The men and women bravely bared their BUMS and BARE BODIES in a series of cheeky shots with the Cairngorm reindeer herd, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. The herders can be seen hiding their modesty behind the deer in the snowy peaks of the Scottish Highlands.
In one photo three women are wearing nothing but knitted bobble hats as they stand with three reindeer, whilst another shot shows a herder leading the animals over the mountains. The photos were taken by herder Joe Mann, who also appears in the calendar, across all four seasons.
He said: “Celebrating the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd’s 70th year anniversary was a good excuse to finally make this calendar, after years of joking that we should make one. All we needed were enough people willing to get involved and something other than a mobile phone to take the photos. With the arrival of my new camera there was no longer an excuse and it was time to put our money where our mouth was and start taking our clothes off for fun and a good cause. It took 18 months to get the calendar finished. We’ve tried to take every picture in the month that it was intended for, showing the reindeer at all the different times of year, from when they look their best during the autumn and early winter months to moulting their winter coats and growing new antlers in the spring. Whether people got naked in the cold depths of winter or the warmer summer months, it goes without saying that everyone did an amazing job. Some were more nervous than others beforehand but when it came down to it, I think everyone enjoyed themselves; maybe even found it exhilarating! Being the designated photographer for this project, I maybe didn’t quite know what I was letting myself in for. Taking pictures of my naked friends and colleagues - not to mention my girlfriend’s mum - was certainly a surreal experience, but I can safely say I can’t imagine doing this with a better bunch of people.”
Reindeer have lived in the Cairngorms National Park since 1952 and the 150-strong herd grazes on over 10,000 acres in the mountains. Money raised from the Naked Reindeer Herders calendar will be split between Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team (CMRT) and the upkeep of the herd, which is based in Glenmore.
Willie Anderson, team leader of the CMRT said: “The Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team are delighted to be associated with the Cairngorm Reindeer Herd’s 2023 naked calendar. It would appear the herders all had a great time making it; the winter months took some courage no doubt! Our local reindeer herd are very comfortable in the worst winter conditions the country gets, and thanks to donations such as this calendar will bring, CMRT will be better equipped to cope with the same conditions.”
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