midges in scotland

[Millimat]

I apologise in advance as I am going to post this thread on a few different topics as I can?t decide where is best!!! Looking to go away with 2 young children camping to North West Scotland (Fort William, Mull etc) but am worried about the midges.
When is best to go / avoid?
Thank you

skin so soft

there was a thread this week,

i shall find it hang on...

can't advise on the timing, they've always been bad in august and I would counsel you not to underestimate how awful midges can be

arran is beautiful, as is mull, we only found the midges a problem at fort william, and this may be because we camped near trees

here you go

Before Whit week and after the first frost are the only 'safe' times in Scotland to avoid midges I should know - they find me very tasty!

When are you going?

I really should learn to read the whole OP! Sorry, you want to know when to go!

We have caravaned very close to Fort William for years and found they start to bite at the end of May and then continue to get really bad until August/September.

Thanks for your advice. Don't know what to do now. The area looks fab and I would love to visit but went to Kielder a few years ago and was eaten alive. It put me off so much I just wanted to go home. I would hate my children to be like that. If we leave it till late August then it will be colder? We need to go for at least 5 nights to justify the journey so school holidays are the only option. Help! What do i do?!!!

We toured the Western Isles, the Cairngorms and the east coast last august in a motorhome. By 7pm each evening we retired inside even though we were slathered in skin so soft. It was still a fab holiday despite the midges.

Bump/tangent

We are looking at getting a new tent and the Highlands/Islands of Scotland will definitely be a destination.

Is normal tent insect netting (e.g. Outwell) at all midge proof? I'm imagining evenings with the tent doors open but the insect screen nets down. Or is there no hope? We are not too sensitive to midges but don't want to sit in clouds of them.

Milli - suggest you try finding a cottage! Or renting a caravan? Midges are no fun especially if you are prone to being bitten.
Camping somewhere windy can help but the wind always drops in the early evening.

these are repellant but I worry that the chemicals you inhale while burning them are just as bad. You need to place them so the smoke drifts across your tent door.

We go to Mull every year and have done for 20+ years. Try to stay somewhere v near the sea on the West coast. Summer is traditionally the worst time for midges but we dont have too many problems at all, but if you are in a low lying dampish boggy place, you'll get them. Never tried skin so soft but it's supposed to be brilliant. Mull is soooo lovely.