ive always fancied camping in Scotland ,but stories of midges always put me off,has anyone got any experience of camping during august ,is east or west best?
Dont worry too much about Midgies. Pitch your tent in an open pitch and stay away from under trees etc. I live in the west and to be honest they havent been that bad over the last few years. The worst midgies i've ever encountered when camping were in Pooley Bridge - Cumbria!
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If the midges are a problem , you can buy a hat with netting that comes down over your face. Make sure that your top is tucked into your trousers. And also use Avon lotion . They are a problem in the morning and in the evening . More of a problem if damp. Rain keeps them at bay. Don't worry there not that big a problem. West = midges but better views, east = less midges but dull................
Depends on the weather,when it's damp & mild then (especially in the shade) they can be pretty horrific in some places. Some people seem to have a worse time with them than others & come up in pretty nasty red swollen lumps.
They were getting pretty bad in quite a few areas in the East of Scotland too actually, but the weather in the last couple of years has been so awful (cold wet windy) it even seemd to put the midgies off coming out so much
Haven't personally found any repellant that works that well apart from ones that contain something I don't want to risk using on any of my family's skin.. (can't remember what the heck it's called though) but smoke helps a bit too.
Best bet is to take nets & keep as much skin covered up as poss. if the little are out in force - be prepared !
A campfire (smoke) keeps them away, always camp west coast and never had much of a problem, worst ones was Aviemore big clouds of them. The more trees/bushes around the worse they are really, open areas are usually ok.
Yep. Scary aren't they (and very very determined) !
Sorry dawsoctor, don't be put off they aren't everywhere in Scotland, and really not always that bad, but best to be prepared just in case you're unlucky, really is down to the weather, no matter what the month is.
We go up to Scotland every other year in August for 2 weeks and haven't ever been bothered by them :) Whether that is down to our liking for marmite or they just don't like the taste of us lol. We sit in the pub garden every evening when it gets dark and see them but they soon disappear. You could avoid going out at those times but don't let them put you off going because there is nowhere in the world like Scotland :)
My ds went on a cruise with my parents to see the norwegian fjords (think they may only have seen a little though) and he was really disappointed with them. We think its because once you've seen Scotlands scenery nothing else can come close :)
Midges! Oh, midges. Where do you start when on about midges?
First and foremost assume that they will be a lot worse on the west than they are on the east. . . . . . but . . .
Some people get bitten; some people really suffer; some people really, really suffer; some people don't get bothered at all. . . . . . as to which of those four categories you fall into - only time and experience can tell.
Some people swear by eating marmite; some swear by drinking lots of tonic water (though whether it's the tonic or the gin. . . . ); some swear by nothing because nothing appears to make a blind bit of difference.
Some people will swear by repellents; Avon Skin So Soft is religiously used by some; Jungle formula works for others; Citronel based stuff works for other still.
You might be gathering that there is absolutely no rhyme nor reason as to who gets bitten and who doesn't - and you'd be absolutely right. Like I said, only time and experience can tell you what's best for YOU!
Things that *will* keep midges away:- they don't like camp- fire smoke but, then again, they are only really a problem at dusk anyway - but even then conditions have to be perfect for them - damp, so don't camp anywhere near water (especially still water); wind - if the wind is blowing at over about 5 mph then they won't bother you (they can't fly in that sort of breeze!) - and dark, they don't come out at night. (But, bear in mind that, in June it's not really going to get dark anyway. . . . . )
At the end of the day there's only one thing you can possibly do - come up to The Highlands and find out - if you're one of the lucky ones who never get bitten - enjoy your stay. If you're one of the really unlucky ones who come up in huge great red blisters, well, look on the bright side - at least now you know and you won't be alone!
For some reason ive never had a problem with midge on the campsite at fortwilliam but when there bad theres nothing worse . you pray for a breeze to take them away . to be fair ive had equally bad exsperiances off the little devils in Wales .The lakes and the dales . We are considering scotland for August to just go prepared .
I'd rather have midgies than malarial mosquitoes in a certain part of Essex when I lived there!! And I live on the west coast!
The Bimblers have it right - you won't know how you're affected until you try. But try to be a bit prepared.
Don't totally agree that being by water is totally correct - coastal water tends to get more breeze and that can deter them but deffo keep away from still water and shade. If a thunderstorm is in the offing, get inside pdq and zip up (or decamp to the car, as we did!) - my second most horrendous midgie experience was at Glenmore near Aviemore was having to pack up right after this storm on a still morning - tent was full of them when we unpacked that night! The worst was in Dumfries and Galloway and concerned they were a different strain of midgie - they were out in full sun!
Don't let that deter you - I've been camping in Scotland before moving here for forty years and the midgies haven't deterred me! Come and enjoy!
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Topic: camping in scotland / midges
are out in force - be prepared ! 
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