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.
£85.00 (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 £10 Per Person accordingly.
BOOKING CLOSES 24HRS BEFORE EACH EVENT.

Most popular with our visitors in 2024, the Team at Lichen Caithness Reindeer Centre are bringing our 'Herder' events back for 2025, offering an incredibly personal Reindeer event, and a guest experience unlike anything else in Scotland.

Ideal for groups of adults, as well as inquisitive kids(*), if you're looking for a truly special evening (or weekend) 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! You'll be learning all about these incredible animals both inside the enclosure, as well as outside in our Kota and around our Campfire, whilst we'll also enlist your help with their feeding time regime! And of course we'll keep you going with treats too!

Replacing our extremely popular 'Reindeer Reception' experience, which was the beginning of our Lichen Caithness journey, our 'Reindeer Herder' sessions take all the best bits from this event, and just add MORE!

First up, this experience is just for YOU!

A single ticket allows your group EXCLUSIVE access to this event.(Up to a maximum of 4 persons are included in the price - additional persons can be added on request at our usual price of £20 per adult and £10 per child over 12 years) This makes it a really relaxing way to enjoy your time with us here at the centre, and offers an incredibly personal way of experiencing these wonderful animals, and a wee taste the teams life up here in the Highlands.

We start the experience by welcoming you into our Nordic Style Kota. Inspired by our trips to Lapland, that started this whole adventure for owners and hosts, Chris and Elizabeth over twenty years ago, here we share with you our passion (and addiction!) for these incredible animals. During an open and interactive presentation, we'll share with your group 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, Chris and Elizabeth will take you out into our paddock to meet the 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... Dinner. 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 savoury and sweet treats to help you get warmed up! A hot dog in a bread roll (vegetarian variation available) and a luxury hot chocolate (or Tea / Coffee) can be enjoyed around our fire pit. And of course there are marshmallows to toast too! And if you're planning on making a night of it, why not check out our friends at 'The Ulbster Arms Hotel' for dinner? They're just five minutes up the road from the centre, and serve delicious locally sourced evening meals (look them up - Booking is essential!).

During the summer months both children and adults can also enjoy our 'Meadow Maze' where they'll get the opportunity to win a wee Lichen Caithness badge (don't worry, you'll get one if you don't fancy it too!).

This really is THE ULTIMATE 'Lichen Caithness' Experience for those looking to learn.

We look forward to welcoming you to Harpsdale.

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

If you are keen to book a specific date and have not been able to find availability for this event, then please get in touch.

(*)Our 'Herder' experiences are best suited for adults and children over 12 years old. If you'd like further info on this, then please drop us a message. We'll be pleased to help and advise.

£85.00 (Group taster ticket for 1 -8 people)*
*PLEASE NOTE: ADDITIONAL GUESTS MAY BE ADDED TO THIS TICKET at our additional ‘Encounter ADULT (16 Years +)' Rate of £20 Per Person or 'Encounter CHILD (Aged 3 Years +)' Rate of £10 Per Person accordingly.
BOOKING CLOSES 24HRS IN ADVANCE OF EACH EVENT.

Ideal for groups that may have a number of younger guests amongst them, our NEW 'Reindeer Encounter' takes elements of our EXTREMELY popular 'seasonal special' events that we ran throughout 2024, bundling them to create an experience ideal for younger families or for that special smaller party group. Where you'll still enjoy finding out all about our gorgeous Reindeer boys, but at a level tailored to those looking for a 'taster' session, rather than the 'full-fat' Herder experience. And with these sessions now being available throughout the year - Reindeer are no longer, 'Just for Christmas'!

As with all of our events, you'll start your experience within our Nordic Style Kota, seasonally decorated at various times throughout the year in line with any special events.
Once we've introduced ourselves, we'll tell you about our very special Reindeer boys here at the Centre. This includes what makes them so special as animals, their diet in the wild and here at the Centre, their 'personalities', and how they change in appearance SO much throughout the year. We’ve a LOT to show you!

Armed with all that info, we'll head out of the Kota, and after a quick 'Reindeer Health and Safety' brief (Don't worry - They don't bite!), head through the outer gates of our paddock and into our viewing area. Here you'll meet Sven, Levvi and Mr Antlers, and we'll try to tempt them with some of their favourite treat - Lichen. During feeding time, we’ll also share with you a wee bit more about what makes these guys so incredibly special, and you can of course ask any questions about them. Make sure you take pictures! 

And don't forget: These guys also have a VERY Special job to complete around Christmas time, so if you'd like to find out more about EXACTLY what this is, and why Lichen Caithness has such a Special relationship with the North Pole, be sure to ask your Herder!  Assuming we’re not bound by any confidentiality ‘Clauses', (Do you like that one!) we’ll do our very best to share our Reindeer's secrets! 

With the boy's tummies full and all your questions answered, we’ll head back out of the paddock, and across to our Hot Chocolate Hut, where you can enjoy our signature Hot Chocolate, and then gather around our fire pit to warm up, or just to chill out on a warm day! This session lasts approximately an hour, but guests are more than welcome to make use of our family sized picnic table if you bring your own 'snacky lunch or tea', and to stay a wee bit longer after your session is over. And during the summer months, both children and adults can also enjoy our 'Meadow Maze' where they'll get the opportunity to win a wee Lichen Caithness badge (don't worry, you'll get one if you don't fancy the challenge too!).

This experience is a 'lighter' 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 'Reindeer Herder' experiences, particularly suitable for adults and older children, and also available throughout the year.

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

If you are keen to book a specific date and have not been able to find availability for this event, then please get in touch.

We can't wait to see you HERE.

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.