How bad will midges be in Scotland in August? I guess there’s going to be huge localised variations, but will they ruin a campervan based touring holiday?

It’ll be fine.*

Wear shorts and breathe heavily.

Post video.

* The rain will keep them away

**Information correct for my garden in August. Argyll forest? Not so much.

You’ll be fine. As long as you stay in the van with the windows and vents shut.

Hmm, Wales it is then 🙂

You’ll be fine. As long as you stay on the East coast.

🙂

You had it right in your OP – massive differences depending on weather conditions, areas etc. If you get breezy days and are up high, you’ll have a fine time, but if it’s rainy, more still, humid and you’re sat in Glencoe, prepare to die. Coast can be better.

So basically take headnets, repellent and prepare for the worst.

100% head to toe coverage.

You have to think like Sandra Bullock.

Midgies can’t fly much faster than 5 or 6mph, so just keep the van going round in circles at 7mph whilst you relax by the open door enjoying the scenery rotating slowly past.

Edit: goddamit, there’s supposed to be an hilarious Father Ted image here about bricks and accelerators. Well done new forum, you ruined it.

The rain in August should keep the midgies at bay.

How bad will midges be in Scotland in August?

They are not going to be bad 24/7, don’t let them put you off visiting. The worst will be early morning and again at evening. If it’s too sunny they won’t be out, too windy they won’t be out, too wet they won’t be out. Chances are it will be one of those three things most of the time. Take some precautions for the other times and you will be fine.

I’d use a good insect repellent whilst outside on all exposed skin. This will also deter ticks and clegs. Be careful with this stuff around anything plastic though as some plastics melt before you eyes if the two ever come into contact. I’ve got a permanent fingerprint on my camera and marks in the motorhome wash hand basin due to this. Normal motorhome insect screens don’t keep the Scottish Airforce at bay either! Citronella candles seem to work, failing that a flame thrower!

D.

Dust off and nuke from space, kill with fire, etc 🔥

We camped in Ballater in early August a few years ago expecting to get bitten to death. Surprisingly it wasn’t that bad but we had a gentle breeze most of the week. East tends to be much better than the west and some years are worse than others.  (I’ve noticed that in England and Wales they seem to be much worse now than say 15-20yrs ago. Not sure why but I’ve had really midgey weekends in N Wales and Dales in recent years).

If you want guaranteed death by midge, Glen Brittle on Skye seems to be the place.

I once camped in Torridon’s free camp site / Bog by the loch on a still August night.

I’m still haunted by the experience.

Repellent is ok to stop them biting you but they still go up your nose / in your ears / all round your head. We camped in Aviemore on summer night a few years back and there were people wearing beekeeper hats sat round the picnic table of an evening. I hid in my tent till it got dark!

They only come out on days with a “y” in.

No, seriously, if you have gales and storms they won’t be too bad.

We went to Glen Coe last year in August…..I needed an emergency blood transfusion to top me back up after leaving the van to go for a wee in shorts…😂😂

no probs

long socks, 3/4 shorts, long shirt with high collar, long gloves, tape them all together with ducktape, add a midge net that fits over helmet (peak essential)and hangs down

it does work but you’ll be a bit(*lot) sweaty and the horseflys got me on the backside and the hand when I was having a razzle………..

*our motorhome has full fly screens – a few still got in – if you can be totally[everything screeened/closed]  self contained it might be ok but walking to the bog etc can reduce people to tears

pps on Arran gf picked up 9 (nine) ticks on an 11 mile walk – so watch for them as well

I have it on good authority that the midges are all going to be on the NC500 this year

All Scottish/Northumbrian midges are the jack Russell’s of the biting insect world.

They can be truly horrific, which is hard to explain to southern folks. I had a mate who had never been bothered all over the world by mosquitos- then he went to Keilder in May for a camping holiday… nuff said

Hmm, Wales it is then

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…. Etc etc etc

Came back from Wales last June with 168 bites on my legs. And that was with using Smidge.

There are no midges in August, just this weird fog that leaves peoples stripped to their skeletons!

https://youtu.be/zHv7ixhN46A

smidge is the business.  It just works.  Smidge also run a midge forecast which is quite useful

Quote: <span style=”background-color: #eeeeee; color: #444444; font-size: 16px;”>but will they ruin a campervan based touring holiday?</span>

Bear in mind that many vans (mine😣) have mosquito netting, not midge netting. The weird thing is that if there are low to middling amounts of midges about then none come through the holes but when there are stacks then they come straight through the netting.

I remember one particularl awful night when we discovered this at around 01:30 And the missus was crying her eyes out. **** nightmare. Luckily we managed to eventually solve the issue with Duck tape.

Smidge might be great but quite a few times last year it was the shear volume that I was inhaling that caused me the greatest issue. No amount of repelent can solve that problem, they were savage at times last year.

Some of us manage to live here, without *too* much midge hassle. Look upon them like the south east looks at rain – a pain, but don’t stop play.

Came back from Wales last June with 168 bites on my legs

10/10 for mental arithmetic if nothing else 😜

Isn’t the midge Scotland’s national bird?

There are no midges in August, just this weird fog that leaves peoples stripped to their skeletons!

Makes a sort of buzzing noise?

Same venue. Same time of year as Lowey. Same horrific experience.