packs to make up and post out, alongside all the usual office antics.

For this week’s blog, I’ve collated a series of photographs found on my phone during this particularly busy month to give a brief snapshot of what went on in the life of a reindeer herder. Turns out I don’t take many photographs whilst I’m sat in front of a computer answering emails so the photos are quite biased to all the fun times I’ve had out and about. Thankfully this makes for a much more enjoyable blog… lots of pictures of reindeer!

2nd of December – The unmistakable snozzle of Dr Seuss enjoying the fresh snow. The first half of the month was snowy and cold, great for the reindeer but unfortunately this meant we had to cancel some of our Hill Trips. Thankfully the majority were able to go ahead without complications.

3rd of December – Olly and I spying for the free-rangers in a winter wonderland. We watched the herd coming to our call from a couple of kilometers away! Note: stances might not be entirely natural. Photo by herder Sheena.

4th of December – Lotti and I went away for the weekend with this wonderful team of reindeer (Clouseau, Bond, Holy Moley, Trilby and Akubra) seen here having a snooze at the Langholm event.

5th of December – After a night at our Lockerbie base, we headed to Lancaster. Here’s Holy Moley trying to beat-up her own reflection whilst in the pen, much to the amusement of the crowd.

7th of December – the first day of our shiny new Mountain Equipment jackets here modeled by Joe and Lotti, whilst giving the calves some extra feed. It’s a tough job but somebody has to do it!

7th of December – Witch having a big stretch after a snooze during Storm Barra! The ice cracked on her side as she stood up and moved – very cool!

8th of December – After one weekend looking dramatic in our paddocks for “Christmas Fun” Sherlock decided he’d had enough and cast his antlers! Here’s Ben modeling the impressive head gear. Soon after, Sherlock and the other young bulls were out free-ranging on the mountains.

9th of December – Cowboy, now 7 months old, already knows that tasty snacks are kept in white bags! What a cutie.

12th of December – Fiona and I had an event at a farm near Inverness. Good opportunity to write some adoption letters whilst waiting for people to visit the reindeer!

13th of December – Finding some peace and quiet away from the office by feeding the beautiful free-ranging herd! Note the lack of snow, there was a thaw halfway through the month but still chilly with frosts most mornings which means happy reindeer!

19th of December – Feeding the free-ranging herd again, lovely Sambar leading the herd in whilst busily chewing the cud.

20th of December – Tiree the dog having a snooze in the office, it’s all a bit much for her!

23rd of December – Herder Harry re-joined us again for December. Here he is being all cute surrounded by our cute but greedy calves.

24th of December – Another trip up the mountain to feed the free-rangers. Here’s Puzzle looking great!

26th of December – It was very windy and wild Boxing Day so we dropped down in to the woods to find some shelter on our Hill Trips.

31st of December – Some very snoozy reindeer after the last Hill Trip of 2021! What superstars they are.

Ruth

31st December 202118th August 2024

It’s a wrap!

Well, that is Christmas here at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre done for another year and I have to say it has been A LOT busier than 2020 when COVID restrictions didn’t allow us to go about our usual business. Although it wasn’t as busy as the years before COVID-19 I think this year has been an eye opener for us and how we go forward in the future. The income we receive over the November/December period through Christmas events is something we once completely relied on to help support the reindeer herd and running costs for the rest of the year but nowadays we are busier than ever and as a result the income through the Centre now provides a bigger ratio than it once did, so I think a quieter Christmas tour in years to come could actually be better in the long run, concentrating more on what we have here at home. I’m not saying we won’t carry on with our Christmas tour completely, but I will look into downsizing, which it has naturally done this year anyway and it’s been very manageable.

We went through all the normal training with the reindeer through the October period. The 5-6 month old calves being trained to wear and walk on a head collar and the new young male Christmas reindeer being trained to wear harness and pull the sleigh. They all did great and I think gold stars in particular go to Christie’s calf Akubra, who I can only describe as a born Christmas reindeer and Frost, our 3 year old who pulled the sleigh like he’d done it his whole life, taking part in some huge events and taking it all in his stride. They make you so proud when out and about on tour its hard not to shout their praises from the roof tops!

A training session in Glenmore back in the autumn, coincidentally the 4 adult reindeer featured are our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day team!

3 year old Frost and 6 year old Scolty pulling the sleigh in Aviemore on Christmas Day.

I also have to sing the praises of all our wonderful reindeer herders including core employees, seasonal reindeer herders and volunteers. Without this ridiculously capable team of folk we would not be where we are today. It takes input from every single one of us to make it work so thank you to everyone! I have to mention one person in particular who I know won’t want me to make a fuss, but I am going to anyway, because she has been a total super star. Carol thank you so much for just being you. Your kind and caring nature not to mention a special way you have when talking to the public about reindeer is wonderful to watch and you are an asset to our already great team. I know the reindeer also bring a huge amount of joy to Carol as well so I think it works both ways.

Carol and 7 month old Akubra – the most chilled-out of all our calves this year!

We finished off Christmas with 6 events on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The team of reindeer were quite a young bunch with the oldest being 6 years, but what a team they were! Scolty, Dr Seuss, Frost, Clouseau, Holy Moley and Akubra. Handlers over the two days consisted of Tilly, Fiona, Joe, Ben Hester, Ruth, Carol and Aurélien. Although icy and cold the weather was kind to us bringing bright blue skies and sunshine on Christmas day. The public were delighted to see the reindeer bringing huge smiles to both adults and kids… and herders of course. Carol was in charge of 7 month old Akubra all day and the two of them got on really well. Introducing him to lots of people delighted to see the reindeer over this festive time. Though Akubra was a little tired by the 4^th event so he took a wee nap mid performance! What a dude! Aurélien and Holy Moley were on top form, although Holy Moley can sometimes be a little bossy with small children so Aurélien did a great job of anger management… she’s a wee toerag!

Aurélien and Holy Moley were a great double act.

At our second last event of Christmas day a couple of our youngest reindeer herders joined us and even mucked in helping to handle the reindeer. Oscar and Tilly (little Tilly, not big Tilly) were excellent in taking instruction when it came to leading and handling the reindeer… I see a couple of future reindeer herders in these two for sure! Newbie Christmas reindeer Frost and Clouseau both pulled the sleigh at three of the events each alongside role models Dr Seuss and Scolty. A-star team so bravo boys and girls… you all get an extra handful of lichen… the favourite food of a reindeer.

[Little] Tilly leading the reindeer and sleigh in Nethy Bridge.

Oscar and Holy Moley at the back of the sleigh doing a superb job.

So that is it for another year and when I thought at the beginning of November that the end was nowhere near in sight. Suddenly Christmas is over. I’d worried that the reindeer would forget what to do on events having had a year off but that was absolutely not the case. If anything it was the humans that needed reminding and reassuring that they knew what to do, the reindeer were fab.

Fiona