Far North Midges in May — Risk, Peak Times, Kit
Background pressure only. Head net optional. Cape Wrath, Sandwood, the Flow Country. Colder than the rest of the Highlands and breezier on the north coast, but the inland blanket bog is some of the worst midge country in Scotland on still warm days.
Current risk
Far North in May: Low. Background pressure only. Head net optional.
When they bite
Peak biting windows are dawn 6–8am and dusk 5–7pm. First proper warmth in the Flow Country and inland Sutherland by mid-month. First hatches typically in the second half from the warm sheltered bog flats around Altnaharra and Forsinard. Coast remains cool and breezy.
What to wear
- Smidge repellent (75ml)
- Light-coloured long-sleeve baselayer — midges have a strong preference for dark clothing.
Tactical notes
May is the transition month in the Far North, but the transition runs about a fortnight later than in Lochaber or the south-west Highlands. The first half of May is still effectively midge-free everywhere — coast and interior. Only in the last week does the first emergence appear, and only in the warmest sheltered spots in the Flow Country and the inland glen floors. The high ground, the coast and the Black Isle remain unaffected.
This is the last clean window before the summer game changes. The full [Sutherland Trail](/long-distance/sutherland-trail) — Lochinver to Tongue, 112km across some of the most remote terrain in mainland Britain — is at its best in late May: ground drying out, daylight already over 17 hours by month-end, and midge pressure still negligible. Same is true of the [Cape Wrath Trail](/long-distance/cape-wrath-trail) — the final days from Inchnadamph through Foinaven country to Sandwood Bay are tough enough without insect pressure on top, and May still spares walkers most of the tax.
The Munros remain in shoulder condition. [Ben Hope](/hillwalking/munros/ben-hope) and [Ben Klibreck](/hillwalking/munros/ben-klibreck-meall-nan-con) are both quick clear-weather day-walks in late May with snow patches still on the north-facing slopes. [Conival](/hillwalking/munros/conival) and [Ben More Assynt](/hillwalking/munros/ben-more-assynt) from Inchnadamph give two Munros in a long day with the first proper bog drying. Coast remains essentially midge-free all month — [Sandwood Bay](/wild-swimming/sandwood-bay), the headlands at Stoer, the Pentland Firth coastline at Dunnet Head — all clean. Carry a 75ml Smidge for the late-month inland evenings; head net mostly stays in the pack.