Hire a campervan to beat the midge this summer

Cosy campervaning!

Pic By Angus Clyne

There was cheer a while ago when it was predicted that the harsh Scottish winter may have killed off some of our nasty midges. But latest research reveals that the wee beasties may be hardier than experts thought. Midge counts, undertaken by the Midge Forecast (real scientists from Edinburgh Uni!), in the Scottish Highlands show numbers are up on last year.

Sadly it's estimated that the midge causes £250 million of lost revenue in Scottish tourism each year, although anecdotally many tourists say they are not put off Scotland and would still come despite the midge because the country is so beautiful.

Part of the research of the scientists is to come up with a deterrent for the midge and certainly there are already a number of spray protectors on the market. Here at Big Tree Campervans we swear by Avon's Skin So Soft. We have it on sale to customers.

But the great thing about being on holiday in a campervan is that it is very easy to escape the midge at its most prevalent times. The wee beasties tend to come out at sun up and at dusk, and this is when you'll either be tucked up in bed inside your campervan or able to relax with a glass of wine/whisky inside the van and watch the sun go down.

A campervan allows holidaymakers to enjoy the best of the outdoors life in Scotland - but also offers a comfortable home-from-home in which to retreat. The Big Tree Campervans are spacious and provide more than enough room for a family to chill out in the evening.

A campervan also has the advantage of large windows (unlike a tent!) and so even when you're inside you are afforded great views of Scotland's gorgeous countryside. And if the midges ever get too bad, you simply pack up and drive off somewhere else. It's as simple as that!

Zap those midges with Skin So Soft

If it works for the British Royal Marine Commandos then it'll work for Scottish holidaymakers, too. Skin-So-Soft from Avon might not appear to be the likeliest of midge repellents but according to almost everyone who has tried it, this nice-smelling lotion really does do the trick. What it seems to do is make it more difficult physically for the midges to bite by putting an oily layer over the skin. Result!

Although reports reveal that there will be less of the Scottish midge this summer, due to a particularly cold winter, there will still be a few dozen of the wee beasties out and about so the key is to be prepared.

We recommend that you cover skin at times when the midge is most prolific, eg dawn and dusk, and if you're travelling by campervan you always have the luxury of being able to retreat indoors. But if you're still keen to be outdoors, perhaps enjoying a barbecue, then why not simply rub on some Skin So Soft?

With this in mind Big Tree Campervans are selling Skin So Soft as part of our campervan hire package this summer. We like to think of all the details so you can enjoy your big campervanning adventure to the full.