Scotland and Midges etc

Midge season is pretty much over. Scotland is such a huge place you’ll be spoilt for choice. We’ve just come back from Kintyre on the west coast - beautiful beaches, walks,
islands such as Gigha, Arran, Mull to explore, whiskey distilleries to visit. We also love Skye and the Northern Isles.

Stock up on Avon Skin so Soft dry oil spray. Used by many of us in Scotland (including the army when on manoevres I am told). For some reason midgies don't like you when wearing it.
p.s. I have no connection to Avon!

May and September are great months to explore Scotland.
Unless you are camping at a wooded waterside in the Summer months you shouldn't be bothered by midges.
famous last words

The Western Highlands are stunning as are any of the Islands.
Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, the Black Isle and Speyside.
Look at visitscotland.com and NTS.
It's a big country!
I met a motorcyclist from Essex at a campsite on Skye in July who announced that ?

I have always gone to Scotland sometime in May, no problems at all, but then I also use (no matter what country am in) Avon
So soft dry oil spray and am rarely bothered by any insect bite.
It’s just a great product for the skin anyway.

The main concern is ensuring you do not discover a tick attached to you,!! Most are not infected- but some are! Ticks of course are not just in Scotland . If you do have a tick , I suggest you visit a GP , with luck you will be prescribed antibiotics as a precaution. Believe me Lyme Disease is a serious matter . Take care cover up well when walking in long grass . Don't wish to appear alarmist but my son had Lyme Disease , not diognosed - he was on antibiotics for 3 months , prescribed too late. He was poorly but fortunately escaped reasonably unscathed. An infected person needs antibiotics immediately. Sorry to rant , but this post is purely to warn and protect people. We love. Scotland , both the highlands and the South West - Dumfries and Galloway . Go regularly but also take care and cover up on walks . Enjoy your holiday.

Smidge is a great product to keep the little blighters away. You can buy it online.

Midgie season can last into September but they are generally a west coast phenomenon, so stay East of the Great Glen and you should be fine! Edinburgh, St Andrews, Dundee, the Angus Glens....

As for Scotland being a large country. There's a lovely restaurant on the west coast of Skye called The Three Chimneys. When we were there the owner was telling us they sometimes get people from Edinburgh trying to book a table for lunch on the same day. Its a 5 hour drive

We shoot on northern grouse moors in August, the midges are fierce.

Lemon eucalyptus oil is the only thing that works for us.

It’s cheap and effective.

We use citronella for midges but here in the far.north it is usually too windy. But it is a long way to come for just a few days, though lots of people just drive round the NC500 and then go home without doing any exploring. The weather is glorious at the moment!

Sago

We shoot on northern grouse moors in August, the midges are fierce.

Lemon eucalyptus oil is the only thing that works for us.

It’s cheap and effective.

Why do people get enjoyment out of shooting innocent creatures?? Beyond me!!

We are going to Garlieston in South West Scotland tomorrow. We've booked a flat next door to a good pub for 4 nights. Local attractions include the Logan Botanic Gardens, Castle Kennedy and the Mull of Galloway lighthouse, the most Southerly lighthouse in Scotland.
There are lots of lovely old towns to visit and the area is very scenic.
We have been once before, staying in a static caravan near Port Logan.
It's a lovely drive, and takes us about 2 hours.

My friend's DH called midges 'flying teeth' !

I have looked out my Avon spray oil cos my sisters and I are going to the Bard in the Botanics this evening in the west end of Glasgow. We were eaten alive by the midges last time we went, before Covid.
It is a lovely, warm, sunny day, and tonight's play is A Winter's Tale!!?

Minimoon, enjoy Garlieston and the South West! We had a static caravan at Stranraer in the 80s, when our boys were wee, and we often visited Garlieston and Port Logan. The botanical gardens there are beautiful.

We had two weeks touring in Scotland last month and only encountered one small cloud of midges on Orkney. Residents of West coast said it has been too hot for them this year!

Shelflife

The main concern is ensuring you do not discover a tick attached to you,!! Most are not infected- but some are! Ticks of course are not just in Scotland . If you do have a tick , I suggest you visit a GP , with luck you will be prescribed antibiotics as a precaution. Believe me Lyme Disease is a serious matter . Take care cover up well when walking in long grass . Don't wish to appear alarmist but my son had Lyme Disease , not diognosed - he was on antibiotics for 3 months , prescribed too late. He was poorly but fortunately escaped reasonably unscathed. An infected person needs antibiotics immediately. Sorry to rant , but this post is purely to warn and protect people. We love. Scotland , both the highlands and the South West - Dumfries and Galloway . Go regularly but also take care and cover up on walks . Enjoy your holiday.

