Photo courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
What to Wear
I would recommend to bring water, wear hiking shoes, wind breaker if not a rain jacket and layers. I brought my camelbak which had more layers just in case it was colder on top of the hill and water. It is required to wear closed toe shoes and is recommended to wear wind proof pants/shirts/jacket.
Photo courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
Getting There
The drive up to the Cairngorm National Park is breathtaking. You drive through small towns, winding roads through the forest and rolling mountains in the back drop. Scotland drives on the left side of the road however we were used to this as we had been in the country for several days at this point. Once we got closer to the Visitor Center there is a lay-by (like a shoulder on the side of the road) we parked at. After we checked in we were given instructions to drive about 5 minutes up the road to another car park where we waited for the guides. It was very easy to navigate and the directions were very accurate.
Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
Paddocks, Cafe & Visitor Center
The building that we check in at has a small gift shop and a paddock where there are about 3 or 4 reindeer that cycle out with the rest of the herd. There are interactive activities for kids to do in the paddock, information on the reindeer and lots of other interesting information regarding the reindeer herd. It is also decorated to the max to look like Santa’s reindeer are kept there, very cute!
The Visitor Center has a cafe that has many choices for breakfast and lunch. The food that we ordered took about 10 minutes to make. The bathrooms are very clean, there are plenty of options to sit or gather including tables and couches. The Visitor Center is about a 2 minute walk from the paddocks and there is a clearly marked flat path that connects the two buildings.
Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
The Reindeer
Reindeer used to be plentiful in Scotland until they weren’t. The owner of the reindeer herd wanted to bring back the majestic beauties. They grew the herd to about 150 reindeer! The reindeer herd numbers are controlled by the breeding process. Fenced areas help to maintain the numbers during the mating season, otherwise the reindeer are allowed to roam free. Reindeer are rotated through the paddock at about 4 reindeer at a time to make sure they are healthy.
The reindeer’s ankles make a clicking a noise when they move. This is to communicate with the herd how fast they are moving and where they are. They also make the cutest and most surprising sounds when “talking” with each other! Take a listen!
Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
The Hike
It was a fairly easy hike to the reindeer. We crossed the road from the car park then started the guided hike up the hill. The ground had many sections with uneven paths. There were also many areas with steps including crossing a bridge (we took pictures after we saw the reindeer, it was gorgeous). There were guides in the front and the back of the line, there were several people with walking sticks and it seemed to help.
Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
Once we got to the top, we walked through the fenced areas on boardwalks to a larger fenced in area. The guides made some “reindeer noises” and told us to keep walking. The reindeer joined our line on the boardwalk and we became part of the herd! It was so cool!
Photos courtesy of Cassidy Robinson Travel
After we were done feeding the reindeer, we were free to leave whenever we felt ready. Since the reindeer stayed close after the feeding, we just hung out with them and took pictures for a while. It was incredible to see these gorgeous animals with the mountains of the highlands as a backdrop. This experience was one of the highlights of our trip and I highly recommend trying it for yourself!
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