Scotland and Midges etc

[SpeckledyHen]

We would like a few days touring in Scotland sometime soon , but want to avoid midges .
Looking for recommendations please of when or where to avoid .
Completely open minded about where to go , so any thoughts on ‘ must see ‘ places would be welcome too.

Central East coast generally has no midges. I would recommend East Neuk in Fife (Elie, Pittenweem, St Andrews). Lovely beaches, beautiful villages/towns with quaint harbours, cobbled streets etc. No midges.

Elie has a great watersports centre at the harbour for paddle boarding, sailing, speedboat/banana boat/sofa, sea kayaks etc.

There is a good midge forecast website

www.smidgeup.com/midge-forecast/

You might want to narrow down what you want to do - it's a big country!

Stick to the east coast and you will be fine

Lots of great help already! Thank you so much.
Keep it coming …

We’ve just got back from Aviemore today and encountered very few midges. In fact the only time we saw any was early mornings in the mountains on days when it was quite cool and misty. We’ve spent lots of time around lochs and rivers and there hadn’t been any.

We live on the east coast and I can confirm the midges are out in force! Layer on the Avon skin so soft and you'll be fine

Midges like still, damp conditions. Breeze blows them away so even in the worst places for them (West Highlands) it's very weather dependent. We were in what's usually midgie central last week and I was cursing in the car on the way up because I'd forgotton the Smidge, but it was fine.

East coast is reliably midge free though and the East Neuk of Fife is lovely.

Ha! Xposted with Enid - I've obviously been very lucky or am just so used to the thick clouds of biting beasties in the West that my tolerance is very high

We go to Scotland every September and I've never encountered midges.

Not knocking East Scotland at all but if you want the Lochs and the stunning views stay to the West.

How long are you going for? How much are you willing to drive daily and what do you enjoy seeing/doing?

Yes, by September they should be pretty much gone everywhere.

Just returned from a trip on both the west and east sides of Scotland. Midges not a problem we used smidge ( developed especially for midges) had head nets but didn't need those. Scotland is stunning, enjoy.

Unless you are camping, midges are unlikely to be a massive problem. You day touring - do you mean in a camper van?
Otherwise, if you do happen to encounter some, you can move away.
Smidge is good if needed.

You should be fine by September, honestly. But otherwise buy some Smidge (it's the only thing that works, skin so soft is bobbins) and a midgie net, don't leave windows open with the lights on and you'll be fine. If you really, really can't bear them and even that's too much, go east coast. Or actually the borders are beautiful too, Dumfries and Galloway is stunning.

Thanks a lot everyone, really appreciated. A plan is forming…

@SpeckledyHen what are you planning?

Avon moisturiser is best repellent.

East coast is generally better than west but I was at Loch Lomond (west) this week and it was midge free.

Midgey bites are annoying but not world ending. Just go where you want to go.

Came on to recommend smidge but can see there is a link above. But as it is for their midge forecast not clear that they have products too. Which are really good and have made many a trip the difference between barely bearable to pleasurable for dh

www.smidgeup.com/

Smells nice too, a bit like CK1

I should point out that I am a gardening fanatic who spends a lot of time in bushes weeding. So I kind of bring it on myself!

We just did a week on the Caledonian Canal and were not bothered by midges at all. I have been nibbled by them repeatedly on trips to Oban and area, however.