Deer Dance

But we couldn't leave without one final stop:

The Cairngorm Reindeer

The Cairngorm Mountain Range close to Aviemore is made up of a high plateaux at about 1,000-1,200 above sea level and closely resembles tundra, which is why the plateaux also supports the UK's only free-ranging herd of reindeer.  The paddocks are open every day and there is a daily guided hill trip to see, touch and feed the herd.

Reindeer have been living in the Cairngorms National Park since 1952.  Although the species is native to the UK, the last record of wild British reindeer is from around 800 years ago.  Still, the sub-arctic qualities of the Cairngorms do provide a perfect home for reindeer and are not dissimilar to their other ranging habitat in Sweden and Russia.  The first consignment of 2 bulls and 5 cows were brought from Sweden, quarantined, and then released.  The herd now numbers around 150.

The reindeer (often the old, young or castrated bulls) often rotate in and out of the paddocks and their free-ranging territory high in the mountains, allowing those who can't make the hill trip to get a good look at them and learn about their history and future.

Next time we will definitely take the hill trip - just maybe not in winter.

And with it is adieu to fun, family and a fantastic mid-term holiday!!