Red deer

A mature red deer stag, Cervus elaphus, sheltering in woodland during a snow storm.
This is in Morrone Birkwood (birch wood), a remaining piece of natural montane birch woodland near Braemar, in Aberdeenshire.

Red deer are essentially woodland animals, but the progressive loss of this habitat, followed by the creation of the stalking estate, has led to them becoming mainly animals of the open hills in Scotland, a remarkable adaptation.
Scottish red deer are smaller and less well-nourished, with smaller antlers, than their Continental cousins.
The red deer is nevertheless the UK's largest land mammal and can stand nearly two metres tall.

The Scottish red deer population represents around 28% of the European total, making it of international importance.

Photographed in Aberdeenshire in February.

Location: Aberdeenshire, Scotland.