Midges ?

Hi,

Midges like damp, shady, windless conditions and thrive near still water too. They are most prevalent in the early morning and in the evening. Where I live on Skye, there are few trees and it's almost always windy as I live on a hill overlooking the sea, therefore I am rarely bothered by midges in the garden. If I go hiking I usually take a midge net with me. You won't look silly as many people use them. If you are camping in a shady spot, or near water then you might well benefit from a midge net.

I'd also recommend midge repellent. The local brand Smidge works well for me, but I've heard others recommend Avon Skin So Soft spray.

If you are going to be mainly in Edinburgh/Glasgow, south of those cities on on the east coast you won't be bothered. Midges are Highland beasties!

Best wishes
Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Thanks for the great reply. I will buy a couple of hats. I have deet which is repellent that we use here in the US. No camping for us but lots of hiking. Looking forward to it immensely. Not the midges , but the hiking!

Hi again nicolatwig

If you're hiking then try to always wear long trousers as there are lots of deer and sheep ticks and they can cause Lyme disease. I once had to remove a tick that had feasted on one my B&B guests. My husband nearly passed out at the sight of a gorgeous young lady stretched out on my kitchen bench with no trousers on! The tick had embedded itself in her groin.

Best wishes
Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Bring a head net. They are inexpensive. People on our tour were buying them at a gift shop near Glencoe at 2x what we paid at home.

I just bought head nets and we have long hiking pants. How bad are all these midges? It seems like it might take away from the actual joy of hiking?

If there's a pine forest and water, they will be awful. I used to have to mow the lawn in full mask and wearing gloves

Midges don't put me off going walking, but I would look for a route away from forested areas. A breeze above about 5mph will put paid to them! Don't let them put you off. Many of us live in midge-land all year round and I wouldn't live anywhere else despite having previously lived in southern England and having travelled extensively throughout the world.

Thanks Skyegirl:)

Midges are an annoyance but are as said above very much a localised annoyance. They have a preferred place to stay and they stay there so if you encounter the midge, keep walking through.

That said, they are the reason I do not have an outdoor washing line and neither do my neighbours.

What about regular bug/mosquito spray with DEET? I figure I could rub it around my head and face.

Many repellent brands do contain DEET, but personally I prefer to avoid it and find Smidge is effective (and doesn't contain DEET). Here's an article reviewing different brands of repellent. Best Midge Repellent Article

Thank you, Skyegirl. I bought a couple of face nets just in case.

edit: on a side note there is a 2 for 1 deal including the hat and net for around $10 on Amazon. I figure that and long sleeves ought to do the trick, and if it's hot and I need to wear shorts I'll cover exposed areas with repellant.

Glad to hear that Skin so Soft works. Several years ago we found it in towelette form on Amazon (just checked and a pack of 8 is on for $14). Much easier to travel with in your luggage and to slip one in your daypack. One is usually enough for both my husband and I especially if we have long pants on.

Picaridin. No smell, does not melt plastic. Not greasy.

Husband used to smoke a pipe when walking.m It kept the midges away from him but they all clouded round me instead...

I've never felt such a nasty stinging pain - it was like getting eaten by fire ants. Smidge was a godsend.

The midges are not as bad in Scotland as the black flies in Maine which are truly horrendous. The head net will keep you comfortable.

Consumer Reports just updated a bug spray report, reiterating that Skin-So-Soft does not work

I wonder if a cheaper alternative like gasoline or turpentine would repel the little SOBs.

I tried Skin So Soft in the desert of Kuwait. It didn't work well so I switched to good old DEET and success.

Skin So Soft was originally just a cosmetic skin oil product, that through word of mouth acquired a reputation for bug repellent properties that were unsubstantiated by any lab tests. If they could prove it, they would have applied for certification. and sale as such. Once it is absorbed into your skin, there's nothing left on the surface except the odor. So, Avon cleverly developed a couple of products with the name Skin So Soft, that actually contain known repellent chemicals that are tested and certified, and people now tend to conflate the different products of the same name.

The bottom line for all repellents (like sunscreen) is they only work if you use them as directed and keep reapplying. Most people seem to put a bit on and then expect it to last all day. Look to Consumer Reports for unbiased testing on this subject - they do repellent testing regularly. Recognizing that midges are a different animal from mosquitoes.

We are traveling through the Inverness area in late May. Will midge season have started by then ?

Will I need to be concerned with midges if in Inverness and planning to go to Culloden, etc?

I've never been bothered by midges in the east (e.g. Inverness). There are really a highland beastie and mainly found in the west and the islands.

Where to purchase a midge net in Portree?

I already have smidge :)

To buy a midge net in Portree you could try the "Inside Out" Shop next to Skye Batiks and near the Visitor Information Centre. It's a hiking/climbing store and should have them. If not they will certainly know where to buy one. Another option is the hardware store Jans, which is on the outskirts of Portree. If you are heading north on the A87 drive past the large COOP and the Jewsons builder's merchants. You then take the second road on the right and you will see Jans. I'm pretty sure they sell them. Jans also has a decent cafe - used by lots of locals (but shhhh don't tell everyone!).

Jacqui (Skyegirl)

Midges are edible and full of protein. They are served fresh as a black cake and eating them as opposed to other forms of meat is environmentally friendly.

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/0-306-48380-7_2668

My point is midges can be our friend, not our nemesis, and help reverse climate change.

I'm not convinced that eating midges is a practical holiday solution

I had unplanned midge soup on the Isle of Skye one evening. Not a fan, I ended up having sweet potato chips and a pint of Bulmers at the Sligachan pub later, much nicer.

From an environmental standpoint, eating insects is part of the solution. Nobody is suggesting that reversing course on climate change is without sacrifice, and we must all do our bit, just like our grandparents did in WWII.

Tintaldra, it's an acquired taste best suited in cakes and baked goods. Sort of like seeds.

Used to use Skin So Soft when I worked in the wilds of Northern Ontario. It needed to be put on quite thickly to work, and then the blackflies basically drowned. Deet worked better but makes you ralph with the smell after a while. I am going to Aberdeen for some road cycling soon. Deet it will be. Is it toxic? Less so than Lyme disease.

Midges don't carry Lyme Disease. That's ticks. Smidge is the product of choice here in the Highlands and Islands.

Midges are a common and extraordinarily healthy food source. Eating them is also FAR better for the environment that cattle or other farm animals due to CO2 from flatulence. We all need to make sacrifices.

Kunga cakes are just one example: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19325952-600-the-word-edible-insects/

Here is a link explaining the importance of midges to Scottish culture. The two are inexplicably linked:
https://www.scottish-at-heart.com/midges-in-scotland.html