Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)
  • When's good time to visit Scotland?
  • rascal
    Free Member

    Me & Mrs Rascal going for a couple of weeks next year.
    Prob in a T5 with bike, boots etc – Highlands, Skye, west coast.
    I’ve heard May – Sept is midge season…bad idea to go end of May/early June?
    Pretty sure people don’t stop going at this time 😆

    nickjb
    Free Member

    We went late June and it wasn’t too bad. We had one bad night on the edge of a Loch between Glasgow and Fort Bill, Didn’t see any on Skye or Further up. I suspect it was more luck than judgement, though

    NewRetroTom
    Full Member

    May is the best time to go in my opinion. Midges don’t tend to get bad until June.

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    NewRetroTom
    Full Member

    Also if you get windy weather the midges won’t trouble you.

    Gary_M
    Free Member

    bad idea to go end of May/early June?

    No May is usually the best month of the year in Scotland, the weather is still shite but not as shite as the rest of the year 🙂

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    I’m one of those lucky people that doesn’t attract midges so have nothing useful to add 😀

    prawny
    Full Member

    We’ve been up the last few years either late august or whit week (late mayish?) May is better, fewer midges, loooooooong days, decent weather (in the south west anyway).

    Only issue might be how early it gets light further north, especially in a camper. When we were there I was waking up when the light hit the curtains around 4.30am. It did mean that I could go a ride Ae and Mabie and still get back to the farm for breakfast at 8:30 though 8)

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    This year was much like last. There was little midge activity until August and they all seemed to hatch at once. There’s still the random day (Like last weekend) when you’ll meet a couple.

    Weather-wise, May and June tend to be the driest and early May might still have some snow on the higher tops.

    If you are heading out to the Hebrides then June is best for the machair.

    July and August are the peak school holiday months. They’re also traditionally a bit wetter, though August was pretty dry in the Highlands this year.

    September and October can both be lovely. At this time of year though, it’s starting to get dark earlier.

    As you point out, folk just get on with living/their holidays. I manage to bivvy throughout the year and I’m a complete midge magnet. They can’t fly in any wind stronger than about 5mph and don’t like direct sunlight. Choose your stopping points accordingly and you should be fine.

    And buy some Smidge. Not only will it help the midge issue, it’s a very good tick repellent.

    Whenever you come, don’t expect to find lots of idyllic, remote spots to camp your van in. The West Coast, Skye etc are overrun with campervans and motorhomes.

    stevenmenmuir
    Free Member

    I’d say May is a good shout, feels like we get the best weather then. This year for example April and May were very dry but the summers been pretty damp.

    P-Jay
    Free Member

    Oh fantastic question – I’d say 1745 during the Jacobite Rebellion.

    rascal
    Free Member

    Seems like we chose well then – cheers all 🙂

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    10 Past 6 on a Tuesday night. Don’t stay any longer than half 8 though or the wearwolfs will get you

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    April* or May..

    *Though, we’re actually more likely to get a white easter than a white christmas…

    scotroutes
    Full Member
    epicyclo
    Full Member

    Take some “fresh meat” – a nice pasty white individual you don’t particularly like. Encourage them to dress with maximum flesh exposed and to scratch madly when bitten.

    Most of the midgies will join the feast, and you won’t notice the few who land on you because you’ll be too busy enjoying the free entertainment your guest will provide.

    Otherwise Vit B and a dram.

    hodgynd
    Free Member

    A good idea is to “dress down ” while you are there ..its only the female midge that bites and if they find you unattractive then they will leave you well alone .. 😉
    Smidge is good ..but not a patch on Ballistol Stichfrei ..which repels midges , ticks , horseflies and in tropical conditions mosquitos too…you will probably only find it online

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    Definitely May – best chance of warm sunny days if the last few years are anything to go by.

    d3carbon
    Free Member

    Definitely May. I was at Glencoe for the Macavalanche early May and the weather was stunning clear blue skies, and not a midge in sight all weekend.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    May is good, as can be end of September.

    poah
    Free Member

    When’s good time to visit Scotland

    never, its shit lol

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Definitely May. I was at Glencoe for the Macavalanche early May and the weather was stunning clear blue skies, and not a midge in sight all weekend

    That’s quite an assumption, was good once, must always be good then. 😆

    poah
    Free Member

    That’s quite an assumption, was good once, must always be good then

    I remember a summer once

    km79
    Free Member

    All year round is a good time to visit. Just adjust your kit accordingly. For an outdoors enthusiast there are plenty of things to get stuck into no matter what month it is or what the weather is like.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    poah – Member
    That’s quite an assumption, was good once, must always be good then

    I remember a summer once[/quote]I think it was a Wednesday this year.

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    May was a belter – spent most of the month out in the isles or touring around the north coast. Did get a few days of 40-50mph gusts whilst camping on Skye but at the end of the month it was 29C in Glen Nevis and the midges were barely a problem – too few and dopey. It was surprisingly busy though, with some ferry crossings fully booked and campsites full.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    It was unsurprisingly busy

    FTFY

    https://www.theguardian.com/travel/shortcuts/2017/sep/04/scotland-voted-the-worlds-most-beatiful-country

    And it’ll be even busier in 2018.

    simondbarnes
    Full Member

    I went in May this year (Arran, Kintyre, Islay). Apart from a massive storm and one evening getting eaten alive it was ace. I even got a bit of a suntan 🙂

    tjagain
    Full Member

    end may / early june is the best time. Long days, no midges, usually sunny. cold at night tho especially higher up.

    fifeandy
    Free Member

    Good point tj, it can still be surprisingly chilly in the evenings quite late into the year. Wasn’t so bad for it this year, but returned from several after work rides in 2016 half frozen as temp plummeted late evening.

    tjagain
    Full Member

    2nd weekend in may 3 years ago ( we always go camping that weekend) was 1ish degree c at 2000 ft where we camped, -5ish at the tops and -25 ish with windchill

    Remember the weather forecasts where it says “chance of frost in sheltered glens” Thats where we were camped!

    sweepy
    Free Member

    I’d say winter is the best time to visit, if you’re coming up for the scorchio summer weather you are wasting your time.

    dumbbot
    Free Member

    You do realise Scotland is mostly just bog,.. populated by webbed-toe swamp people.

    molgrips
    Free Member

    We were in Mull at the end of July, no midges. The sea breeze seemed to help. A few in Perthshire the following week but no biggie. I was expecting midgemageddon so I was pleasantly surprised.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    dumbbot – Member
    You do realise Scotland is mostly just bog,.. populated by sexy webbed-toe swamp people.

    Ftfy

    redmex
    Free Member

    A few years ago I took a lady friend a walk up Buchaille Etive Mor in the middle of summer and as we tried to boot up at the roadside we were being eaten alive
    I had to “borrow” midge spray from Germans next to us to survive but thats the Central to West bits of Scotland come to the East and they are like red squirrels or wild cats they are there but seldom seen
    My friend didn’t take up the offer of many more of my walks although fantastic views from the top

Viewing 35 posts - 1 through 35 (of 35 total)

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