Cairngorms reindeer being 'spooked' by drones as herders urge visitors to be 'sensitive'

A herd of reindeer have been left panicked by drone users flying the technology over land in the Cairngorms.

Herders have urged anyone using drones in the area to be “extremely sensitive” to their surroundings.

It comes after a drone spooked the reindeer, causing them to panic and run.

The herders said this is “particularly worrying” as some of their cows are pregnant and only a few weeks from giving birth.

The Cairngorm Reindeer Herd was founded in 1952 and is the UK’s only free-ranging herd.

It is currently made up of around 150 reindeer roaming the Cairngorm Mountains and the Glenlivet Estate.

They said on social media: “Whilst heading out to the free-roaming herd recently, we experienced a drone flying above the herd, which spooked the reindeer and made them panic and run.

“This is particularly worrying as some of the cows are now heavily pregnant and only a few weeks off calving.

“Thankfully, in this instance, herders were not far away and were able to move the reindeer to a safe location.

“However, due to the free-ranging nature of the herd, there are plenty of times we are not with the herd and cannot help.

“The area and hills are getting busier, and as a result, we are seeing more drones in use.

“We therefore politely request that drone users be extremely sensitive while flying in areas where the reindeer roam and do not deliberately target them.

“The reindeer were on leased land and should feel safe.”