Me and the wife are thinking about visiting Scotchland next year for a week or two. I'd like to tie it in with the Fortbill round of the DH World Cup which is June 6-7. We'll maybe rent a house in a 30 mile radius of aonach mor.
I've heard the midges can be pretty bad, and since we'll have to young children with us I'm worried about midges torturing them, which might make the trip pretty grim. Can anyone give any advice as to what to expect ?
Thing is, it's very location/weather dependent. If it's moist and still they can be lively, if it's sunny and breezy the next day you'll not see one. Come to the WC, find a house that'll get any breeze there might be, and buy a bottle of Smidge. You'll be fine. There are also wristbands, kid and adult sizes, that are quite good.
To avoid midges, go in January. Might not be ideal for weather though 🙂
Midges were pretty mild this pat year. They were around for ages but in seemingly low numbers (though I've seen some statistics that refute this).
Above advice is all pretty sound. There are ways of minimising exposure and Smidge works really, really well.
Had loads of cleg and tick bites though (in fact I'm now on antibiotics).
avon skin so soft, smidge, trousers tucked in to socks/long top/silly hat with built in net - no really, I have biked wearing that - it's a LOT better than being eaten alive.
as above - breeze (poss beach seafront/on a hill for more wind) is good, surrounded by long grass is not good
*edited after reading above - yep horseflies (get hydrocortisone)were bad this year (esp Arran) and ditto ticks - gf got 5 (five) in one day- so get some removal tweezers and do a nightly check - visual and feel(they can be tiny)
*we tend to do May and Sept - partly for weather/lack of people/insects
From my extensive travels in the midge infested bad lands of Scotland:
May - you start to get a few but usually fine
June - ramping up a bit, can be awful by the end
July - pray for hot sun / high winds / lashing rain to keep them at bay
August - As for July
September - A few hardy midges still lingering, but OK
The numbers seem to vary from time to time. They love mild, damp and still weather. They hate dry weather (long dry spells kill their habitat), high winds, direct sun and heavy rain.
Thanks for the replies guys. Would I be right in saying that near rivers and lakes might be a bad idea for accommodation too?
I'm told the Avon skin so soft is excellent at keeping them off and cheap.
"I'm told the Avon skin so soft is excellent at keeping them off and cheap."
old engine oil would work on the same principal.
skin so soft is an old wifes tale - it works by drowning them you need to be slathered in the stuff so its dripping for you it to work.
(IME of living in scotland)
lucky for me - they dont bother me so long as someone else is near by.... i treat them like mozzies - no scented soap/shampoo/deoderants and garlic extract tabs works for me.
trail_rat
lucky for me - they dont bother me so long as someone else is near by....
I am that other guy. Whenever I'm out somewhere and midges or flies are about I get eaten, other folk get ignored.
Thanks for the replies guys. Would I be right in saying that near rivers and lakes might be a bad idea for accommodation too?
Yes. However, it only really sucks if you're camping or need to work / stand around outside. As long as your moving it's OK. Somewhere by the sea is a good bet, generally more breeze.
Avon Skin-so-soft does nowt for me. DEET, jungle formula or smidge all work but midge head nets and long sleeves etc. a better idea.
Thanks for the replies guys. Would I be right in saying that near rivers and lakes might be a bad idea for accommodation too?
Yeah, might be. To put it in context, if I go out of my back gate which leads into an area of trees with a burn running through it, on an appropriate day, there can be so many midges I'm almost eating them. If I go and stand at the front of my house by the road, where there are no trees, no shade and no water, there can be none at all.
Skinsosoft isn't a repellant, it discourages them from biting but they'll still crawl on you and drive you mad. You can double bag it with smidge or evil strength deet though.
(apparently there's different sorts of skin so soft and only some work; I guess I've never had the wrong sort?)
Best time- while it's snowing
Worst time- fort william world cup, the leanachan flying sharks spend all year training for it
Your kids will survive the midgies, we have kids in Scotland too. They can run about all day, midgies are easy to outrun.
Adults on the other hand, the soft ones best avoid June, July and August.
rene59Your kids will survive the midgies, we have kids in Scotland too. They can run about all day, midgies are easy to outrun.
I don't think a two year old and a one year old are going to up to much running. Hence the question.
Folk in Scotland have infants too.
scotroutes
Folk in Scotland have infants too.
I know for a fact that the Scotch spring up from holes in the ground, fully formed, complete with beard, kilt and surly demeanour. I saw it in a documentary once.
Purely for your reference to "the scotch" and "scotchland", I hope you & your family get eaten alive. 😆
If you want to avoid midges though, best method is to take your yacht and anchor 100m+ off the shore. NAE midges then!
can depend on the condition on the day aswell, sometimes you can be lucky, right in the height of midgey season.
Generally it's alright until the sun goes away(whether that's because of cloud or nighttime), then they come out to play.
Up till mid june is ok. Later in the year, depends how the weather is going. september can be wild in the west still.
100% clothing coverage is the way forward in the evening, doesn't need to be heavy. Buy a midgy net and some smidge.
Was up at Luss on Loch Lomond on Friday and there were still midges out and about. Never been to Luss before, so don't know if that is normal or not...
Smidge is good and my 2yr old used it s bit, we just covered her up most of the time in thin stuff. Glencoe was a bit exciting of an evening when it was hot and still but a good head net and a half bottle of malt saw to that in more ways than one.
Purely for your reference to "the scotch" and "scotchland", I hope you & your family get eaten alive.
Don't ask for directions to Fort Bill either, no one will know what you're talking about. STW is the only time I have ever seen or heard it called Fort Bill in eight years living nearby.
skin so soft is an old wifes tale - it works by drowning them you need to be slathered in the stuff so its dripping for you it to work.
It worked very well for me, but that was a few years back - have they changed the formula?
Come on Ultravox weren't that bad!