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The Highland midge is only one of at least 34 species of biting midge (Culicoides) known in Scotland, but it is the most notorious. Culicoides impunctatus becomes extremely numerous in the glens and lower hillsides, particularly in the west of Scotland between mid-June and late August. Only the female midges bite as they search for fresh blood as a food source for their eggs, laid in autumn to over-winter as larvae, then to a pupa stage in spring to emerge as adult insects the following summer.

The individual bites are not dangerous or infectious; they begin to itch as a result of the body’s natural histamine response although some individuals can react badly through over-response. It is the sheer number of insects that can become unpleasant if the midges are swarming, usually on cloudy still mornings or evenings. Strong sunlight or a little wind is enough to keep the midges at bay.

Much more on the midge can be found in the short but informative book ‘Midges in Scotland’ by George Hendry (Aberdeen University Press 1989).