A SPECIAL herd of Santa’s reindeer will arrive in Stirling this weekend and fly to new homes in shops and cafes around the city - and anyone who finds them all could win an iPad. 

The festive collection of 20 life-size reindeer, designed and decorated by local schoolchildren, will be featured in a range of shop windows as part of the first Stirling Reindeer Trail. 

The initiative is from Go Forth Stirling Business Improvement District, and aims to inspire people to visit a variety of different retailers and enjoy some festive fun. 

Shoppers and visitors will be encouraged to find all 20 reindeer, which have been scattered from Burghmuir Retail Park all the way up to St Mary’s Wynd. 

They are invited to download or pick up a map – complete with clues - and find and note down the location of every magical animal.

The winner of the Reindeer Trail, who will be drawn at random from all correct entries, will receive an iPad and there will be five great runners-up prizes on offer too. 

Entrants will also be asked to vote for the Best Reindeer Design and the winning school will receive a prize. 

Go Forth Stirling director Jon Walton said: “We want people to get excited about the city centre at Christmas and visit all the amazing independent and national traders we have in Stirling.

“There’s a great offering of different shops, restaurants, cafes and bars and the Reindeer Trail will get people engaging with them in a positive and fun way.

“It was fantastic to get the schools on board in designing the reindeer and we were impressed by how keen they were to get involved."

The animals will arrive at their new city centre homes on Saturday, November 17, ready for the launch of the Reindeer Trail this Sunday as part of the Stirling Winter Festival Lights Switch On. 

Alan Rodgers, who runs Our Place Café in Stirling with his wife Helen, is one of the business owners taking part in the Reindeer Trail. 

He said: “It’s a brilliant initiative to bring people into the town centre and increase footfall and we were keen to get involved."

The reindeer will remain in Stirling throughout the festive season with the closing date for competition entries on Saturday January 5, 2019.

More details about how to take part in the Reindeer Trail along with downloadable maps and entry forms can be found by clicking here.   

Entries can be returned by post or via special Santa post boxes located in Thistles Shopping Centre.