'Learning to Fly Before Christmas 2024'

Obviously we don’t expect our lovely visitors to do ALL the hard work! And so with that in mind our herders, Chris & Elizabeth will be out in all weathers during November and December, trying to catch the last of the evening light (Traditionally the best time to flight train Reindeer), and working on all of the 'skills' that Sven, Levvi and Mr Antlers will need to take on their roles as... ‘North-Pole-Highland-Region-Flight-Zone-Reindeer-Representatives’
(Blame the North Pole for that job title - We did complain last year but they're sticking with it!).

And don't think this flight training 'milarky' is only a challenge for our Reindeer!
Believe it or not, our Herders too... have only limited Reindeer flight experience, and Chris doesn’t even like heights! So they too have been going to 'Reindeer Herder Flight Training School' and are busily cramming for a raft of exams on the subject of flight and navigation, that they’ll be.. (ahem) resitting in late November after a less than successful attempt last year!
THIS is where YOU guys come in...

With our Team (unusually) distracted, we need some extra special help in collecting a really important ingredient that will help the boys fly this Christmas Eve! Now this ‘ingredient’ just so happens to be ‘Luminous Lichen’ – And we know what you’re thinking! 'That stuff only grows at the North Pole!' (You were thinking that right?)

DON’T WORRY though, we don’t expect you to head to the top of the world to collect it! Magic Elves do the hard bit there (Obviously!), and they at least deliver this Supercharged Moss to the Centre here in Harpsdale. The issue though, is that they don't AWLAYS leave it in the same place!

So how can you guys help..?
Your assistance (and experience) begins when you join us here in our seasonally decorated Kota. Our own little piece of Lapland Christmas MAGIC, right here in Caithness. And a necessary part of being approved for inclusion in the official flight training program!

Here we’ll introduce the Team, and give you a progress update on how the boys training has been going, whilst we set about making our own, gorgeous 'reindeer related' Christmas decorations. We'll even use some real Reindeer fur, but don’t worry; the boys shed it naturally every summer!

Then, once we’re all 'wrapped up', we’ll head out amongst our Christmas lights, on a wee walk in search of the magic Luminous Lichen (Never fear - You’ll know it’s the magic type because it glows in the dark!). We’ll share more cheeky tales about the boys along the way, stopping by to visit the Elves Magic Door – It was installed by North Pole Engineers back in 2023, as a portal to simplify the transport of supplies to and from Harpsdale.

With the Luminous Lichen collected, we’ll make our way back towards the enclosure, stopping by on the way to test our Sleigh Landing Strip lights. These need daily checks throughout the Christmas period and are sound activated! So, you’ll need to bring your best voice with you if we’re going to make them work, and as a reward for assisting with this important test, there’s a festive Reindeer badge at the end of the experience for all those who help!

Checks completed (hopefully successfully), we'll head through the outer gates of our paddock and into our viewing area, where you'll meet Sven, Levvi and Mr Antlers, and we'll try to tempt them with some of their favourite magic treat. We’ll also share with you a wee bit about what makes these guys so incredibly special, and you can of course ask questions about them, their training, and the North Pole. And assuming we’re not bound by any confidentiality ‘Clauses', (Do you like that one!) we’ll do our very best to share our Reindeer secrets!

With all the magic delivered and eaten (By the Reindeer - not the guests!), we’ll head back out to our Hot Chocolate Hut, where you can enjoy our signature Hot Chocolate, and then gather around our fire pit to warm up!

This experience is a magical Christmas twist on the established 'Lichen Caithness' experience. Guests will enter the enclosure but will interact with the Reindeer over an internal fence, making it particularly suitable if you have little ones or are a bit nervous of our 'antlery' boys - though they are very gentle!

To learn in detail about our Reindeer boys, and to get ‘without limits’ access inside the enclosure, we suggest guests book onto one of our special Seasonal 'A Reindeer Herder at Christmas' experiences, particularly suitable for adults and older children, and also available throughout the Festive Period.