Out last proper trip on our Scottish holiday was to visit the reindeer herd. This is the only free-ranging herd of reindeer, about 150 strong, most on them on the mountain slopes below Cairngorm. We went to visit them last year and have adopted one of them. Fitting with the weather we experienced all holiday it was really cold. As we found before the wind was getting stronger as went higher up the mountain so we wrapped up very warm!
After checking in at the centre we drove the short distance to the Sugar Bowl car park and waited for our guides to take us to the herd. After our safety briefing - watch our for cars crossing the road, don't slip over - it took us about 20 minutes to get onto the place where the herd was. Our group was about 25 people strong. Apparently at this time of year they are booked out most days, especially at weekends.
Most of the walk was pretty easy through a wooded ravine but once out of that you had to cross a wooden walkway, covered in snow, with a really strong side-wind. Fortunately we had decided walking poles were a good idea so four points of balance helped!
As soon as we emerged into the top area the reindeer, encouraged by judicious shaking of food sacks, all trotted over.
They are totally unfazed by people and just wander amongst you. The only thing to watch out for is that some of them only have a rough idea of the width of their antlers and you can get accidentally prodded!
You are encouraged not to stroke or cuddle the reindeer - they won't like it and anyway they're not pets - but if you hold some food in the palm of your hand they will happily whiffle away it. Their noses are incredibly soft!!
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Although superficially they look similar, in actual fact each reindeer has a very distinct pattern and the reindeer herders know them all by name. Each years calves have a theme to their names - chocolate bars for instance - and there is a full stud history.
With the food running out the reindeer started to wander back off onto the slopes. The snow and wind had no effect on them though we were all starting to feel it by now.
We fought our way back across the walkway and back to the car where we did try to go and find the snow buntings but the wind was so strong in the car park we could hardly stand so photography was out of the question.
Our last stop on the way off the mountain was at a very frozen Loch Morlich where the sun was going down.
Someone had built a couple of snowmen looking out across the lake. It all looked beautifully festive and was a perfect end to our holiday.
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