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Original poster

Is Scotland really that bad in August?

97 replies

drumandhake · 06/10/2021 21:30

I'm from down south and considering a camping holiday next August in Scotland as far north as I can go for about a month. All I keep hearing about is the midges, are they really that bad?
Will have a seven and five year old with me.

OP posts:
DelphiniumBlue · 06/10/2021 23:22

This has been niggling at me, too. I want to go to Orkney, what's the best time to visit there? I am very attractive to biting insects so was thinking Easter or May half term might be better than summer? But if midges are not a problem there, then I reckon the weather would be better in August. I am not planning on camping but walking in the day.

YerAWizardHarry · 06/10/2021 23:22

They’re HORRENDOUS. My best friend got married near the Trossach’s and they genuinely ruined her outdoors wedding

Redglitter · 06/10/2021 23:25

I live on the West Coast and have never encountered midges- ever. We've had gorgeous weather the past couple of summers

NoYOUbekind · 06/10/2021 23:29

I do agree that they either bother you or they don't. I'm Scottish and they really, really bother me - I rarely go to the North/West in the summer. I have a regular thing that I go to in the Cairngorms by a loch and that can be really difficult, it was particularly bad this year.

Smidge and a net is the only thing that works, but it's just so unpleasant all round.

That said, it's nowhere near as bad in the lowlands and the east. Thank god.

SylvanasWindrunner · 06/10/2021 23:33

Yep, stick with the east coast! We are NE Scotland and have no issues with midgies but really notice it when we go back to visit my family in the west of Scotland.

SylvanasWindrunner · 06/10/2021 23:35

Although the bloody clegs are worse

TableFlowerss · 06/10/2021 23:46

Apparently sss by Avon is brilliant at repelling them. We went to Loch lomand/ness etc and I didn’t see any….

Lockeddownagain · 06/10/2021 23:55

Depends where you go but yes they are terrible we were on Gairloch this year in August and after about 7pm.no one is out the people in the chippy queue were standing with midget nets on their heads. Where I live they are pretty bad but they do respond to smidge

Lockeddownagain · 06/10/2021 23:58

The women on mull you are there in October.... summer is a different ball game

99victoria · 07/10/2021 00:01

We went to Western Scotland this August and spent a week in a wooden lodge on the banks of Loch Long. It was brilliant - we had a fabulous deck overlooking the Loch and we sat out there in the evenings with a glass or 2 of wine. Neither one of us got bitten by a single midge during the whole week! We thought it would be bad as we were by the water but it wasn't an issue for us at all

Esspee · 07/10/2021 00:01

This year has been the sunniest, driest, hottest summer in years. The rivers and lochs were way down because of the lack of rain. It is only in the last week that we have had some decent heavy showers.
I have never been bothered by midges despite travelling widely in Scotland.

safariboot · 07/10/2021 00:05

Get DEET. Strong stuff. The stuff that starts to dissolve plastic if you spill it. It'll repel the midges, and kill any that are too stupid to be repelled.

CovoidOfAllHumanity · 07/10/2021 00:24

We went to Inverness and the Highlands this August just gone in a campervan and had an amazing time.

I had stocked up on Smidge but we barely used it. We saw midges on 2 evenings on the West coast but no-one got bitten and it really wasn't an issue at all despite my fears. The weather was unusually hot which was probably a factor.

The whole of the East and North coast there were none at all and these are some amazing quiet beaches there. Even on the west coast it was barely an issue. If you camp by water under a tree on the West coast I would think you would be asking for trouble but we spent evenings on the beach and BBQing at our campsite and had no issues.

The other thing I worried would be an issue was traffic on single track roads. We went end of August after Scottish schools has gone back and again it was totally a non issue. There were other people but it wasn't rammed or unpleasant.

We had the most amazing time saw dolphins, went kayaking with seals, saw red deer and Highland cows close up, walked up mountains, spectacular views everywhere you turn, amazing beaches, yummy sea food and local people were very kind and welcoming to us.

Definitely go.

leavesthataregreen · 07/10/2021 00:29

I was told how awful they were and my DSis live sin Scotland, so she knows But we took a holiday anyway, in August 2020. The only midge attack I had was half way up ben Nevis when I stopped by the tarn to have lunch and they swarmed like cloud cover. Apart from that I never saw a single midge the whole time we were there, and we spent all our time outdoors by lochs and in glens and walking, kayaking etc.

HollaHolla · 07/10/2021 00:39

Yeah… lived in Scotland for almost 40 of my 45 years. Only place I’ve really been bothered by them was Loch Lomondside and Islay. We were in Lewis & Harris last year at end of August , and we were bothered at one place, but only a couple of bites. Just make sure you’ve got good bug spray with you, and you’re better choosing somewhere where you know there will be a decent bit of breeze. Tends to keep them away.

I’m like catnip to mozzies, but weirdly the midges don’t particularly like me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Apparently if you eat garlic & marmite/vegemite, you give off a smell…

Come to Scotland. It’s lovely, and we’re (mostly) friendly.

Marzipanfruit · 07/10/2021 01:01

I've lived in Scotland all my life. Never been bothered by midges or bitten. Don't do camping though.......

littleburn · 07/10/2021 01:19

We spent the last week of August camping in Skye and the midges didn't bother us too much at all. We used spray and burnt incense at night which helped. The locals did say they weren't too bad for the time of year though.

Saltpepperbutter · 07/10/2021 01:45

I grew up on the north Moray Firth coast and go back every summer and there are no more midgies there than there are in London.

My in-laws live in the central Cairngorms and there are a few more about, perhaps, but nothing to bother about. Certainly don’t have to wear mozzy spray or anything.

Avoid the west coast if you don’t want midges, but I’d say those saying it’s the worst in the world blah blah are confused. As one example, the black flies in Canada are a million times worse. I’ve seen people covered in blood from their bites.

SammyScrounge · 07/10/2021 01:52

@drumandhake

I'm from down south and considering a camping holiday next August in Scotland as far north as I can go for about a month. All I keep hearing about is the midges, are they really that bad? Will have a seven and five year old with me.
Yes they are bad. But lavender supposedly drives them away.
PrincessNutella · 07/10/2021 04:20

I was so cold in Scotland I was hallucinating about my winter coat. I was shivering so much it hurt my bones. The days are so long in the summer, it is so beautiful and haunting and the wind is fierce and the rain is cold and driving and slaps you in the face and tangles the hair around your head. Brrrrrr!

londonrach · 07/10/2021 05:11

No, this year hot, empty beaches and no midges. Beautiful country

eatglassdavid · 07/10/2021 05:19

If you can cope with the smell and the stains on your clothes then just cover yourself head-to-toe in Tiger Balm, works a treat.

Keyboardkaterina · 07/10/2021 05:25

We’ve camped and holidayed in the Highlands for years and only ever had one really bad midge experience- many, many holidays in the summer where they haven’t troubled us at all so I wouldn’t assume it will definitely be an issue. Yes, the weather may well be bad in August, but if you’re lucky the sun will shine and you'll see why the Highlands are one of the most beautiful places on earth.

RampantIvy · 07/10/2021 06:35

It depends how attractive you are to biting insects. DH is a walking buffet to anything that flies and bites, so the west coast of Scotland would be out of the question in August for us.

Also, all the woo suggestions on here to repel them just don't work for him. It has to be industrial strength deep for him as nothing else works.

Campalumpa · 07/10/2021 06:42

Had three weeks there august just gone in a camper van. About 12 days in far north west. You wouldn’t want to be outside after about 830pm but other than that it was fine. I was very surprised as thought it would be awful.