Midges!

[kebabking]

we want to camp somewhere within two hours (ish) of Glasgow this W/E.

any ideas where the little ba*tards are hunting at the mo, and where ain't they?

cheers.

 

[geminisnake]

I know pogofish was in Ullapool recently and they were really bad there though that's considerably north of Glasgow. He'd be the best person to ask tbh.

My way of avoiding midges is mostly to avoid anything west of Stirling

 

[pogofish]

Bad enough, but I've seen much worse.

TBH, the hot dry months of June & July this year have taken their toll on the midgies breeding cycle & a big drop in numbers is being recorded all over the West of Scotland just now.

Simplest way to avoid/minimise them is to camp somewhere with a bit of height, near the sea, or with a breeze & that is not beside any peatbog or other wetland. Also, get yourself undercover/into the pub around dusk for a couple of hours when they are most active. Use DEET as a repellent & chain-smoke. You will be just fine!

Arrochar & the Cowal peninsula or some of the Clyde islands would probably be much less midgie infested than say Argyll.

BTW, midgies are a lot closer to you than Stirling GS. Last year we were even been finding them at @2000ft on Deeside!

 

[forked brain]

DO NOT CAMP AT LOCH LOMOND I camped at Milarrochy on the east side of the loch and got bitten to fuck, unlike my daughter who the midges hate Camp where there's a breeze, preferrably close to the sea, NOT beside a loch, with trees and where it's damp. Pogo's going to hate me for this, but the campsite at Gallanach, west of Oban is good, on high ground and overlooking Kerrera, good breezes as well

 

[pogofish]

Pogo's going to hate me for this, but the campsite at Gallanach, west of Oban is good, on high ground and overlooking Kerrera, good breezes as well

I've camped there & yes, the front part of the site (small hill in the middle) & particularly the upper terraces are excellent. You also get a cracking view of the ferry heading down the sound at dawn if you are an early riser.

The back part of the site is a very different matter tho & that is where they tend to put the tents at peak times. The "nature area" on one side is a perfect midgie-factory, trees growing out of semi-wetland & a small hill shelters the area completely from sea breezes. Sheer midgie hell on earth!

 

[wiskey]

you need some Wepons of Midge Destruction

 

[forked brain]

The back part of the site is a very different matter tho & that is where they tend to put the tents at peak times. The "nature area" on one side is a perfect midgie-factory, trees growing out of semi-wetland & a small hill shelters the area completely from sea breezes. Sheer midgie hell on earth!

Agree with all that dude, I'd NEVER camp there, but the higher ground against the back fence, and up from a tree with a kids swing on it is excellent. If I couldn't get my pitch around that area, I'd take the Ganavan road on the other side of town and camp right beside the sea

 

[pogofish]

Ganavan is no more. Went all chalet a couple of years back.

Oban Divers at Glencruitten is the only other site. Not quite as bad for midgies but a much better site overall

 

[forked brain]

Ganavan is no more. Went all chalet a couple of years back.

Oban Divers at Glencruitten is the only other site. Not quite as bad for midgies but a much better site overall

The actual Ganavan site went quite a while back, but there's always people camping beside the sea just a bit further past Dunollie castle, with stunning views across to Morvern, Lismore and Mull

 

[pogofish]

Ahh. Last time I went round there, there were plenty of signs about that made it look like wild camping was seriously unwelcome.