What’s the best midge repellent for Scotland and the UK in 2024? Which is the best midge net for Scotland? We also share how to prevent midge bites and how to stop midge bites itching. Don’t let the midges in Scotland stop you from enjoying the Scottish Highlands and Islands. We share the dates of midge season in Scotland, the best time to visit to avoid midges and how to keep midges away when sitting outside. Last year was particularly bad for midges in Scotland and it became quite hard to get hold of some popular midge repellents. Make sure you stock up on Scottish midge repellent early for 2024.
We’ve found the best midge repellent for Scotland & the UK is Smidge insect repellent which was actually developed in Scotland. Smidge say it’s scientifically proven to provide instant, sweat-proof protection for up to 8 hours against all biting insects including ticks. This Scottish midge repellent is also available from eBay and in a handy pocket version from eBay or Amazon. Scroll down for our Smidge review.
You should also take precautions against ticks because of the risk of Lyme disease. We sometimes use Incognito insect repellent which we also spray onto our clothes to help protect against ticks.
Another popular anti-midge spray is Avon Skin So Soft Original Dry Oil Body Spray (also available in a pack of 3). We don’t believe you to use DEET, but if you prefer a DEET insect repellent, you could try Jungle Formula Insect Repellent Spray Pump.
We give you more insect repellent suggestions below and the great thing is that they might also work on mosquitoes, horse flies, ticks, sandflies, gnats and more. Read on to find out what is the best thing to keep midges away in Scotland.
If you want an insect repellent candle, these all have good reviews on Amazon – The Wee Midgie Lavender and Bog Myrtle Candle Tin for Midges & Mozzies, La Jolie Muse Citronella Candle comes in a pretty tin, there’s the La Bellefee Citronella Candles Set or this set of 12 in small metal buckets.
Midges are repelled by:
We prefer to use insect repellents which don’t contain DEET or DMP. Although DEET and DMP are more effective than non-DEET or natural insect repellents, they are capable of melting some plastics (such as credit cards, glasses and synthetic clothing) and that isn’t really something we want to put our skin. As non-DEET insect repellents seem to work fine for midges, we don’t find DEET repellents necessary.
Carrying a midge head net, also known as a midge hood, is a great idea. For us, the best midge head nets are Smidge head nets which we wear over our trusty Tilley hats.
If you haven’t got a hat then this clever design combines a hat with a midge net to hold the net away from your face and is popular on Amazon.
Everyone should invest in one of these as they will prevent midge bites to your face and neck. And for some reason, midges seem to love getting into your eyes which is pretty unpleasant so a midge hood will save you from that experience too. I always carry my midge hood in my rucksack and wear it over my hat. They are cheap, and so useful, even if you look a bit of an idiot. Being small they take up very little room in your rucksack or you can pop it in your pocket. They usually come in their own little pouch so you can easily clip it onto your bag, coat or belt with a carabiner. As they’re made of fine mesh, they weigh very little so you won’t even notice you’re carrying one.
Midge hoods can be bought in local shops in Scotland or you can buy them online from:
Top tip: When buying a midge hood or midge head net, check that the mesh or netting is specifically for midges so it’s fine enough to stop the wee beasties. Some mosquito nets have holes that are too big to stop midges.
We’ve been using Smidge insect repellent for about 6 years and find it to be very effective against the wee beasties.
The active ingredient is Picaridin (also known as Saltidin). The WHO, Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England recommend Picaridin for effective protection against biting insects. It was developed as a safer alternative to DEET and smells and feels much more pleasant than any DEET products I’ve tried.
Apply Smidge before you get attacked and it should stop the midgies biting. It has such a lovely fragrance that I’d even wear it as a perfume! But any midges or insects that land on you will think you taste disgusting.
Smidge comes in a pump spray and is like a moisturising milk or lotion which you apply to your skin.
More info and to buy
Avon Skin So Soft is not advertised as a midge repellent but it’s well-reported that it offers effective midge protection in Scotland. The Royal Marines are said to use it when they’re in the Highlands. If you want to see if this is your best midge repellent for Scotland and have lovely soft skin, you can buy it from Amazon and other online retailers.
This is another of our favourites to keep midges away. This “USDA Certified Organic – All Natural Mosquito Repellent” comes in a small metal tin so can easily fit in a pocket or small bag. As you’d expect with a balm, a little goes a long way so it lasts for ages and is another great-smelling natural product.
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We haven’t tried Lifesystems Natural 30+ Insect Repellent Spray but I like that it’s another natural insect repellent.
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Lifesystems also have a product formulated especially for midges which contains myrtle extract and DEET.
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I first bought this from a little natural health shop in Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. This was the first natural insect repellent I ever bought and I was really pleased with the results. As I mentioned before, it did repel them but didn’t seem to work all the time so I ended up trying some other things too. I do think it’s worth trying though and there are some good reviews.
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Incognito have a wide range of insect repellent products including suncream, body wash, lotion, roll-ons and incense sticks.
Buy from
We suggest trying some of the non-DEET products above as you’ll probably find something that works for you. If it has to be DEET, products containing DEET on Amazon include:
If you want to know when is the best time to visit Scotland to avoid midges, you need to find out when is the midge season in Scotland.
Adult midges in Scotland generally start to come out in April and are active on the wing until October. There are often two peaks in emergence which are the worst months for midges in Scotland so these are the best times to avoid – one in late May/early June and the second in late July/early August. It is dependent on the temperature so could start a bit earlier or end slightly later. By early autumn midge numbers start to decrease, which is why September and October are good times to visit Scotland.
In saying that we’ve been on holiday in the Scottish Highlands and Islands during these peak midge times and it hasn’t stopped us going back year after year.
