Scotland when is midge season

Their tiny size with a wingspan of just 2 mm is probably the reason that midges appear in large numbers. Midges are most likely to be out and about at dawn and dusk, and in still, humid conditions.

Even a slight breeze will chase them away. Not all areas of Scotland are affected by midges, so keep an eye on the Midge Forecast in the summer, so you can decide if you have to pack an insect repellant or not!

In the Inverness and Loch Ness area, most places by the coast and along Loch Ness are pretty much midge free, but in other places like Glen Affric you are more likely to encounter them. Here are some more… unconventional methods to rid yourself of midges. Bog myrtle is a plant found throughout the Highlands which is apparently effective at repelling midges.

Tie it to your hat for maximum protection but don't tell anyone else what you're doing, just own it. Midges don't like fire. If you're camping and it's safe to do so, light a small bonfire. Bonus: campfire sausages.

I'm beginning to think there should be an LNT drinking game with a shot downed for every time it's mentioned in our articles Now back to midges! Just like us, midges also have their foodie preferences. Slather this yeasty spread on your breakfast and suddenly midges won't find your blood so tasty anymore. Vitamin B tablets are said to have the same effect if you're not keen on Marmite, as is chewing garlic no snogging for you. Believe it or not, there's actually a midge forecast.

It will give you an idea of how many midges are expected to be around on certain days. You can browse the Scottish midge forecast by different locations to get a better idea of things for exactly where you plan to go. If you have the option of heading out on a few different days, checking the midge forecast can mean the difference between a pleasant day out and an infuriating bout of midge wars.

Sometimes though you just won't have an option and you'll have to grab your midge repellent and get out there whatever the forecast. In that case, use the tools and tactics in this guide to do your best to keep things from getting out of hand. Unfortunately, midges are just one of a motley crew of insects who can prove a bit of a bother on Scottish adventures. Here's a quick run-down to help you tackle them before they get a nibble in.

Bigger than midges and more stealthy, clegs often land on the back of your arms or legs and can take a bite before you even know they're there. They love warm days, so that's when they're most active. Luckily, there are fewer of them than midges, and insect repellents like the Smidge spray are just as effective against them. While clegs and midges are annoying enough to probably elicit a few expletives, ticks are a bit more of a serious issue. They look like little spiders, and once they're filled up with blood they bloat to about the size of a pea.

A small amount of ticks carry Lyme disease, which is potentially very serious. Don't let that put you off, though. Contracting something nasty from a tick is rare, and there are plenty of ways to avoid ticks. When hiking in Scotland — particularly in long vegetation and around bracken — carefully inspect your skin and clothing afterwards.

Take extra care to check any furry friends! We reckon a tick-remover deserves its place in your pack, so you can safely get rid of the little pests before they've had too much contact with your skin. As long as you've put a bit of thought into packing your essentials and know how to avoid midges, they're unlikely to cause you too much of an issue.

Armed with this guide and your midge repellent or Avon Skin Soft , you're now ready to take off into the wilds of Scotland and face any little critter that crosses your path. Although midges, clegs and the like might be a nuisance, they definitely shouldn't put you off exploring the rugged wilderness that is the Scottish Highlands.

Trust us — the views of misty Loch Katrine from the rugged Ben A'an are more than worth a midge bite or two. If you're keen to get out and about why not join us on one of our Scottish adventures? How about summit Ben Nevis and learn winter mountain skills? Given the time of year this trip runs, there's not a midge in sight. Leave your Skin so Soft at home and bring your ice axe instead or you can just borrow one for the weekend.

Midge season Scotland usually runs from April to September the summer months but depends on the temperature and so can come a bit sooner or last a bit later. There's usually a first generation or wave and a second generation of midges. In the early autumn midge numbers are on the decrease, which is why September and October are great hiking months in Scotland.

Lowland areas with consistent wind and away from water are your best chances for midge free areas in Scotland. Coastal areas West Coast beaches, we're looking at you can often be midge free. Scotland's great outdoors is vast and expansive, so you should be able to find somewhere in the summer that's midge-free. Wet, boggy, sheltered highland areas are the worst places for midges in Scotland. October, November, December, January, February, and March early autumn and early spring are usually midge free months in Scotland because the weather is too cold for them Wear bright coloured clothing, visit when it's very hot or colder, wear long sleeves, get up high, take to the water, avoid stopping in long vegetation, try midge repellent spray.

Dusk and dawn are the most active times for the Highland Midge in midge season. They feed according to light intensity and prefer low-light conditions. Days with lots of cloud cover can, therefore, be some of the worst weather conditions for getting overrun by midges.

Scotland is famous for it's the weather. One such forecast you don't hear many other places is 'midge weather'. Midge weather is overcast, humid, mild, and still. Normally no. At least not until afterwards and even then it's usually not too bad. Most of the time we're completely oblivious to midge bites. They usually feed for about 3 or so. They can itch though. One Scottish insect you might need to be wary of though is the Cleg, otherwise known as the horsefly.

The normal reaction to a bite is a large, itchy red weal that lasts for days, and sometimes weeks. Another pest we have in Scotland is the black fly which is much smaller than a Cleg but larger than a midge, and also packs a powerful bite. While not dangerous they are very unpleasant, and like midges they prefer to swarm in large numbers, though thankfully only in localized areas like woodlands and lochs. Midges are part of the Ceratopogonidae family of biting flies that exist on every continent on earth except for those places that are either too cold like the north and south poles or too hot like the permanent deserts of North Africa.

The greatest numbers of midges are to be found in the West Highlands. They tend to live close to their food source, cattle, below 1, feet. The east coast of Scotland is relatively free of midges. What are midges? How many midges are there in Scotland? Where do midges live in Scotland? When is the midge season in Scotland?

May to September, though it can vary because extended cold periods delay their emergence. Travel insurance is something that all travellers need, but most people either forget about it or decide not to get it due to the costs involved. Discover the facts about the travel insurance you need while visiting Scotland in this ultimate guide.

Scotland can be an expensive place to visit and unfortunately the price of everything from admission tickets to petrol seems to be reaching new wallet-destroying levels with each passing year. They all have free admission and are guaranteed not to break the bank. There are many things that can disrupt a winter tour of Scotland, with sub-zero temperatures, short daylight hours and treacherous icy roads causing mayhem for the unwary traveller.