Make our Adventure
part of YOURS.

£14.50 (ALL VISITORS Aged 3 Years and Over)
CHILDREN AGED UNDER 3 YEARS FREE when accompanied by 1 x FULL PAYING ADULT (Child may be required to sit on a parent's knee when inside the Kota). Please select relevant ticket during booking process.

This really is an experience for EVERYONE who loves a bit of Christmas Magic!

Here at Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre, this Christmas we’re celebrating our Reindeer Boys third year as official, North Pole approved, FCR’s (Flying Christmas Reindeer).

Before that special night on the 24th though, there’s a LOT of work to do!
So join us THIS Festive Season, as the boys are once again:

‘Learning to Fly before Christmas’! (It's a refresher course!)

Obviously, we don’t expect our lovely visitors to do ALL the hard work training out in the paddock! 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've complained the last two years running but they're sticking with it!).

And don't think this flight training 'milarky' is only a challenge for our Reindeer!

Because it's such a busy time of year, we're going to 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, past our Sleigh Landing Strip where we'll test the 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.

We look forward to welcoming you to Harpsdale.

PLEASE NOTE: BOOKING CLOSES 24HRS IN ADVANCE OF EACH EVENT.

Suitable for Adults and Children aged 12 Years and over.
£88.00 (Group ticket for 1-4 people)*
*PLEASE NOTE: ADDITIONAL GUESTS MAY BE ADDED TO THIS TICKET at our additional 'Herder ADULT (16 Years +)' Rate of £20 Per Person or 'Herder CHILD (12 - 15 Years of Age)' Rate of £15 Per Person accordingly.

There is NOTHING more 'Christmassy' than this!

For the 2025 Festive Season, the Team at Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre have taken our hugely popular 'Reindeer Herder' experience and applied a healthy dose of Christmas magic.

Ideal for groups of adults, as well as older kids, if you're looking for a truly festive experience, where your group are the ONLY guests, and where you'll really get to maximise your time with our Reindeer boys, then this experience is for you!

There really is NOTHING else like this anywhere in the Highlands, where you can get so up close and personal with these incredible animals, and enjoy a bit of seasonal magic at the same time.

You'll be learning all about our boys, and their Reindeer relatives, inside the enclosure, as well as in our seasonally decorated Kota and around our Campfire, whilst we'll also enlist your help with the boys seasonal feeding regime!

And of course we'll keep you going with treats too!

So what does your visit involve?

First up, this experience is just for YOU! A single ticket allows your group EXCLUSIVE access to this magical experience.

(Up to a maximum of 4 persons are included in the price - additional persons can be added on request at a price of £20 per adult and £15 per child aged 12 - 16) This makes it a really relaxing way to enjoy your time with us here at the centre, and offers an incredibly personal means of experiencing these wonderful animals at just THE best time of year. It also gives you a wee taste the teams life with Reindeer, up here in the Highlands.

We start the experience by welcoming you into our our seasonally decorated Kota, festive music playing, our own little piece of Lapland Christmas MAGIC, right here in Caithness.

The cabin itself is inspired by our trips to Lapland, that started this whole adventure for owners and hosts, Chris and Elizabeth over twenty years ago. Here we'll share with you our passion (and addiction!) for these incredible animals, and tell your group about our own 'Lichen Caithness' story, and how the centre came to be here.

We'll share what makes Reindeer as a species so unique, their history here in the UK, tell you about habitat, diet and 'personalities', along with the story of our gorgeous boys, where they came from... and why!

From there, the Herder will take you out into our paddock to meet the gorgeously wintery mischief makers first hand, where you'll get the opportunity not only to feed them some of their favourite treat, but you'll also assist in the preparation and delivery of the most important meal of the day... Brunch?

We'll also tell you lots more about what makes our boys so well adapted to their native climate, how we manage their health and wellbeing here at the Centre, and there will of course be the opportunity to take photographs, as well as to discuss with us anything you want to know about the boys, their journey, or ours!

When you're ready to leave the enclosure, we've got some sweet treats to help you get warmed up! A Hot Dog Roll (with a seasonal twist) and a luxury hot chocolate (or Warm Berry Juice /Tea / Coffee) can be enjoyed around our fire pit. And of course there are marshmallows to toast too!

If you're looking to immerse yourself in all things Reindeer, then this really is THE ULTIMATE 'Lichen Caithness' event this Christmas.

We look forward to welcoming you to Harpsdale.

PLEASE NOTE: All our Christmas Experiences were EXTREMELY popular in 2024, so early booking is advised to avoid disappointment as events are limited.

If you are keen to book and have not been able to find availability for THIS event, then please get in touch and we'll see what we can do to help.

Love all the Team @ Lichen Caithness xx

Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre is PRE-BOOKING ONLY. Booking well in advance of your planned visit is advised to avoid disappointment, as ALL of our experiences run only a single session on any given date. This allows our Reindeer boys time to be… Well, Reindeer!

As well as our year-round experiences, from time to time we like to shake things up by adding additional ‘Seasonal Specials’. Don’t forget to follow our Facebook page (@Lichen Caithness) to keep up to date on these events, or to come back here for further details.

There is plenty of free parking, just follow the parking signs on arrival, and wait next to our STOP sign for your herder.

Please respect that for the comfort of our herders and other guests, Smoking or Vaping is strictly NOT permitted at any place within the Lichen Caithness grounds.

Biosecurity is an important part of disease control to keep our reindeer healthy, and during wetter times of year the ground can be uneven and muddy. You'll will be asked to walk through a (non-staining) disinfectant footbath before approaching our facilities, so please wear appropriate footwear.

Whilst the team at Lichen Caithness adore dogs, for disease control reasons we do not permit the walking of animals within our grounds, however they are allowed on site if they remain within your vehicle. Our parking arrangements are in partial shade during the evening, and allow for vehicle windows to be left wide open to facilitate this. Water bowls can be topped up on request.

Children must be closely supervised by their adult carers at all times during the visit.

Please see individual event descriptions for information about any refreshments included as part of your experience. Please let us know of any specific dietary requirements via the appropriate ‘tab’ during the booking process, and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Additionally, whilst it's obviously, ALWAYS sunny in the north of Scotland, sometimes... it's not! :)

The bulk of our experiences are outdoors, so please bring warm/waterproof clothing!

Composting toilet facilities available.