How do you beat the midges in Scotland? The best way to avoid midge bites is use a repellent, wear clothes to cover exposed skin, recognise the conditions when midges are likely to be most active and avoid going out in them.
Midges have short mouth parts so can’t bite through material although they will crawl under clothes. Wear long-sleeved tops and full-length trousers.
Our favourite is Smidge (Amazon) and we believe this is the best midge repellent for Scotland and the UK.
We use Smidge head nets.
Still summer mornings and evenings are the worst times to get attacked so stay indoors if you can. Be aware that midges will enter your house so you’ll need to keep windows and doors shut too. And midges can be around at any time of day so be prepared.
Midges stop flying in wind speeds greater than about 6mph. They also don’t like hot, sunny, dry weather and the cold, winter months.
If you encounter midges, run ahead of them and you should be able to get away from them as they aren’t fast fliers.
Avoiding dark colours may attract fewer midges as, like goths, midges seem to prefer dark colours. Pale colours make it harder for midges to see you.
Wet, marshy ground is a favourite haunt for midges to try to keep away from these areas or at least keep up-wind of them.
Midges are less common above 700m so a midgey day is the perfect time for a walk in the hills or mountains.
Strong scents can attract midges so try to choose neutral scents for your personal care products (eg deodorant, shampoo, soap, perfume, shower gel, etc.) As I said before, Smidge does smell like a perfume so this can solve the problem of avoiding midge bites whilst still smelling fresh and fragrant.
Avoid hanging around in long vegetation as swarms of Scottish midges could be waiting for their next meal. Long vegetation is also a favourite with ticks. Walk that bit further to enjoy your break in peace on bare ground.
To stop a midge bite itching, try using a specific bite and sting relief product such as hydrocortisone cream, an antihistamine cream like Anthisam Bite and Sting or After Bite Insect Bite Remedy from Amazon.
There are a range of products to stop midge bites itching which are also effective for relief from other insect bites, such as horse flies and mosquitoes. Although I don’t normally react to midge bites, I do tend to have a bad reaction to mosquito bites and my must-have bite treatment is a bite click relief zapper (Amazon) which I find works really well at reducing swelling and itching. There’s also an electronic bite relief device which has received good reviews on Amazon.
to stop midge bites itchingTo stop midge bites being itchy, you could also try herbal and plant remedies such as:
Midges can be a serious nuisance. The worst places for midges in Scotland are the areas where you’ll find their preferred habitats such as wet, boggy, sheltered areas. These places include the north and west coast of Scotland and in the Highlands like Fort William, Glen Coe and the Great Glen. Generally, the east coast tends to be more midge-free.
Midges (also called gnats) are tiny flying insects and the Highland midge (Culicoides Impunctatus) is the one that causes issues, particularly in Western Scotland and the Highlands.
It is only the female midge that bites. When female midges emerge they have built up enough fat reserves as a larva to lay their first batch of eggs. To mature more batches of eggs than this initial batch, the female midge needs a blood meal.
Male Highland midges are vegetarian and eat plant nectar so won’t bother you.
If you’re being bitten by midges, then your friends and family probably are too. Why not help them out by sharing this post with them using the simple share buttons?
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. Please make sure you read our post about Lyme disease too.
Read: What is Lyme disease & how to avoid tick bites in humans
Don’t worry too much about the midges in Scotland and don’t let them put you off visiting this beautiful country. Midge bites don’t irritate me as much as mosquito or cleg (horse fly) bites and as midges don’t transmit disease to humans, I’m more relaxed about midges. We generally find it’s too windy for midgies most of the time anyway! When you go out and it isn’t that windy, carry a couple of different insect repellents including Smidge and a midge hood and hopefully, you should be fine.
What are your best products for repelling midges in Scotland? What’s your advice for avoiding midge bites? Please post in the comments below.
Note that all items reviewed on this page are the opinion of Holiday Scottish Highlands and Islands and your experience may be different.
Updated: 07 April 2024
If you get bitten by a midge or a gnat they sometimes look similar to mosquito bites. According to the NHS website, they usually cause small, red lumps that can be painful and very itchy. They can sometimes swell up alarmingly and some people may also develop fluid-filled blisters. On my skin, I find that the bites appear as a small red mark.
Normally, you don’t actually feel a midge biting you. You will probably only notice you’ve bitten some time later. Many people don’t have a reaction to midge bites but you may find that midge bites itch. Try not to scratch the bites and take a look at our advice on how to stop midge bites itching.
Midge bites aren’t usually a serious problem but they can be irritating as they cause swelling and painful itching. Midges are carriers of arboviruses (viral infections transmitted to humans from a group of insects). Research by the University of Glasgow in September 2019 stated that midges “aren’t currently a public health concern in Scotland”.
The early autumn and early spring (October, November, December, January, February and March) are normally midge-free months in Scotland because it’s too cold for them.
Midges can’t bite through clothes as they only have short mouth parts. They will attack exposed body parts such as hands, arms, legs (if wearing shorts) and the head. Wear long-sleeved tops and trousers to help avoid midge bites. A midge net is also a good idea.
Midges are not the same as mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are sometimes confused with midges but mosquitoes are much larger insects. You may come across mosquitoes in Scotland but there aren’t as many as the midges.
There’s no scientific evidence that eating Marmite will keep midges away. Some people swear that it’s an effective midge repellent so if you’re a Marmite fan, you could give it a go. Get some insect repellent as a back-up though.
Midges don’t hate light-coloured clothing but pale colours can make you a less obvious target to midges. Midges prefer dark colours as they detect contrasts in colours such as dark objects on a light background.