Mrs SR and our daughter have just returned from camping and hiking around Ben Nevis.

We are all now debating how to pronounce ‘midge’. Apparently, some people say ‘midg-ee’, which just sounds silly to my ear.

So, what is it? Midge? Or Midg-ee?

Midge – as in Midge Ure of Ultravox….

Mijjy

Midgey

It’s pronounced Ya-wee-bassa

Midges. Camping. Scotland. pic.twitter.com/HoZ9qAoxLd

— Alan Mackie (@Oldmanmackie) August 15, 2020

Either is correct.

Midge is fine. Usually I’d refer to multiple as midgies. But then we might also say “it’s a bit midgie”. And sometimes refer to them as “the midge”.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2jxpSFW]00002[/url] by Colin Cadden, on Flickr

Click on the link for the full horror 🙂

midg-ee

Midgee or Midgies, as the wee feckers rarely work alone.

Mijj singular and mijjees plural IME, but as above they’re never really singular

I think midgie is a cute pet name like doggie isn’t it?

They are midges.

I think midgie is a cute pet name like doggie isn’t it?

They are midges little flying arseholes.

FTFY. Think more Weegie than doggy.

Midgie and Midgies, never heard anyone refer to them as midges.

mij-jy

plural – mij-jeez

singular – mij.

Actually edit, above was right, didn’t read, more like a double J, but first yin quieter, more emphasis on the second.

btw, there’s not really such a thing as a mij. There’s always millions of the wee bastards! 😆

Deep joy! Heading to Appin with the trailer tent on Saturday 😂 got midge hoods, bulk supply of Skin so Soft and eternal hope..!

Midgie/midgies.

Midge/midges is something I’ve only heard in an English accent.

Midgies here – and, as others have said, I’ve never had cause to refer to them in the singular.

scotroutes – I’m itchy just looking at that – makes me want to stay indoors forever 😫

Have heard a few forinners say “midgets”. Gets me every time.

The Mij. Or The Fckn Mij.
Smidge is your friend.

Best of luck timbog, Saturday on rannoch moor was the worst I’ve ever seen them, we were still being eaten alive going over the devil’s staircase at 10pm.

Are they particularly bad this year?

Our is it just that the weather system we recently enjoyed meant there wasn’t much of a breeze?

I’m not sure we get good or bad years tbh, conditions are the big factor. Saturday was warm, had been damp overnight, and there wasn’t a breath of wind.

Perfect storm.

Midge: pronunciation: Bar-st-ards

According to the Midge Forecast folks, numbers are up by around 25% on last year.

Good news? There’s a likelihood of snow on some of the mountains next week.

That midge forecast site is funny. Most of the west coast is a pretty much constant 5/5

Needs a real cold snap that last about 4 weeks in winter as the freezing kills them off. I was trailbuilding in January and February and lifting up the carpet of the ground vegetation and they were swarming all over me. We didn’t really get a cold winter so there are likely to be more of them.

I do miss the 4 distinct sessions of old, they really did sort the country out for the next session!

Another for Midg-ee, although our Speyside ones are a little less ferocious than the west coast ones, not by much though. I once abandoned a mate who punctured on Ben Aigen as they were horrendous and I was starting to go mad, I was beginning to contemplate murder with a minipump…

Yep Mij-ee

Incidentally there were hunners of the wee bastards at Glentress on Sunday, its not a place I normally bother using any repellent, but the bites on my forearms and legs say otherwise.

This week is the first time they’ve bothered me this year, but they’re certainly making up for lost time.

Smidge beats SSS hands down.

I once abandoned a mate who punctured on Ben Aigen

It’s accepted practice in group rides up here that if you puncture and there’s midges out you’re on your own.

Mosquito

The midges were some of the worst I’ve ever seen when I woke up this morning. Needless to say, packing up was “fun” pic.twitter.com/LjHyWUT9VL

— Grahame Boath (@GrahameBoath) August 16, 2020

Mosquito are rather pleasant compared to the midges…mozzies tend to be lower numbers, midges are counted by the thousands…we also don’t appear to have (m)any mozzies in this country, I don’t think (apart from the ones in old wartime aircraft museums) – do we?

scotroutes – ^ 😱

Just consulted wife from fife, she agrees mijj singular, and mijjees plural.
That thing Scotroutes just posted is scary and making me itch 🙁

Mid-jay-bas-turdss. Would be a west coast lilt.

Are they particularly bad this year?

Yes

Are they particularly bad this year?

We had to release extra this month because Boris was coming…

Have heard a few forinners say “midgets”. Gets me every time.

Are you sure they’re no talking about the people?

Is there a reason why they are so prevalent? I know damp conditions are required, so is part of the issue that the Scots landscape is often managed for shooting? I.e if forest was reintroduced instead of boggy moorland they would naturally have less habitat? Think I read that nematode worms had been tried as a predator for the larvae, but tilting at windmills if it’s really all about the landscape itself?

FWIW we have several types of mosquitos too.

It’s true that the secret underground midge factory has been putting in extra hours this year in an attempt to control the high number of tourists. For those that don’t know, it’s within the foothills of Ben Nevis. A few regularly escape before being shipped off to other parts of the country which is why there are so many around Fort William