[Closed] Scottish midges

I'd like to take in Highlands and Islands etc

*s****s*

[i]Generally[/i] they are worse the further North and West you go.

A road trip in Winter would certainly minimise exposure.

Take a flame thrower.

I found Aviemore okay, but would still prefer not to camp. West Highlands (Fort William etc.), Skye are mental I'd not camp there in May, June, July & August.

Personally I'd stay at hostels etc. rather than camp in the summer, unless you are going to camp really high, out of shelter and nowhere near water for every night.

I'd particularly avoid the campsite by the loch in Kinlochleven in summer - the worst place for midges I've ever stayed.

Joe

http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2008/

Keep above 4 mph at all times. They can't keep up then.

Fresh water / peat bogs / trees are all bad for midges IIRC. coastal areas with a breeze less so.

DEET is the only answer. At least 50% if you can get it

They like moisture, so basically worse the further west you go, and worse closer to lochs, burns, boggy areas etc. Worst time June through to early September, but depends on the weather.

Their flying speed is 4 kmh (not mph) so anything high and exposed is best. No problem when you are moving, especially on the bike. Avon Skin so Soft is the best answer to stop them biting, but does not keep them away.

At least 50% if you can get it

Got some of that left over from Finland 🙂

Is it better if it's windy?

Avon skin so soft works for me. Though oddly, we found Skye to be ok for midges when we were there 2 weeks ago.

Are Scottish midges different to English ones in some way, or is it just the numbers of them in the Highlands?

Citronella oil smeared on exposed body parts seems to work, as can bounce fabric conditioner.

From memory, they are certainly different to mossies I've experienced in other places. Very small and leave a small red bump - but the air can be thick with them.

They sell the 50% deet stuff in boots.

Mossies aren't midges though are they? Is it just the Scottish midge is more bitey than the English sort? Chippier attitude?

is there any truth in the marmite thing ?
off to skye, islay etc in sept.

[url= http://www.midgeforecast.co.uk/2008/default_wide.asp?pageid=29 ]Info about midges[/url]

the highland midge is a different beastie and the most bloodthirsty of the lot.

Forget all the skin so soft / citronella stuff. If you get a real swarm only DEET will do, /the other stuff will help if there is a few about but proven to be far less effective than DEET

http://www.blacks.co.uk/product/118257.html

This worked at the world cup in Fort William.

Does sting when you get it in your eyes and does taste nasty but I didn't get one bite at all day with this stuff.

We were up in the Highlands two weeks ago and I got bitten less there than at home in Mid Wales! I put this down to lashings of the Boots DEET stuff, and a Midge Eater in the garden of the cottage we stayed in 🙂

Mossies aren't midges though are they?

There's something like 5,000 species of mosquito - most of which don't even bite. They come in all shapes and sizes, and I believe the midge is just another species. But I could be wrong.

Different thing all together.

Weirdly I was up there in a prime midge location, and they weren't really that bad at all. DEET kept them from biting, and we were even still outside at dusk.

Airial spraying of scotland with some highly toxic chemical?
or there must be some genetic scientists somewhere that could make a fortune if they could breed out the biting

it's misery up here, now move along 😯

Smoke a pipe
Whilst wearing a midge net or only go outside during windy sunny days all evenings must be spent inside or close to a source of smoke eg a Glaswegian or a fire

fort William on a warm wet day. no 6 shot from a 12 bore. Any smaller just won't cope as they are to big. It would be like going after lions with an airguns.

just this minute back from invermoriston, a total midge fest. Sadly it was nowhere near what it can be round here. Glen affric at the weeknd was appalling, even at 1000m once the breeze dropped at tea time

As for marmite i reckon ive eaten it everyday of my life but i still get bit. Although strangely i rarely get ticks when my mates do so who knows.

East is generally better as has been said. I rarely bother with deet or SSS and just man up. Its still utter utter misery though after 5 minutes. If youre camping invest in a Beetons all over midge net, ace kit if you have to be outside.

Scottish midges are sabre toothed fighting midges.

been in Aviemore all week, no midge probs so far, there were a few about at Loch Ness tonight though, doing a few forest/loch routes tomorrow so that might change, Grantown hunting shop is selling skin so soft along with "buffalo" camo clothing, so it must be ok

Grow a beard, take vit B, and mtfu. 😀

(Midgies are why Scotland looks deserted - we're all overseas in summer)

Marmite (aka vitamin B) and try to stay indoors after about 4pm if possible, is what I do. Worst thing is trying to fix a flat wheel or pitch a tent at 5pm.

I avoid deet. Stopbite ( http://www.stopbite.com/) seemed to have a positive effect. Pretty much everything used topically only stops them biting, but won't stop them itching and crawling all over.

The right summer weather has a bigger effect than anything you can take/use though imho.

Go in spring. No midges then.

Otherwise there are less midges in the east, but the west coast is more sceneic.

A combination of Avon Skin-so-soft and DEET works best in my experince.

Avon soft stuff works superb! first year to scotland i tried jungle stuff, second year tried some other bug replenant, last year so soft not a single bite! so i know what im using this year!

Been in Aviemore for last 12 days and hardly any midgies at all.
Camping as well, and total of 5 bites on my legs.
Got a fantastic electronic zapper thingy which stops any itching!!

I'd particularly avoid the campsite by the loch in Kinlochleven in summer - the worst place for midges I've ever stayed.

Camped right on the banks on teh north side earlier this summer, no problems.

2 weeks cycle touring on the west coast/islands coming up. some wild camping as well. i expect to come back 3 or 4 pints of blood lighter. I will however be topping up my blood levels with whisky which is the scottish equivalent of A+ blood type

I tend to favour the let em bite and take antihistamines to deal with the itching school of avoidance

It's the sheer number of the buggers that are the issue. Deet may keep them away (for a while) but is expensive, not nice stuff, and seemingly can rot some man made materials.

Avon Skin So Soft is is bought in industrial quantities by the likes of the navy for the guys on guard duty, Scottish Electricity for their field workers, etc, who have no choice but to be standing around in midge infested areas. It does not repell them, but does stop them biting which is the biggest issue. Get some from Avon, Amazon, or any walking kit shop and also a head net for £5.