Scotland and midges - how bad, and how to cope

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

A long time ago I camped for two nights in Borth, near Aberystwyth. There were midges. They pissed me off, quite considerably.

But it's been such a while I can't remember how bad they were. In any case, this year I'd really like to get up to Scotland - this summer, in fact.

However the prospect of midges is not one I find particularly enticing. If the worst came to the worst I suppose I could B&B it - that would probably make any trip far less midge prone. But it'd be dearer, and in some ways (depending on the weather!), less interesting.

My plans are modest - 2 or 3 nights, ideally wild camping. Spying a good weather forecast some time soon, hopefully - and going for a long weekend.

Here's something I just copied and pasted:

[doggone]

They're also more of a west Scotland thing, must be to do with it being wetter for much of the year.

If it's windy you might hardly notice them, a still, muggy evening or morning, camping near a loch and it can be absolute hell.
They seem bigger than the ones you get south of the border and are in such swarms they sometimes look like mist.
Repellants are helpful but won't stop them altogether.

[Boris the spider]

Spray called Skin so soft by Avon is the best skin protection. And a good price. Use loads.
Used it for years when camping. That and the BBQ or fire always on. Throw a bit wet leaves or similar on every now and then to smoke the wee feckers. They hate that.
This year is gonna be a bad one for beasties and creepy crawlies.
Mild winter. It has already seen a massive rise in the number of humping flies up here.
Being a rum drinker ( even Bacardi ) I have never suffered badly from beastie bites. Even abroad.
My mate who was in the RAF and stationed in Belize many years ago. Said that they all drank rum as the mozzies etc don't particularly like it in the blood.
Has always worked for me.
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[Skudd]

Avon Skin so Soft works ell as does running away from the buggers.
Every morning while touring up there I had to do the Midgies Dance.
Stand in a place where you don't want to be away from the bike. Then run to the bike, do 10 seconds worth of stuff then run to a third place. Wait for the little buggers to catch up then run back to the bike for another 10 seconds. Then run to the first place you stood. Do this as often as is needed until you are ready to move off.
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[Dave70]

A few of us went hiking/camping up in the Highlands a number of years ago. Words alone cannot describe the midge nightmare, except maybe biblical. It was like something from out of a horror film, I half expected to be eaten alive, with nothing but our bones left were we slept by the time morning came.

The best solution we found, was to build a big fire and stay next to it down wind in the smoke. I even resorted to pulling my wooly hat down over my face to stop them getting in my eyes, nose and ears.

A little known fact is that Hadrians wall was in fact built to try and keep the midges out of England.

Best of luck, you'll need it.

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Wear light colours, keep your body clean and breathe less.

Use deet around ankles and cuffs and spray your hat.
They're so small they can get through the mesh in tents.

Never go again in midge season.
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[Llama-Farmer]

I got practically eaten alive by them in Scotland once, then same time, same place, year later... didn't even notice them.


They're not as bad as the sandflies in New Zealand though (they call them "noseeums" because the first thing you notice is a trickle of blood running down from where they've bitten you). They love foreigners for some reason, and if you've never been bitten before you get really bad reaction... get used to them after a while but first time I had a few hundred bites on just my feet and hands as I'd been wearing a wetsuit, and they itched horrendously for about 3 months. I was wearing socks in bed because I started to wake myself up scratching in my sleep.

Looked like this, except confined to just the tops of my feet and back of my hands. Even now I've still got slight scars from them.

https://www.stripes.com/polopoly_fs/1.33707.1273614896!/image/3507769632.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_804/3507769632.jpg



The next time I went down the beach I used Bushmans 80% DEET repellent cream, was incredible... not a single bite. And its waterproof so after several hours surfing it was still effective.

https://lonedingo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bushmans-heavyduty.jpg


You can get it from amazon and ebay, but it'd an Australian product, not sure it's officially imported.
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[Itchy]

The best solution is to bring somebody else who is tastier than you.

That person on many occasions has been me, the ex gf could be walking around in a bikini and not get a single bite, while me completely covered up would get eaten alive.
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[map]

Delay your trip to September. I used to do Scotland when the schools went back after summer. It's at the end(ish) of the midge season. Can still be around but I found less intense.

Do not camp near boggy ground or water. There is a campsite on Skye that has a very bad reputation for midges.

I like Scotland (north of Perth) but I hate midges. Probably because I get an allergic reaction to midge bites.

[doggone]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Ah fuck. Pissed off now. Being near Hull / York it seemed like a near perfect destination. Plus it sounds like you've DONE something. BEEN somewhere - a real proper man's ride. Even though technically further in miles, saying oh I went to the Norfolk broads or Dartmoor or wherever - well, it just doesn't seem to have the same bragging rights somehow.

