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Go West for midges

Go East for less midges

Don't be put off by them though, I have never had a problem with them.

Quote: Originally posted by Booyaa on 04/4/2011

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Go West for midges

Go East for less midges

Don't be put off by them though, I have never had a problem with them.

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Depends on the weather,when it's damp & mild then (especially in the shade) they can be pretty horrific in some places. Some people seem to have a worse time with them than others & come up in pretty nasty red swollen lumps.

 They were getting pretty bad in quite a few areas in the East of Scotland too actually, but the weather in the last couple of years has been so awful (cold wet windy) it even seemd to put the midgies off coming out so much  

Haven't personally found any repellant that works that well apart from ones that contain something I don't want to risk using on any of my family's skin.. (can't remember what the heck it's called though) but smoke helps a bit too.

Best bet is to take  nets & keep as much skin covered up as poss. if the little  are out in force - be prepared !

 `Aviemore big clouds of them'....

Yep. Scary aren't they  (and very very determined)  !

Sorry dawsoctor, don't be put off they aren't everywhere in Scotland, and really not always that bad, but best to be prepared just in case you're unlucky, really is down to the weather, no matter what the month is.

We go up to Scotland every other year in August for 2 weeks and haven't ever been bothered by them :)  Whether that is down to our liking for marmite or they just don't like the taste of us lol.  We sit in the pub garden every evening when it gets dark and see them but they soon disappear.  You could avoid going out at those times but don't let them put you off going because there is nowhere in the world like Scotland :)

My ds went on a cruise with my parents to see the norwegian fjords (think they may only have seen a little though) and he was really disappointed with them.  We think its because once you've seen Scotlands scenery nothing else can come close :)

For some reason ive never had a problem with midge on the campsite at fortwilliam but when there bad theres nothing worse . you pray for a breeze to take them away . to be fair ive had equally bad exsperiances off the little devils in Wales .The lakes and the dales . We are considering scotland for August to just go prepared .

ps the midge on sky are the worst

I'd rather have midgies than malarial mosquitoes in a certain part of Essex when I lived there!! And I live on the west coast!

The Bimblers have it right - you won't know how you're affected until you try. But try to be a bit prepared.

Don't totally agree that being by water is totally correct - coastal water tends to get more breeze and that can deter them but deffo keep away from still water and shade. If a thunderstorm is in the offing, get inside pdq and zip up (or decamp to the car, as we did!) - my second most horrendous midgie experience was at Glenmore near Aviemore was having to pack up right after this storm on a still morning - tent was full of them when we unpacked that night! The worst was in Dumfries and Galloway and concerned they were a different strain of midgie - they were out in full sun!

Don't let that deter you - I've been camping in Scotland before moving here for forty years and the midgies haven't deterred me! Come and enjoy!