A wee bit of advice for any visitor to the Highlands and West Coast of Scotland, is to take suitable insect repellent/ clothing, as these wee beasties have a habit of appearing just when you least expect it and interrupt your plans.
Midges, pronounced Mijjee, The Scottish midge belongs to a family of midges known as Ceratopogonidae – biting midges. Other members of this family are known as ‘no see ums’ in North America
Clegs also known as Horseflies cause piercing burning sensations and can take a long time to heal, and may become infected.
One of my chapters in my first book was dedicated to the plagues of midges and clegs that caused the characters no end of problems. I have had plenty of similar experiences with these ‘black clouds’ on my travels around the country, and while they appear in the Lowlands, the numbers are greatest where the environment is long damp grass, boggy soil and generally wet – much like the preferred habitat of the mosquito. (and yes we have mosquitos in Scotland, but not the malaria-carrying type).
A useful website if you do plan a visit to Scotland is the Midge Forecast
