Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Midges in February — Risk, Peak Times, Kit
Effectively no midges. Plan freely. The first proper midge country going north from Glasgow. Loch Lomondside, the Trossachs lochs and the Arrochar Alps all hold strong populations. The east shore at evening in July is a textbook case of why head nets exist.
Current risk
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs in February: None. Effectively no midges. Plan freely.
When they bite
Out of season — no significant biting activity in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs this month. Often the coldest month of the year on the Arrochar Alps and the Crianlarich tops. Snow lie substantial down to about 400m. Adult midge population fully dormant.
What to wear
No specific kit needed for midges in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs this month. Build the kit list around weather, daylight and route choice.
Tactical notes
February in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is the prime month for winter conditions on the higher hills. The Arrochar Alps catch the prevailing Atlantic systems first and routinely sit under cloud all day, while the Crianlarich Munros north of the loch get the kind of high winter cover that turns them into proper Scottish winter days. The midge population remains in winter dormancy; the planning consideration is weather, daylight and snow conditions.
This is the best month for [The Cobbler (Ben Arthur)](/hillwalking/corbetts/the-cobbler) in full winter — the most-photographed Corbett in Scotland with the three pinnacled summits dusted in snow against Loch Long. The standard summer scrambling route to the centre summit becomes a serious mountaineering proposition. [Beinn Ime](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-ime), [Beinn Narnain](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-narnain), [Ben Vane](/hillwalking/munros/ben-vane) and [Ben Vorlich](/hillwalking/munros/ben-vorlich-arrochar-trossachs) give a cluster of serious winter Arrochar Alps Munros reachable by train.
The Crianlarich group works as a multi-day winter visit using the village as a base. [Ben More](/hillwalking/munros/ben-more-arrochar-trossachs) (the southern-Highland Ben More, 1173m and the highest in the southern Highlands) and [Stob Binnein](/hillwalking/munros/stob-binnein) give the classic Crianlarich winter pair. [Ben Lui](/hillwalking/munros/ben-lui-beinn-laoigh) with its summit cone visible from the West Highland Line is one of the finest mid-winter Munros in Scotland. [Ben Lomond](/hillwalking/munros/ben-lomond) from Rowardennan with the lochside views in February conditions is the most-photographed winter walk in Scotland. The Trossachs viewpoint hills — [Ben Venue](/hillwalking/grahams/ben-venue) and Ben A'an — give shorter day-trip options accessible by car from Glasgow. No insect activity anywhere.