"Like the storyline of a Christmas comedy cartoon"

Spotted by An Englishman in the Caledonian Mercury:

“Walker attacked by reindeer” sounds like the storyline of a Christmas comedy cartoon, but it wasn’t at all funny for Pat Cook when it happened for real this weekend...

"I spotted a light-coloured deer in the distance,” she said, “but didn’t think anything more of it. They usually disappear before you get close. The deer was way over to my right eating heather, but when I turned round to head back, it was a lot closer, which surprised me somewhat. It suddenly rushed at me.

One of my walking poles and my wee camera went up in the air and I landed on my back, still holding my right-hand pole. The reindeer kept trying to stick its antlers into me and I was kicking out at it and shouting. I managed to brace my feet on its antlers, bashing it over the head with my walking pole.”

The reindeer then allows the woman to escape but attacks her again, then allows her to escape again etc. Quite harrowing, but definitely the stuff of a 'Christmas comedy cartoon'. I'd also be interested to know whether a 'wee camera' is something that exhibitionists like to carry round so that they can film themselves doing it.