In a severely midge infested area, clouds of the insects can make it difficult to see, regardless of whether or not you actually get bitten!

If those conditions occur best to put on midge mask long sleeved jacket, thick trousers and even gloves. The efficacy of such folk remedies, however, is unproven, and their reported success rates seem to vary considerably – depending on who you talk to. It is worth mentioning that however annoying these pesky Scottish midges can be, they are not such a serious threat to your health as ticks which can give you Lyme disease.Once they have a whiff of our tasty CO2 emissions, they hone in on our body heat, movement and of course, exposed fleshy bits. My husband and I are flying to Edinburgh in early June and will be staying a few days before we get our rental car and drive across the Highlands and also visit Skye (5-night road trip). After a midge has had its fill, we can be left with itchy and irritating little bumps on our skin, which can redden in colour.

But, if you’re itching, there are plenty of sting relief products on the market – which also work for mosquito bites. The best method to stop being bitten in the Highlands is to use a repellent and to recognise the conditions when midges are likely to be most active and avoid going out in them. The midge then excretes saliva into the wound, which keeps the blood from coagulating, creating a pool of blood upon which to feed. While midges get human blood when they can, the majority of the blood they feed on comes from cattle, sheep and deer, so they can often be found in largest number close to locations where such creatures can be found.Some say that taking garlic capsules can help reduce your attractiveness to midges, while others swear that taking vitamin B capsules (or eating lots or Marmite) do the trick. Cover exposed skin – midges have short mouth parts so can’t bite through material although they will crawl under clothes.