Midges Scotland...

[JigsawPuzzlesAreFab]

So eldest child is not impressed we planned to go to Scotland at easter as he's just realised he's got mocks for yr12 striaght after.

We could move until end of July early August... But the place was by a tiny loch in trossachs near Loch lomond. And er.... Midges.

Would we survive? Is it just pointless for a holiday. Or is it really just dawn and dusk. We'd like to walk locallyand walk the smaller hills. Maybe that small Ben. And had planned on Loch lomond, Edinburgh, Fort William and to go see Harry Potter train as trips.

Everything I Google says midges... But worth cancelling a holdiay over?

I do get bitten to death. Daughter wouldn't like swarms.

July and August just no - midge hell. I have seen people just flee their campsite in a midge swarm. OK when moving/walking but you can't stop to eat or admire the view without the wee buggers descending.

Also Glenfinnan is now Harry Potter land and impossible to park in high season. People go insane and abandon cars on verges and double yellow lines.
Easter will be bad enough but at least you won't be eaten alive!

Spoken as someone who has lived, camped and walked in Scotland for 40+ years.

Oh my goodness I well remember being bitten to death by midges camping for a couple of nights on Skye many years ago. It was hellish for me. But I was with my first H and the midges more or less left him alone.
I 've always thought you are either one or the other: someone who attracts midges or someone who doesn't. So if you are one of those, like me, who attracts them it would be no fun at all.

We wouldn't be camping if that makes a difference.. So have actual walls between us and outside world. But obviously not walking etc..

Week to the midge swarm 😳

Eek that was supposed to say!!

Where they're in Yr 12 and we can't go at easter now it's getting close to if we don't go in the summer we won't get to go on holiday to Scotland.

So it's kind of summer or they never see Scotland (well as a family - sure they can in years to come). We've been wanting to go back for years but been put off by distance when the kids were small (we're in Devon!)

Rather than it be easter vs summer it's summer vs never.

But maybe not 😬. Or we look at somewhere else to stay. But we really did want to mainly walk.

My DH used to get bitten terribly and he swears by this

https://www.smidgeup.com/

Pre-smidge, we found if we had been swimming they stayed back, maybe the chlorine?

If its summer or nothing, try keeping to the coast where the wind keeps the midges at bay.
How about Mull & Iona, boat trips to Staffa and whale watching, lovely beaches.

If you are determined to venture inland by water in July and August invest in Smidge as above, and midge head nets!

I love Scotland and wouldnt be put off by midges. Broad brimmed hat, midge net over if the midgies are bad, try not to fixate on it. I've been many times to Scotland, and only once have they been bad enough to get me down (an hour or so waiting for the ferry in heavy rain on the Isle of Rum, where they have midges the size of dogs and you fend them off with a baseball bat IYKY)

Most of the places you list would not be midge hotspots at all.

PS I find repellent worse than the midgies and don't bother any more

October is midge free ime and can be better weather, if feasible for you.

Go to the east coast. No midges there. Edinburgh then over to Fife and onwards towards Aberdeen. I am a Fifer. The west coast is overrated!

Moray coast, lots of beaches plenty of walking, Fife

I’d go east - Cairngorms etc, you’ll be fine.

We were in Skye, Harris and Lewis at the end of July/beginning of August last year and never used our midge repellent or net hats once. Mind you that was because it was too windy.

Have also been to Mull at the same time and had no issue.

Only time we had to escape from midgies was in July in Caithness and that was only in one area.

It's quite hit and miss.

I grew up in Scotland and we always spent out holidays there. I don't remember midgies being a big issue at all. We also had a night by Loch Lomond at the end of July last year and had no midgies at all.

I think cancelling the holiday would be a bit of an overreaction.

https://www.smidgeup.com/smidge-shop/midge-proof-headnet/

Go on to the Smidge website and get some nets and repellent and you'll be fine. Ours were never used.