We'd love to raise £30K to help complete our new Cairngorm Reindeer Centre to enable all abilities to truly experience our unique reindeer - for over 70 years they have been the only herd to roam freely in their natural habitat in the UK.
Only the fit and physically able can visit our friendly reindeer in their mountain environment by joining one of our Hill Trips. We want to share & bring that unique experience of the herd to those unable to walk out onto the hill.
We hope to enhance our new Exhibition area to include immersive seasonal footage of the reindeer on the mountain, engaging information for all ages about arctic adaptations, the impact of climate change, history of the Cairngorm Reindeer and their sense of place in the Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland.
Through the re-landscaping of the Paddocks beside the new Centre we will provide the visiting reindeer with a secure and comfortable environment while on display. By re-aligning and constructing walkways and structures we will bring all abilities closer to these unique animals and provide informative displays with interactive crafts and fun areas for families in all weathers.
Our new, self-funded building is already underway, but in order to kit it out we're looking for your help! Our dream is to really bring the Hill experience down to the Exhibition, so everyone can be inspired by the joy of reindeer.
£9,000: Immersive seasonal films
- 4 x filming days with follow-up editing at £1,000 each
- Viewing screens for immersive experience £5,000
Our dream is for visitors who are unable to join us on the mountain to be able to have the closest possible experience to actually being amongst the reindeer. By filming seasonal films which can be experienced in an immersive environment, we will be able to illustrate just how incredible our reindeer are at all times of the year.
£14,000: Upgrade and modernise our interpretation boards
We want to update our interpretation boards to take visitors on a journey through the history of reindeer as a species, provide education about this amazing species, and excite everyone for the future.
£7,000: Extensive viewing areas and access for all abilities built from recycled, hardwearing materials
We already have plans for a fully-accessible viewing platform, but as we experience such harsh weather in the Cairngorms, we would love to upgrade to use recycled materials with good longevity to make this happen. Extra budget would allow us to extend the pathways to offer more viewing opportunities.
£2,000: New home for the elves!
One of the most memorable features in our old Exhibition was our "Elves house", where children could visit the home of Santa's elves. Their previous accommodation was letting in the rain, so we'd love to build them a new house, perhaps with viewing windows through to see into Santa's secret workshop too.
£1,500: Plant native trees and wildlife-friendly areas
By adding in native trees, a wildflower bank and information about the local wildlife, we can provide a real boost, natural shade and raise awareness for the unique flora and fauna with whom the reindeer share their home. We'd love to add nest boxes and feeding stations for birds and red squirrels.
£4,000: Santa's cosy bothy
Santa comes to visit us every December and meets families who come to see our Paddocks and Exhibition. We'd like to build him a homely bothy with a lovely warm stove so he can stay comfortable.
£3,500: Functional, moveable indoor displays
We'd love to design the indoor area of our new Centre in a way which is adaptable to different situations, allowing us to use it as a multifunctional space to accommodate visiting groups both from the local community and further afield.
£5,000: Shelter and seating for visitors
By creating sheltered areas for our visitors, along with seating, folk can take their time enjoying watching the reindeer with the weight off their feet, and with protection from the rain.
£800: Displays of traditional and cultural artwork
Our herd has its roots from the Jokkmokk area of Sweden. We would love to work with artists and artisans to showcase handicrafts and artefacts from the Sami people, to share their history and culture of living alongside reindeer with our visitors.
£1,200: Improve our provision of footwear
One of the main barriers to visitors joining a Hill Trip to meet the reindeer on the mountains is not having suitable footwear with them. We have a small stock of welly boots at present, but would love to be able to expand our offering so more people can get up amongst the reindeer herd. By creating a storage area, we will be able to hold a larger stock of wellies to make sure we have boots in enough sizes for everyone.
Perhaps one of the rewards opposite grabs your fancy? Some rewards can only be fulfilled in certain seasons, so do get in touch if you'd like to know more. All rewards involving a visit will be redeemable until the end of 2028 - we'll be in touch and work out a date that suits.
We have so much we'd like to achieve - will you help us to share our wonderful reindeer with the world? The more we can raise, the more of our goals we'll be able to meet. Thank you so much for your support!