They are an iconic feature of the Highlands and are a favourite for tourists.
But now tourists have been blamed for an invasion of deer taking up home in a Scots village by encouraging the animals and treating them ‘like pets’.
The deer have in the past terrorised residents in Lochinver and damaged gardens.
Now a group of half-a-dozen Red Deer have even been photographed surrounding cars in the Sutherland village, which is a popular stop on the NC500.
In June a Highlands red deer know as Callum the Stag was put down over concerns about his health – after becoming reliant on food given to him by tourists.
The stag was well-known to visitors at Torridon’s Beinn Eighe car park, often walking up to visitors as they took photographs.
Visitors had been feeding him the wrong foods, which caused the stag to lose its teeth and unable to forage.
In 2020, tourists were warned not to give friendly red deer in Glen Coe whisky after claims the animals were getting drunk.
Now deer have taken up residence in Lochinver lured by tourist food.
Local Highland Councillor Hugh Morrison said: ‘This has been a long running problem, which is in a large part caused by tourists feeding the animals.
‘For the deer it is easy pickings and encourages them in to the centre of the village but after the tourists have gone it is locals who have to pick up the damage. I would appeal to visitors to be more thoughtful about the consequences of their actions for the people who live there. You can’t treat them like pets – they are wild animals.’
His comments were echoed by Simon Jeffreys of the Assynt Foundation, which mounted a community buy out of the 44,000 acre Glencanisp and Drumrunie Estates from the Vestey meat barons family in 2005.
‘People feed the deer and that brings them in to the village. It is hard to stop them but the problem has been greatly reduced by a culling programme that is ongoing,’ he said.
Assynt Community Council previously demanded urgent action following the problems in Lochinver.
Cars have been damaged and gardens trashed in the past, with reports of the animals becoming increasingly aggressive
Attempts to keep deer out with special fencing has not been a total success and proved a costly exercise.
Once the deer enter the village, they are often unable to get out again, which has led to them becoming over-familiar with the human population.
But many locals say they’ve been chased by deer and there’s growing concern about the risk of Lyme disease from ticks carried by the animals.
The West Sutherland Deer Management Group previously offered its expertise to find a solution, and then claimed: ‘Lochinver needs as many attractions as it can get and deer are a significant tourist attraction.’