Fucked if I'm going to contend with those bastard midges though, if they;re as bad as they sound.
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[J biker]

We went in May last year. No midges. Though there was snow on the Monday morning on our return leg through Glencoe...
If the midge are in full feeding frenzy it is really best avoided.

[Peirre oBollox]

[Tiff]

[quote="doggone"]

[Enduro Numpty]

I wouldn't even consider camping in the west of Scotland these days, have been midge fodder too many times Some of the best bike roads anywhere but there is a price to pay

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Well, being as I'm over here on the north east coast, I was thinking maybe I could stay this side? Would that make much difference?
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Dave70]

[map]

[Enduro Numpty]

[instigator]

[delsol]

I've commented in previous posts about the Midge, BCF search.

For me there are no creams or sprays that work, (deet works for me with mosquito's though - go figure), I could spread peanut butter on my face and it would work just as well as any other barrier cream or repellant, I figure that barriers creams only last as long as the multitudes take to eat through it, that's how I find it.

If you are not confined to an area you can simply walk away or move on, but if you are say camping then a few simple precautions work, long sleeves and don't wear shorts, pair of silk or any thin gloves and one of these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/390846273066?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=108&device=c&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=108&ff19=0

Ireland is just as bad, pretty much the same conditions, wet, wet, wet, Ireland is I believe the wettest country in Europe, Scotland a very close second.

Midges are manageable, get some insect spray for your tent, dose it, keep the door shut and let it dissipate before you go to sleep (with your net on).

Hope that helps, you probably won't be that unlucky, enjoy.

[Boris the spider]

I do think it depends on your skin / blood .

I have been in the same room as a vodka drinking mate.

Me being the rum drinker.

Both fell asleep bollock naked. As you do on holiday in Greece.

He woke up covered in bites.

Me....

I woke up with a boner.. Not a bite at all.
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Yes I'm a pig....And yes... The working public do pay my wages. Tho I contribute to your benefits you lazy c##t. You do not pay my wages. So go fcuk yourself.

[Llama-Farmer]

[delsol]

[stinkwheel]

I have a lot of personal experience wild camping in Scotland. I also react very badly to midge bites and am one of the people they single out for special attention.

They can be awesomely bad. Like so bad that people totally loose their shit. I have seen people physically running away from them shouting incoherantly.

It's what keeps the wild places of Scotland beautiful, tranquil and free of huge crowds of loud, annoying Southerners

Most important is picking your site. So way from standing/stangnant water and not under trees. By the side of a loch can be ok if you stick to the beachy bits.

What you want is dry, hard ground underfoot and a slight breeze. At the side of a sea-loch is generally a good bet. You don't get midges right on the shore or on beaches unless is it amazingly still. If it is totally still, you can be right up shit creek but it doesn't happen very often. I can only think of one midge-death experience at a sea loch shore, it was totally still. I went into the nearest town and bought a bag of charcoal so we could have a smudge fire (charcoal with green leaves/seeweed on). Periodically standing in the smoke did the trick. We couldn't physically go into the woods to collect firewood because you couldn't breathe without inhaling midges.

Wherever you're going to camp, stop the bike and get off but DO NOT REMOVE YOUR HELMET. Stand about for five minutes, take the oppertunity to scout around a little, kick your tyres, check the chain is tight. Be ready to bug-out if they appear.

They are worst at dawn and dusk.

As such you need a tent with an insect-proof inner. Dawn is fine. Stay in your tent. The zip on the inner is like an air-lock, it ONLY opens when someone is going in or out and gets immediately shut again.

At dusk you need a fire or to be on a beach. The smoke repells them and the heat of the fire stops them being able to fly.

A seemingly obvious point. They can't bite through clothes. Motorcycle base-layers are near perfect. I say near perfect because they seem attracted to black clothing. So trousers tucked into socks, a long-sleeve top with a reasonably high collar and a hat. I do have a face veil but rarely need it. The campsite on Arran is horrendous at dusk but clear the rest of the time so I use it there. You CAN smoke and drink through one.

I find skin so soft does absolutely nothing unless I put on enough to form a physical barrier that drowns them. They still land on me and I land up covered in an oily sludge of dead midges. I use total chemical warfare grade DEET. 100% expedition strength. They'll try to avoid selling it to you in the shop because "It's just for rainforests and stuff.". People who say this haven't tried camping on the shore of Loch Tay in July. It is odourless in its pure form, I just put it sparingly on the bits of skin which are uncovered by clothing. I put loads on my hat and some round the cuffs of my jacket and trousers. Be aware it melts plastic. Don't get it on your oakleys!

The above keeps me right in all but the most vicious of midge areas. You can't put DEET on your lips and eyelids. I HAVE been bitten so much on my eyelids it looked like I'd been fighting. This was however a clear case of camping in the wrong place.

If you're being absolutely eaten alive. Move. It's the only way.
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