The run-up to Christmas is always an incredibly busy time — especially for all the reindeer resting up ahead of the big day.

But being a reindeer herder and looking after the UK’s only free-roaming herd is a year-round job.

There are just over 150 reindeer, and they are all split between the hill enclosure at Glen Mor, the free-ranging group on the Cairngorm plateau and the farm at Glenlivet.

Cassie Screen is one of the six herders looking after the magnificent animals.

Cassie Screen feeding some of the calves. Image: Cairngorm Reindeer

She has been working as a herder since September 2023 and has spent the last year getting to know the reindeer.

The herder spoke to the Press and Journal about what it’s like looking after the mighty mammals…

A lot of hill walking is involved…

Cassie explained that her job is “very outdoorsy” and that they can be out in all kinds of weather — particularly in the Cairngorms National Park where conditions can be extreme.

While the reindeer are free-roaming, a team goes up in the morning with their first bit of breakfast.

Some of the team walking the cows and calves. Image: Cairngorm Reindeer

They check in with the reindeer to make sure they’re all looking good and healthy and that there are enough reindeer for the hill trip at 11am.

Then, those who didn’t go up first will take the public up for the hill trip, which Cassie described as an educational tour.

“It’s really wonderful,” Cassie added, “because you see people’s joy from seeing them in their natural environment.”

If there’s another tour in the afternoon, the team will swap again, and Cassie says they consistently rotate.

Lotti, Ryvita and Cassie. Image: Cairngorm Reindeer

She said: “Although there is no doubt that you’ll fall in love with the reindeer, which you completely do. But I think a love for the outdoors goes above everything else.

“And depending on the season, different things happen throughout the year, which requires more physical exertion than others.”

Team makes food for the ‘proper Scottish’ herd

The team makes all the food on-site using a cement mixer, and everything is supplementary because the reindeer spend so much of their time grazing.

But they give the animals a mixture of cattle grains, barley and dark grains — which is a byproduct from the whisky distilleries.

“They’re a proper Scottish herd,” Cassie laughed.

There’s also some hand feed, which is higher in sugar for reindeer that wish to approach people.

Some reindeer are more than happy to approach people for a snack. Image: Alex Smith / Cairngorm Reindeer

They also import lichen from Scandinavia, because that is their absolute favourite and the animals rely on it during winter.

But the team also keeps an eye on the herd, to make sure they’re all eating enough and if any are looking a bit skinny they get some higher fat-filled food.

And according to Cassie, the trips are not hands-on with the reindeer, because they simply don’t like to be touched.

One of the team members counting the herd. Image: Alex Smith / Cairngorm Reindeer

“Actually, touching amongst themselves is an aggressive form of language,” she added. “So we try to explain to the public that if we go to touch them, it will feel like we’re being aggressive towards them and they’ll move away.

“As soon as we explain that, people are really respectful of it.”

‘Reindeer are completely ruled by their bellies’

The team describes the reindeer as free-range instead of wild because the herd still has an aspect of domestication.

That means there are no fences and no gates, but the whole relationship they have built with the animals has been through food.

A family feeing the reindeer on one of the hill trips. Image: Hen Robinson / Cairngorm Reindeer

With a laugh, Cassie added: “They are completely ruled by their bellies.”

According to the herder, even the ones that are outside the hill enclosure come back on their own accord asking for some extra snacks.

“For me, that really proves the positive relationship they have with us and the hill enclosure facility,” she added.

“They don’t see it as a negative thing, otherwise they would stay away from it.”

Cassie says they all have their personalities, and she’s spent the last year getting to know them all.

According to the herder there are some cheeky ones, others that are more boisterous, and some girls that are “quite feisty”.

Some females having a “tussle”. Image: Andi Probert / Cairngorm Reindeer

She added: “It’s really interesting to watch the dynamics. And you can’t help but become fond of a certain few.”

Different seasons bring different challenges for the team

The reindeer breeding season has just ended, but during the rut the team had to take multiple trips up the hill to feed the animals.

The team controls the breeding to ensure they can manage the numbers and there’s no inbreeding.

“So that’s a really exhausting season,” she added.

Some of the males competing. Image: Alex Smith / Cairngorm Reindeer

But for Cassie, winter is when the reindeer “really blossom and come into themselves”.

She explained that the animals are built for winter, and are amazingly made for extreme conditions.

“We don’t actually think our reindeer feel the cold until about minus 30,” she added. “But, the lowest recorded temperature reindeer are known to thrive in was in Siberia at minus 72.

“When you think about your average freezer, that’s around minus 16. So they’re having a whale of a time up there.

“But, it’s a real joy to follow them over a year, which is what I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this year.”

Getting ready for a Christmas event. Image: Hen Robinson / Cairngorm Reindeer

And the wintry conditions doesn’t mean the work stops either, the team still has to make sure the reindeer are all fed and looked after.

But, they all have a love for the outdoors and are happy enough to be out in all weathers. And Cassie says throughout some of the recent yellow warnings, like Storm Bert, some festive tunes kept motivation high.

Have you visited the free-roaming herd? Let us know in our comments section below

Helping everyone experience reindeer

Cassie also excitedly mentioned the new Reindeer Centre that is being built.

The team has been operating out of the Reindeer House since it was built in the 1960s, and the paddocks and exhibition had become outdated and in need of a revamp.

While the paddock isn’t completely open to the public yet, the team has their Christmas Fun weekend.