Where is the best place to avoid midges in Scotland?
Lowland areas with consistent wind and away from water are your best chances for midge free areas in Scotland. Coastal areas (West Coast beaches, we're looking at you) can often be midge free.
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From May until September, travelers have a high chance of running into midges, especially in the Highlands. These flying, biting insects prefer wet, humid, and cloudy conditions and come out in full force in July and August. To avoid the midges, book your trip to Scotland between late September and early May.
Citronella candlesThese are really effective and suit outdoor eating scenarios, picnics and BBQs, although BBQ smoke does a good job of keeping the midges away too. Midges dislike the smell of the candles, so burn a couple at a time to double your chances of keeping them away.
Anti-midges protectionThe best way to avoid being bitten by midges is to cover up your bare skin at times when they are most likely to be around. If it's a still, humid morning or evening, wear long sleeved tops and trousers. A midge net made for your head can be a useful addition to your outdoors kit list.
The best way to prevent midge bites is to wear EPA-registered insect repellent, especially if you're wearing clothes that expose large areas of skin. Biting midges can't bite through clothes, but they can get underneath them. When enjoying outdoor activities, like hiking, it's best to wear long sleeves or pants.
05. Midge Activity & Seasonality. While biting midges are abroad in Scotland between May and September, with some outliers hitting the skies in April and October, July and August are generally considered to be the time when midges in Scotland are at their worst, in the average year.
Our Tips for keeping the Midges awayFirstly, midge season is generally in the height of the summer, from mid-May to September. So, if you are visiting us at any other time of year, you will not be bothered by them.
Although they are averse to strong sunshine, huge numbers are being reported, particularly in Glasgow and the West of Scotland in the early morning and evenings.
Pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) do eat insects in the midge family, but these only form a small part of their diet. Similarly, birds such as warblers (Phylloscopus spp.) and swifts (Apus apus) will feed on midges, but this is rare due to their small size and crepuscular habits.
Developed in 1946, DEET has been used extensively since then and serves as the standard mosquito repellent against which new candidate materials are tested. In addition to working on mosquitoes, it works well on fleas, biting midges (punkies, no-see-ums) and black flies.