I second that. Midges are annoying but won’t make you seriously ill. I think ticks are less prevalent after November but I’m still not taking any chances. And, if anyone does get bitten make sure you take a tick remover with you as you need to remove them as quickly as possible. And keep the blighter so it can be checked for Lyme disease.Really difficult to remove them if you don’t have a special remover. I think citronella and Skin So Soft also deter ticks but I’m not 100% about that. I make sure I put Jungle formula on these days and my dog now has a special spot on treatment that deters and kills them. And my lower legs are no longer ever exposed!

'The wee beasties' I saw the midges called and it made me laugh when I was on the Isle of Mull. Oh Scotland is just the best and yes the Avon skin so soft original dry oil spray is great for keeping them away.

I beg to differ that midges can't make you seriously ill. For many people, that may be true - but for the unfortunate souls like me who react really badly to the bites, they often end up infected and needing antibiotics. No matter where I go, here in Scotland or abroad, all manner of flying biting beasties actively seek me out - I think I must be an all-you-can-eat buffet for them!

Unless you are camping at a wooded waterside in the Summer months you shouldn't be bothered by midges.

Been there, done that! Those Scottish midges are so tiny, they can fit through the fine mesh in the tent corners. This was 40 years ago however - I was pregnant with DS1. It was in the summer holidays on the West coast. July? (DH was a teacher)

JackyB me too.
Brings back memories of camping hols when the kids were young.
We christened Strontian midge HQ. I had to retreat to the shower block. Another time at Fiunery, a deserted campsite on the Sound of Mull, even a fire on the beach didn't scare the wee beasties away and I think we zipped up the tent and went to bed early as a last resort. Fantastic for wildlife though. We saw pine martens and otters, sea eagles and swans.

www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/campsites/uk/argyll-and-bute/morvern/fiunarycaravanandcampingpark/

wildswan16

Stock up on Avon Skin so Soft dry oil spray. Used by many of us in Scotland (including the army when on manoevres I am told). For some reason midgies don't like you when wearing it.
p.s. I have no connection to Avon!

This is not true. It has been completely ineffective on me. I now wear a midge jacket, complete with head covering, that's much more see through than the usual head nets that only cover your head. Check out Beatons midge jacket.

So this year I haven't been pestered by midges. I've removed (so far) 95 ticks from my person this year though. It has been a very ticky year.

Tops of mountains are pretty non-midgy ?

Good grief! All this talk of midges and ticks - I think I will go to Dorset!

Seriously though, thank you for all the recommendations so far, lots to research to do .
I have only had brief trips to Leith /Edinburgh , a day trip to St Andrews and a New Year’s Eve in Maybole 46 years ago , so lots to explore.

Edinburgh is magical. And I love Glasgow, too. All the Mackintosh stuff.

Just as many ticks in Dorset by the way. The little critters are everywhere…..

We were on the western side of Scotland at the end of last May and there no midges - it was too cold and windy! Fantastic scenery and we started at Culzean Castle and got as far as Skye. We went on a lovely boat trip to Staffa island from Mull. Dolphins around the boat and relaxed seals, then a scary (for me) climb up to see puffins really close up. We could have walked to Fingles Cave as well but chickened out.

Next year we're hoping to head for Skye and get a bit further north. Maybe even that top edge! We figure it will take four more holidays to get all around the NC500 sidetracking a bit, and then we can start again and see some of the bits we had to miss out.

MiniMoon

We are going to Garlieston in South West Scotland tomorrow. We've booked a flat next door to a good pub for 4 nights. Local attractions include the Logan Botanic Gardens, Castle Kennedy and the Mull of Galloway lighthouse, the most Southerly lighthouse in Scotland.
There are lots of lovely old towns to visit and the area is very scenic.
We have been once before, staying in a static caravan near Port Logan.
It's a lovely drive, and takes us about 2 hours.

Just spent the last week in D&G the weather’s been fantastic, a real South of France ambience.
Hope it continues for your visit.