Midge forecasting
Published on 6th September 2006 
Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesWhile midges are famed for being a right nuisance to walkers in Scotland, they also exist in Ireland as well. That makes recall an incident when one character paid a price by the shores of Lough Gur in County Limerick for wearing a short-sleeved shirt on a summer's evening; bare arms can attract unwanted attention. The language used was not in keeping with the tone of this place, so let us just say that the word borstals comes to mind.
Nevertheless, the Scottish counterparts have a reputation of legendary proportions. It is little wonder that some avoid the months of June, July and August because of them. Then, wild camping becomes a challenge because of them; it is one of the reasons why the TGO Challenge is held in May.
Picking the right weather will help too; breezy conditions are better than muggy, humid ones. Otherwise, the wearing of nets over one's head and keeping moving become necessary actions; waiting for a rural bus to get you to your accommodation is incompatible with remaining unattended by clouds of the beasties.
There have been times when I have been irritated by them, yet I reckon that others suffer more (my brother may be among those; he certainly has spoken of them in that way), some so much so that they are put off Scotland for life. The Scottish Midge Forecast then is a useful tool in the armoury of many an outdoors enthusiast, particularly given the grandeur and renown of Scotland's hill country.
Originally, the forecast was developed by scientists at the University of Edinburgh and uses a combination of weather forecasting and midge traps to inform visitors of the pest level of these blighters so that any discomfort can be avoided or, more likely, curtailed. These days, you will find the thing under the custodianship of Smidge, a manufacturer of insect repellent; it takes no stretch of the imagination to work out how such an association came to be, even if the existence of the service makes you wonder if it is a hazard to their profitability.
