May, June, September and October. These months give you long days, almost all the tourism businesses are open, the crowds of July and August are avoided, midges are not at their most prolific and even the weather is pretty decent.

To enjoy Scotland without the nuisance of biting midges, you should visit during the "off-season" for these insects, which typically runs from late September to mid-May. Midges usually emerge in late May and peak during the damp, warm months of July and August. Visiting in April or early May is often considered the "sweet spot," as the weather is beginning to warm and the days are lengthening, yet the midge larvae have not yet hatched. Alternatively, the autumn months starting in late September provide a midge-free experience as the first frosts of the season effectively kill off the swarms. If you must visit during the summer, the eastern coast of Scotland (including cities like Edinburgh and St Andrews) and the drier, windier parts of the Cairngorms tend to have significantly fewer midges than the humid, sheltered glens of the West Highlands, where the insects thrive in still, boggy conditions.