Reindeer are highly susceptible to foot-and-mouth

Animals from the herd are mostly hired by shopping centres for their Christmas lights switch-on or to accompany guest appearances by Santa

The centre's reindeer herder, Morna Greig said: "Reindeers are among the top three species in the world in terms of susceptibility to foot-and-mouth.

"It is an equatorial disease and as you move away from the Equator the less an animal's resistance.

"As the reindeer is an arctic animal it has very little resistance to foot-and-mouth."

Movement restrictions

Ms Greig said the foot-and-mouth situation south of the border was too risky.

"The problem is that if we move the reindeers onto another farm they would have to remain there for 20 days before they could be moved again," she said.

"But more importantly, foot-and-mouth was still a problem in England at the time and if it flared up again we could not have brought them home."

The centre has improved its children's attractions

Ms Greig said that being limited to Scotland still presented obstacles.

"Before the reindeers set off from the centre a 15-page movement licence must be filled out and our paperwork has increased substantially," she said.

"Another of the regulations states no one is allowed to touch the animals.

"As a result we have had to leave the young reindeers at the centre as they are more susceptible to contracting foot-and-mouth than the adults and, if they are out, people want to come up and pat them.

"We can also only travel to urban areas so the reindeers don't come into contact with livestock."

Harrods cancellation

The Cairgorm Reindeer Centre has 140 animals with 60 being kept at its Glenmore base and another 80 in Glenlivet.

In mid-November, 17 adult reindeers were moved to a 1,000-acre enclosure at the centre to prepare them for the festive season.

This year only 20 festive engagements will be undertaken compared to 80 last year.

Since the cancellation of their first booking, an appearance at Harrods on 3 November, the reindeers have not been further south than Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The centre has since added new children's attractions such as sleigh decorating and elf's play houses to help compensate for their losses.