Live North

Irwin Family
Moved to Caithness in 2003

The Magic of the North Highlands: Chris and Elizabeth’s Story

From Car Designer to Reindeer Herder, meet Chris and Elizabeth Irwin and their family, who relocated to Caithness over 22 years ago and haven’t looked back since!

Chris and Elizabeth Irwin relocated to Caithness over 22 years ago, each bringing diverse career paths in the nuclear and creative industries. The couple met in 1998 and first visited Caithness together in 2003. Following a barbecue on the shores of Loch More, the couple decided they were never going back; the magic of the North Highlands had worked its charm on them.

Elizabeth’s passion for the environment played a crucial role in their decision to settle in the North Highlands. She found a career at Dounreay, a nuclear decommissioning facility near Thurso. Captivated by the landscape and nature of Caithness, it immediately felt like home.

With a background in creative design, Chris always dreamed of designing cars and studied automotive design at Newcastle University. Chris pursued a creative career path, working in car design and graphic design before adding engineering to his skill set through UHI North, West and Hebrides, sponsored by NRS Dounreay, where he now works as a Senior Design Engineer.

The couple live in Caithness, just outside Halkirk, with their two daughters, dogs Bramble & Honey and their most recent family members, three reindeer named Sven, Levvi, and Mr Antlers.

With expansive vistas overlooking the Flow Country and surrounded by low-lying farmland, it’s the perfect location for their family business, Lichen Caithness, the UK’s most northerly reindeer sanctuary. Lichen is indeed a family affair, with the couple’s daughters, Catriona and Caitlyn, playing active roles in caring for the reindeer and organising events.

“Lichen Caithness is a family business, you could say we’re a little eccentric, but we’re good with that! We opened our doors in August 2023, and it’s been popular with locals and tourists since. For us, it’s our passion, we fell in love with Reindeer over two decades ago, we care about our boys, and we are just over the moon that we can share that passion with the people who visit us.”

“Our reindeer journey began over twenty years ago with a chance trip to the Arctic Circle. A dream of bringing reindeer to home Caithness was born. It never went away, but took two decades, a lot of hard work and a pandemic to realise – we thought if we don’t do it now, then when?”

“It’s incredible for us to have realised this dream together as a family, I can’t imagine how we could have done it anywhere else. The whole family play a part, whether that’s caring for the Reindeer, planning our events or making sure everyone’s been fed.”

Alongside their love of the landscape and scenery of the North Highlands, Elizabeth and Chris were attracted to the safe, friendly family environment for bringing up their two girls.

“We are both from the countryside, so we always wanted to settle rurally. Elizabeth had been here as a child on holiday, and after visiting together as a couple, we realised it has everything we were looking for, great housing options, space, a relaxed way of living and a great local community.”

“Our daughters are growing up now, but living here allowed them to be kids for longer – I think that’s so important, particularly these days. We have been here a long time, and people often ask us if we would ever go back, and yes, we like to visit, but we are always glad to come back – Caithness really is our home.”

With life centred around their family and the reindeer, Chris and Elizabeth still appreciate the space and calm that first drew them here.

“We are incredibly lucky to have such a diversity of landscapes and places to explore here on our doorstep, it’s really special to be able to access so much open space. Taking a drive out to see where the wind takes you next.”

“Over twenty years later, that day at Loch More has shaped everything that came next for the Irwins. Caithness gave them a place to settle, the freedom to try something new, and a few more four-legged family members to love.”