A Guide to the Scottish Deer Centre
- Ella Byrne-Cabot
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
The Scottish Deer Centre is a tourism tenet of Fife and accessible from St Andrews. With only a thirty-minute bus ride you can find a sanctuary for deer, birds of prey, otters, wolves, highland cows, moose, and more.
Currently, due to renovations, they are operating on a donation basis for entry, meaning that there has never been a better time to go check it out (don’t be too stingy with your donation though).
I visited in late winter so the bear was still hibernating but the wolf was very active. Standing proud atop the hill in its enclosure, it spent its time running laps and hiding in its burrow. Climbing up a viewing tower (watch your head!) you can get a nice view of the wolf as well as the play areas in the park.
On that note, the park might be aimed at children but if you have any childlike whimsy in your heart you’ll enjoy it anyway. As an adult, the park is a relaxing walk with animals to look at and deer to feed. All in all, it’s a wholesome and easy little afternoon trip from St Andrews that I feel is often overlooked.
The Scottish Deer Centre reopened in May 2021, after closing down in 2020 due to COVID-19 and financial troubles with the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, the company that owned it at the time. It was bought by two Dundonian businessmen, one of which was the owner of the video game company Ninja Kiwi which is known for its online flash games.
The new owners bought the park because their kids enjoyed going there so they wanted it to continue to operate. I can see how this place would be a landmark for families in the area and worth saving.
The most exciting part of the park for me was the Witches Woods where the moose lives. The danger signs warn against feeding the animals, the creature at first I didn’t see. I climbed up a walking bridge which led me among the trees where I looked down and saw the gigantic moose chewing on fallen branches. Nothing is more frightening for my animalistic instincts than when a creature that large was initially imperceptible.
The wild haggis is also notable - occasionally squeaking, coupled with a very detailed information placard. The wild haggis enclosure is not something you should miss when you visit the Scottish Deer Centre. The deer, the owls, and the otters were the cutest animals I saw during my visit but the center also has bears and wildcats who weren’t out and about when I was there.
Going to the Scottish Deer Centre now as the weather warms and it’s still on a pay-as-you-can admission scheme is a great way to take a break from the bubble and support local tourism.
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