1x 150ml SKIN so SOFT ® AVON Dry Oil Body Spray ORIGINAL® +jojoba insect repellent

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There are an estimated 181 trillion midges in Scotland and for every square metre of ground in the Highlands there could be 250,000 eggs waiting to hatch and go on the hunt for their next meal of tasty human blood. It’s also the cheapest of the bunch, has a manual pump dispenser, and it’s infused with natural oils so it’s virtually free of chemicals. If you’re ahead of the game and already have some Avon products, then great! All you need to do is keep applying it like you are already, keeping your skin safe while free from itches. If you don’t have any Avon, their products are relatively cheap and easy to find, so what are you waiting for? Get going and keep those pesky mosquitoes away! We haven’t tried Lifesystems Natural 30+ Insect Repellent Spray but I like that it’s another natural midge repellent.

Still, if you want to give midges the elbow this is one of the best products to buy and the fact it doesn’t use DEET or indeed any nasty chemicals is a massive bonus. The best method to stop being bitten in the Highlands is to use a repellent and to recognise the conditions when midges are likely to be most active and avoid going out in them. There are nearly 40 species of biting midge in Scotland but only five of these are thought to regularly feed on people. Of these, the Highland midge, Culicoides impunctatus, is the most bloodthirsty, and the species responsible for most of the bites of people. To deter midges from the ‘get-go’, it is a good idea to set yourself up with some midge repellent. Anything to discourage the attention of the midge is definitely worth a try. For hundreds of years, people have been trying to find ways to get rid of them and, whilst it is clear we can't do that, we have found ways to keep them at bay. Here are a couple of tips for you.

The herbal component of this spray is Citriodol which is a 100% plant-based product that is biodegradable, and to date there is no known accumulation of Citriodol in any public waterways. These are really effective and suit outdoor eating scenarios, picnics and BBQs, although BBQ smoke does a good job of keeping the midges away too. Midges dislike the smell of the candles, so burn a couple at a time to double your chances of keeping them away. What time of year do midges come out in Scotland? Having the right stalking clothing to help keep midges away is a good place to start, but you will still need something to deter them from making a meal out of any exposed flesh left on your body, such as your hands or head.

While it is not officially mentioned by Avon that this product, infused with natural oils and citronella aroma offers the best midge protection, it comes highly recommended by the Marines and the SAS.

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Avon Skin So Soft is a beauty product that has been recommended as a midge repellent for years, which I always thought was an old wives tale until I tried it myself.

My other half swears by it so I thought I’d give it a go last year and… it actually works. No matter if I sat outside in the evening or walked through the Highlands in the early morning, midges seemed to avoid me whenever I used Avon Skin So Soft.

Scotland’s infamous midges can bring misery to your holiday, especially if you’re not suitably prepared for them. Smidge comes in a pump spray and is like a moisturising milk or lotion which you apply to your skin. 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. Icaridin works similar to DEET, but its adoption is not as widespread. For example, Canada only allowed the use of icaridin in 2012, a long time after the United States and the United Kingdom did. What are your best products for repelling midges in Scotland? What’s your advice for avoiding midge bites? Please post in the comments below.

Midges target their victims by sensing carbon dioxide in exhaled breath and other odours associated with their targets. Bought this for a holiday , partly as I know Avon products are good quality and then as it was recommended by friends. It was. A very good dry oil moisturiser as well as a useful insect repellent. I normally get bitten by everything, but using this I had no insect bites at all. I agree with the reviewer who disliked the initial smell, but I found the scent vanished within a couple of minutes. During their peak population time of July-September, it can be very difficult to avoid swarms of midges ruining your stalking. Moreover, if you find yourself out in the field on a cloudy, warm day, wading through long damp undergrowth, it can be virtually impossible. Not only this, but midges are able to detect carbon dioxide from up to 200 metres away, so if you find yourself walking through the Highlands, moving from drive to drive on the first grouse shoot of the season or stalking stags, they will be able to sense your location and zoom in. Best protection against midgesFemale midges are only active in low light so the most active period tends to be the two hours before sunset