UKC

I am planning a climbing trip to Skye at the beginning of August with my two year old daughter. We plan to sleep in a tent. I am worried about midges. How bad do they really get?

In reply to JanPodgornik:
Best you know what all your blood groups are before you go, and check at the local hospital that they have good stocks

There are things though that will you get on Skye in the summer that WILL keep them at bay.
High winds and torrential rain!

In reply to JanPodgornik:

In August, they really do get bad, I'm afraid.

Invest in a couple of these:

http://www.xtreme-workwear.solutions/trellchem-evo-gas-tight-suit-encapsula...

Or hope that it's quite windy!

In reply to JanPodgornik:

Toddlers, of that age, can get really bad, I'm afraid. It isn't known as the terrible twos for nothing.

In reply to JanPodgornik:

May seem strange, but they've been having weans on Skye for generations

In reply to Clauso:


Before someone came up with the name it didn't exist! Sometimes kids are difficult nostly they're not but being eaten alive would make anyone terrible!

In reply to JanPodgornik:

When we took our two year olds to Scotland, we found their tender little skins were great for attracting midges and keeping them off us

In reply to JanPodgornik:

How bad can they get? They can drive you crazy within seconds.

Top tip for dealing with them when camping: do NOT leave your tent open at any time. If you need to get inside it, don't hang around attracting midges then try and get in - the best tactic is to jog across to the tent from a safe distance, and dive in.

I once had to rescue a lady and her young son from a frenzied midge attack inside their tent in Kinlochleven (they'd left the tent door open and gone to the pub for evening) - a liberal dousing in DEET followed by a swift jog to their car, where they spent the night.

In reply to JanPodgornik:

I've slept in tents on Skye when my two were toddlers. It depends where you're going, really. Camping at Portree, or Sigachan allows you to escape into a building. If you're in the wilds, avoid rivers and look for a good breeze.

On one occasion a hurricane kept them away, but snapped the tent poles. On another occasion torrential rain flooded everything, which helped, but caused other issues. Don't rely on just one type of midge repellent. Get some sort of netting cover as well, (I saw a full net suit for a toddler on one site, which looked awesome).

http://www.purpleturtle.co.uk/acatalog/Head_Nets_and_Hats.html

In reply to JanPodgornik:

Buy head nets and mozzie coils. A burning coil in the door of a tent will keep it clear in all but the worst conditions.

If you have a breeze it will be ok, but they can be horrific.

In reply to JanPodgornik:

we took a toddler and a baby to skye and stayed at the bmc hut in Glen brittle it's midge proof and amazing value.

There was 6 of us in all so we got a room for the team.

good playpark at sligachen and the Glen brittle beech is lovely also paddle at fairy pools.

camping could be unbearable. weirdly one of my kids seems almost immune and with the other you could play join the dots. ...

In reply to alasdair19:

If using the Glen Brittle hut, beware of one of the wardens who it a complete dragon, and might try to tell you that kids aren't allowed in the hut. This is complete nonsense, kids are welcome (maybe just not by that particular person).

BTW MCofS are aware of her, so should you be unfortunate enough to show up when she is on duty, be sure to stand your ground.

In reply to Sealwife:
Think I've met her. Hut warden opportunities do attract some odd sorts don't they!

Edit spelling

In reply to JanPodgornik:

I've lost count of the number of times we abandoned family camping holidays in Scotland and fled for the midge-free haven of home, when I was a child. They really can ruin your holiday. and several books have been wrtten about the effect of the midge on the Scottish economy.

In reply to JanPodgornik:

We camped last and this year on Skye with the kids. Our youngest was just under two and three respectively. The timing was quite different to yours though as both times it was during the half term in May/June. Our daughter who is the youngest seemed to be rather immune to them while others noticed them more. Both times we've stayed in the same campsite (Ashaig) and this year we pitched in a breezier place (not near the trees, or the overgrown field, etc) which is probably the best prevention. Most evenings we had campfire and the smoke helps. Last year we used the midge hats/nets and Smidge as there were plenty of them but hardly used them this time as they seemed to be much less possibly due to late spring (?) and the breezier pitch. I think its doable if you know what to expect, choose your pitch, are disciplined keeping the tent door closed, have nets, etc.

In reply to JanPodgornik:
Unless it rains a gale it will be miserable with a toddler.

The Skye midges are the 4 engined variety with more biting armament than a Flying Fortress!

In reply to Trangia:

If I ran a campsite in Scotland I would seriously consider having a couple of midge magnets around the site; apparently in the long term they do make a difference. This would add some value to the site, surely?

In reply to Rigid Raider:

I always wondered whether "midge magnets" actually attract MORE of the things than would have been there in the first place!

Mind you, it's pretty impressive/mind-boggling when you look at the vast piles of dead bodies that accumulate inside them.

In reply to JanPodgornik:

We did a little trip round various parts of NW Scotland a few weeks ago and found lots of sites advertising midge busters. A bit of googling suggests that they are real and that the do actually work, but we didn't experience one in action.

May and June are often OK. June is transitional depending on the year. Normally by mid June it's misery in the valleys, but can be better up high.

Specifically to the OP: they can destroy a holiday, making every activity into a hideous dash between enclosed spaces which must be kept sealed up at all opportunities. It's bad enough if you're staying in a building, but it really steals all of the good stuff from a camping holiday.

I'm not sure where you're travelling from, but it could be a better bet to drive to the Alps or Pyrenees. Plenty of nice places to stay and no midgies. A visit to NW Scotland in late May would be a terrific family trip for next year.