Dealing with the midges

I have a bucket-list trip booked to the West Highlands for roebucks in the rut coming ever closer. I’ve never been in that part of the country before and, goaded by my friends with tales of terror, I’m getting really worried about midges — I tend to be very sensitive to insect bites. Any advice on the steps I could or should take would be very welcome.

The dreaded midges, billions of them, can certainly make for some very uncomfortable days and reactions from people. I once had a guest who was accompanied by his wife. No doubt the midges were bad, but I was a bit taken aback when the woman jumped into a loch as a means of escape.

Remember that not every summer day is disrupted by them. They certainly don’t like wind and they are generally averse to hot weather. There is a huge number of proprietary antimidge products on the market that you can apply, although the consequences for expensive gun stocks and plastics can be troublesome, so it is best to try before you apply.

Mesh coverings, particularly head nets, are a good way forward, with the proviso that they do tend to obscure vision. If you are sensitive to bites, two things that I would suggest are a good pair of thin gloves, as hands are often targeted, and some antihistamine tablets or creams to deal with the after-effects of bites.

Having lived in the north-west for years, I tend to be much more wary of a small, black fly with white hoops on its abdomen. Any bite from that has meant heading to A&E for treatment. The bottom line is to cover up well and don’t sit still for too long. IW

A midge net and thin gloves are good options for stalkers looking to thwart the swarms