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Take some Citreonella candles or oil with you - make sure you get the proper stuff from Garden centres its quite expensive but worth it - the cheap versions of candles are made with 'synethetic' citreonella so the effext is not as good.

Avoid pitching near rivers and lakes sorry Lochs and under trees - dusk seems to be the worst time for them - you could try Avon spray but yoiu need to keep this sprayed on all the time and keep some antihistamine cream to hand.

Autan spray seems to do the job but you have to liberally coat yourself in the stuff and it doesn't taste too nice if you're unlucky enough to breath at the wrong moment. Spent many amusing nights at Loch Morlich near Aviemore watching people doing the midgy dance which consists of moving about erratically, waving your hands above your head and swearing, a bit like punk rockers really!!!

Too much is better than not enough and even spray your legs under your trousers as the little darlings even go up there!

Good luck.

I'm just gonna do a real quicky here, (that's a first I hear you cry), but having recently come back from Mauritius where there are actually KILLER mozzies and me not being able to use anything with DEET in due to it being contraindicated with my asthma.....time for breath............

I could only use the dear ole Avon Skin So Soft dry oil spray and didn't get bitten ONCE while my hubby and my son's mother-in-law were both bittenOne got bitten twice and the other three times. Me....sailed through the entire fortnight with not so much as a nibble being taken out of me

Oh and coz I was like an oil slick, probably helpedWell, what with the factor 30 sunscreen AND the dry oil stuff......woosh, there I was gone in any clinch!

But then.......came home, and within two minutes out in our garden with my dog in the overgrown lawn.....FOUR bl**dy bites on my foot!!!!!! Moral to this tale......NEVER go anywhere without being covered in Avon SSS!

Those citronella candles also help keep the liccle blighters away so they might not even get close enough to see if you're tasty!

Used to live in north west Skye and there is virtually nothing that will stop a determined swarm of midges in warm still humid overcast weather!

All it takes is a slight breeze though as they cannot fly with an airspeed of more than 5mph so do not sit out of the wind. Early morning and from 4-5pm onwards til just after sunset are the worst times! Most of the locals avoid sitting out at these times.

You may find that you are lucky and do not react to the bites, unforutnately after being bitten a few times by cleggs (bites swell up to 6"across and require antihistamine and antibiotic treatment!) it sensitised me to the midges.

You are unlikely to really meet midges unless you are in the far north and west. Lived on the Black Isle for years and never saw one! probably a result of the perishing east wind that springs up there at 4 in the afternoon!

Midge hoods are brilliant once you overcome the claustrophobic feeling and if you hit in a warm still period after rain you can invest in a full mesh jacket. Like the weather it is the luck of the draw as to whether you hit midge conditions!

Good Luck

Mamee

We have just been to Arisaig and Arrochar where we have very fierce midges.  Try Crocodile herbal insect repellent, I bought this in poundland a couple of weeks ago just to try and it was quite effective as we had lots or rain and little wind when the rain stopped and thats when they are at their worst.  I seen this for sale in Asda as well but they were selling it for £6.95.  Avon skin so soft is very good but it has to be woodland fresh and also make sure its the body oil.

Quote: Originally posted by pirate66 on 05/6/2007

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We have just been to Arisaig and Arrochar where we have very fierce midges.  Try Crocodile herbal insect repellent, I bought this in poundland a couple of weeks ago just to try and it was quite effective as we had lots or rain and little wind when the rain stopped and thats when they are at their worst.  I seen this for sale in Asda as well but they were selling it for £6.95.  Avon skin so soft is very good but it has to be woodland fresh and also make sure its the body oil.

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I also took a liccle bottle of that stuff to Mauritius with me too, only coz it was tiny enough to fit in my handbag for the day of the wedding when I didn't take my huge bag that I kept the Avon SSS in.

It was more than handy too in such a small size. Sadly...I'd paid the full whack in ASDA though.....

I'VE GOT IT. EAT MARMITE,SPREAD YEAST ,MIXED WITH AVON CREAM ALL OVER YOUR BODY PUT A CANDLE ON TOP OF YOUR HAT. SHOUT "SHOO" IN A SCOTISH ACSENT , AND RUN LIKE THE DEVIL

   great idea corp

I have two of the electric fly killer devices, work a treat for us