Are these pesky insects still active in September? Going to Lochinver, Scourie and Durness. Any comments on these villages?

We often visit the Highlands in September.
There might well be the odd midge around but nothing like the clouds of the beasties that you get in August.
I usually get a few bites even at that time of year but to a midge, my blood is like vintage champagne. They ignore my husband but when they catch my scent, they yell "DINNER!"

MissPrism, I do share your pain!
Insect repellants are my friend. I buy the wipes so I can carry them in my purse.
Roger, I only know about the Scourie Hotel, where I spent a night when my father took me with him on a fishing trip. I seem to remember being cold and wanting to go home. My father was quite happy though.

Roger, the places you're talking about are too windy for the midges to land in September.

All lovely places, and not to be missed.

MissPrism how I symphathise with you - they think my blood is vintage champagne also.

I have never been to he Highlands at that time of year but I do go walking in the Mournes in N. Ire. and think it would be similiar. I have learnt from many bad experiences to always, (no matter what time of year) to apply insect repellant before I go. Enjoy tour trip

Oh right -- I almost forgot about those pesky little things. How are they on Mull, Iona, Skye, Harris & Ullapool in July & early August? And where do you get insect repellant wipes? I've only ever seen the lotions & sprays.

We encountered some midges on Skye in July, only in a few places but not fun to meet.

On the train from Kyle to Inverness, we stopped at a small station and a young backpacker ran up to the train to hop on, he was wearing a very wierd screened hood contraption that covered his entire head and shoulders - I guess the midges thought he tasted pretty good, too.

They're not good in any of the places you mentioned in July or August.

The talk of the steamie round here is that Avon's "Skin so Soft" works as a repellent. Worth a shot, I think.

I can't speak authoritatively about midges, but I can tell you that Skin So Soft works *moderately* well to repel insects. It does not, in my experience, work well when really voracious critters are involved (i.e. biting green-head flies at the New Jersey seashore).

Hmmm...I wonder if one of those screen hood contraptions would fit well in my pack -- if there's a mosquito within a 10-mile radius it will usually find me! Don't know how attractive I am to midges yet. I've heard about Skin-so-Soft too and that it's effective with some insects and not others. I guess I'll be trying out repellants on the road this summer. I do like the sound of the wipes you can keep in your purse, if they work well (less heavy than tubes & cans).

My first encounter with midges was on the Isle of Skye, after having been in Scotland for four days (Perth, Inverness, Eilan Donan). They were at their worst at sundown, as I recall, and their bites do hurt. They are as small as gnats, so get into clothing easily.

Off works

I had to google "midge"... a cousin of a mosquito but not quite a "noseeum" that we have in the US... interesting.

"Bug Bafflers" (those weird screened garments mentioned above) are made where I live in NH.

The website is:

http://www.bugbaffler.com/

And, yes, they work really well. I'm scared to death of wasps, hornets, et al, so wear one in the summer when out in the yard, etc. They work equally well during our "noseeum" season and our mosquito season.

They're very lightweight, pack down to almost nothing, and don't inhibit your vision or mobility.

(No, I don't sell them, or make anything from the sales, but I'm a VERY satisfied customer.)

Gayle

FWIW, last year saw the introcution of Midge Eaters- big things like patio heaters which give off carbon dioxide, which attracts them, then they sook them into their innards and gobble them all up.

Fantastic for hotels and the like for thos early evening outdoor bits.

Thanks, leonberger, for the website where I can get a Bug Baffler (great name!). I think I'll add it to my ever-growing list of things to buy and pack for the trip, along with some spray or lotion (I may need a sherpa by the time I'm through...ha,ha). I don't care if I look like a dork, as long as I don't go home looking like swarms of midges used me for target practice.

Sheila -- the midge-eater contraption sounds like the mosquito zappers that are in all our household gadget catalogs here in the states.

You're very welcome - I think you'll like the Bug Bafflers!

Gayle