The midgies are back :(

[Toddy]

I wouldn't go anywhere midgies were en masse without my Beaton's Jacket.
It has a mesh fine enough to stop the blighters

It's worth every penny.

Beatons Midge jacket | Beaton's Midge Jackets

www.midgejacket.co.uk

 

[grip]

I was telling my old aunt about being bitten by midgies and she said to put a dab of vinegar on the bites.
Not tried it yet, what do you think of that?

 

[Toddy]

Got to be worth a try...though that said, I don't usually carry vinegar when out and about. If it works though, one of those wee handbag sized perfume spray things might do the job.

 

[greg.g]

The little blighters seem pretty vicious round here at the moment.
Nordic summer keeps them at bay a bit.

 

[Limey Pete]

I read midges is what kept Scotland uninhabited for many years.
And then they invented midge eaters,
I was sleeping out at Tyndrum once and in the morning a cloud of them hovered overhead.
I lit sheets of newspaper one after another and incinerated them.
Suddenly they gave up and flew off. No midges messes with me and my newspaper. lol.

 

[arthem]

Well fellas, just got back from a trip in Wales by the river Dovey.
Midges were not too bad at all but the was an enormous amount of horseflies which the smidge worked well against. The few members in our group that werent using smidge did get bit unfortunately

 

[Limey Pete]

Well fellas, just got back from a trip in Wales by the river Dovey.
Midges were not too bad at all but the was an enormous amount of horseflies which the smidge worked well against. The few members in our group that werent using smidge did get bit unfortunately

My sympathies arthem.
This is one reason I prefer to be out when frost is on the ground.
Ice and snow keeps the countryside deserted. That is when I am out and thriving.

 

[TeeDee]

I'm planning to do the North Coast 500 in the 1st 2 weeks of October. Do you reckon midges will still be a problem then? I was considering taking a tarp and bivvy bag to save space as I'll be traveling by motorcycle, good idea or bad idea?

Bump

Just wondering if you did the NorthCoast 500? Or if others have - been eying it up recently and tempted.

Beautiful scenery.

 

[Broch]

Bump

Just wondering if you did the NorthCoast 500? Or if others have - been eying it up recently and tempted.

Beautiful scenery.

We did it last year as part of our UK coast trek; I wasn't looking forward to it. In June it was still pretty busy with Dutch and German camper vans but we managed to keep away from the hoards a lot of the time because we hug the coast as closely as roads/tracks allow. We did come across a few idiots with vehicles too big for the road and a total inability to reverse

I preferred the area before the NC500 - but that's just me being selfish.

 

[TeeDee]

We did it last year as part of our UK coast trek; I wasn't looking forward to it. In June it was still pretty busy with Dutch and German camper vans but we managed to keep away from the hoards a lot of the time because we hug the coast as closely as roads/tracks allow. We did come across a few idiots with vehicles too big for the road and a total inability to reverse

I preferred the area before the NC500 - but that's just me being selfish.

That busy ?? Hmmm - Not sure if that appeals. But minor inconvenience I guess for the beauty.

There is also the North East 250 - https://www.northeast250.com/

 

[Broch]

Oh, it's still worth doing but the numbers are beginning to annoy the locals (if they're not in the tourist trade). Yeh, we did the coastal section of NE250 in 2023 (we've been doing the coast anti-clockwise starting at Ynyslas). Times have changed and the Scottish coast is as beautiful as ever but the number of tourists takes the edge of what it was. For the first time ever we were stuck in a traffic jam on the Isle of Skye from the moment we crossed the bridge all the way to Broadford .

 

[Bhod]

We did the NC500 years ago before it got 'fashionable", we spent the whole week chasing a 50p sized patch of blue sky on the horizon... It rained, rained, rained some more and yup rained, at least it kept the midges away.

 

[Wushuplayer]

Hey, yes I did do it in the end. Although I would say I loosely did it. I would say it is the most beautiful part of the world I have been to so far, the weather wasn't so much cold but wet. Was pretty brutal at times on the motorcycle. Although I was grateful I was able ride some amazing twisty roads and get passed lots of campervans! Did a mixture of wild camping, airbnbs and hostels. I would definitely go back.

The Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland is also worth looking at, which is less busy and also very beautiful