Walking with Reindeer

In Scotland’s Cairngorm Mountains, you can walk with them all year round, not just for Christmas

Reindeer on Cairn Gorm © Simon Whaley

“Coming through!”

Without looking, I jump off the wooden path onto the soggy sedgy grassland and land with a squelch. The advice to wear walking boots turned out to be a sensible suggestion. I spin round in time to see a herd of reindeer galloping straight towards me.

With a clatter and a clicking (more on that later), they hurry past, keen to see today’s walk leader, Harry, carrying a bag of food. Clearly, reindeer are not stupid animals.

Reindeer treats © Simon Whaley

I’m about 2,000-feet up Cairn Gorm, one of Scotland’s highest mountains (4,085 feet), in the Cairngorm National Park, which is also home to Britain’s only free-ranging herd of reindeer. This is one of their highly popular walking with reindeer experiences.