Cairngorm, Scotland

Three rare white reindeer calves graze before joining the rest of their herd which is preparing to tour the UK in the run-up to Christmas

Photograph: The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd/PA

January camera roll

Cairngorms.

These pics are from where I took a shortcut throyugh the woods, the initial track had been trodden by a number of people beforehand, this main track took you up owards an area that Cairngorm Reindeer Herd use, I looked around to see if any more were around, but could see none, so tracked backover the bridge, named after the charismatic Sami, Mikel Utsi, who was responsible (along with his wife Ethel Lindgren) for reintroducing the reindeer to Scotland, in 1952, this bridge gives access over the Allt Mor river to the Chalamain Gap,

The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd/PA

So now that weve met alot of the Mammals of the British Isles, how many do you think there are?

The answer according to the Mammal Society is 107!

Most of which are made up of species on the naughty list, which again is species you cannot hold without a licence. Infact there are 18 species of Bats listed and at least 30 Cetaceans reported in our waters!

We've talked about some Mammal being non native, invasive even but theres also some other vagrant species. Which include 4 species of Bat and 5 Pinnipeds (listed earlier) but also our only Marsupial. The Red Necked Wallaby, largely found in southern regions but as far north as Scotland there was also a, now believed to be extinct, population in the Peak District. Theres a large population on the Isle of Man however.

But there's also Raccoon and Reindeer in the UK too. Raccoon appear from illegal releases or escapes and in 2016 were banned from import into the country but a few sightings to pop up from time to time. Reindeer were native to the UK some 800 years ago until they were hunted to extinction, in the early 1950s a controlled but free roaming herd was introduced into the Cairngorms where there are about 150 individuals. With its near Arctic conditions the Cairgorms seems like a location more suited to them and thier specially adapted coats with hollow hairs and fur covered snoots. So a herd in the Costwolds might come as a suprise, these guys you can visit over the winter though.

27/04/24

A few resting reindeer of the Cairngorm Reindeer herd. September 2022

I keep seeing things about the Cairngorm reindeer on TV, and would that not be the perfect thing for Annika to somehow wind up investigating a murder that's somehow tied to the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd? Considering how there was some stuff to do with reindeer in the audios, and all... it just would REALLY fit.

"Unlike other mammals, reindeer can see light in the ultraviolet spectrum."

"Researchers traveled to the Cairngorms mountains in the Scottish Highlands, which hosts more than 1,500 species of lichen as well as Britain’s only reindeer herd. They found reindeer moss absorbs UV light, meaning the white lichen that humans have trouble seeing against the snow stands out as dark patches to the animals."

Reindeer in Norway by Frans Sellies Via Flickr: Young reindeer in Norway. The reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one (or two, depending on taxonomy) has already gone extinct. Reindeer vary considerably in color and size. Both sexes grow antlers, though they are typically larger in males. There are a few populations where females lack antlers completely. Wild reindeer hunting and herding of semi-domesticated reindeer (for meat, hides, antlers, milk and transportation) are important to several Arctic and Subarctic peoples. Even far outside its range, the reindeer is well known due to the myth, probably originating in early 19th century America, in which Santa Claus's sleigh is pulled by flying reindeer, a popular element of Christmas. (Rudolph the reindeer) Domesticated reindeer are mostly found in northern Fennoscandia and Russia, with a herd of approximately 150-170 reindeer living around the Cairngorms region in Scotland. The last remaining wild tundra reindeer in Europe are found in portions of southern Norway. Published: - TRIBUNE COMPANY (ILLINOIS) - 20-Dec-2013 - ForwardContentServices GmbH (Germany) 28-Feb-2016 - Facebook - Trending (TEXAS) 09-Apr-2016 - CBC (Canada) 30-Sep-2016 - De Persgroep Publishing nv (Belgium) 31-Oct-2016 - Hearst Branded Content Studios (NEW YORK) 03-Nov-2016 - Hive Media Group (CALIFORNIA) 15-Nov-2019 - Tower Media Middle East FZ LLC (United Arab Emirates) 26-Nov-2019 - Motion Publishing (Australia) 17-Dec-2019

After the reindeer herd, I drove further up the mountain road for a ride on the Cairngorm Mountain Railway, which has now reopened after a long closure for track repairs. The Ptarmigan - the visitor centre at the top - actually predates the funicular, though I'm not totally sure by how much; you used to be able to ride the ski lift up to it instead, though these days I'm pretty sure they only let you do that if you're actually going skiing.

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Cairngorm Reindeer Herd

A few images of the reindeer that live in The Cairngorms, the country's only free-ranging herd of reindeer. There are others around the British Isles, but they are mainly kept on farms, these guys can roam hills.

There were only a few here on Saturday, but in total there are 150 I've seen the herd before,the last time was in 2015, they are veryfriendly, and will oftenapproachyou, when yougetout yourcar.

Reindeer are believed to be native to Scotland, but became extinct around 800 years ago due to over-hunting. In 1952, the site in the Cairngorms became the first place in the UK in which the animals were reintroduced, after Swedish herder Mikel Utsi visited with his wife and thought the area would make a good home for them. Since then, the herd has grown from eight to 150 and is looked after by a team of 10 full-time herders at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre, near Aviemore in the Highlands of Scotland. 

If you want to support reindeer conservation, you can adopt the herd or specific members here!

As an adopter, you become a valued supporters and in return for your financial support, you will receive a certificate and photograph of the reindeer, additional information about reindeer and souvenirs along with two newsletters over the year.

The adoption subscriptions are spent entirely on the upkeep of the reindeer including their food and welfare in the form of medicines and veterinary care, and generally keeping the herd afloat! 

there is a reindeer herd in the cairngorms and you can visit them

Missing new friends made today, missing the clicking of their hooves and their gentleness. Missing their landscapes. Just missing. (at The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqMyApAh0UV/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ujn0ufxyyc7t