Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Midges in March — 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 March: None. Effectively no midges. Plan freely.
When they bite
Out of season — no significant biting activity in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs this month. Daylight extending past 12 hours by month-end. Snow lie retreating off the lower Trossachs hills but persisting on the Arrochar Alps and the Crianlarich tops. No adult midge activity.
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
March in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs is shoulder winter — the Arrochar Alps stay firmly in winter regime, the Trossachs viewpoint hills transition to spring conditions, and the West Highland Way starts to see its first northbound walkers. The midge population remains entirely dormant: this is the last reliably clean month before the May transition that starts the season.
This is the right window for the standard West Highland Way northbound start. The east-shore Loch Lomond section from [Drymen via Conic Hill to Rowardennan](/long-distance/west-highland-way) — the canonical July midge stretch with the Inversnaid bothy and Inversnaid lochside camping — is at its best in March: dry firm ground, no insect tax, manageable shoulder-spring weather windows. Same for the [Rob Roy Way](/long-distance/rob-roy-way) (Drymen to Pitlochry across the Trossachs), the [John Muir Way](/long-distance/john-muir-way) (Helensburgh to Dunbar passing the southern end of Loch Lomond), and the [Three Lochs Way](/long-distance/three-lochs-way) (Balloch to Inveruglas).
The Arrochar Alps remain serious in early March, transitioning to shoulder conditions by month-end. [The Cobbler](/hillwalking/corbetts/the-cobbler) and the Arrochar Munro cluster ([Beinn Ime](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-ime), [Beinn Narnain](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-narnain), [Ben Vane](/hillwalking/munros/ben-vane), [Ben Vorlich](/hillwalking/munros/ben-vorlich-arrochar-trossachs)) need winter judgement on the higher routes. The Crianlarich Munros [Ben More](/hillwalking/munros/ben-more-arrochar-trossachs) / [Stob Binnein](/hillwalking/munros/stob-binnein), [Cruach Ardrain](/hillwalking/munros/cruach-ardrain), [Ben Oss](/hillwalking/munros/ben-oss) and [Beinn Dubhchraig](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-dubhchraig) are reachable by train from Glasgow. The Trossachs viewpoint hills are at their family-friendly best: [Ben Venue](/hillwalking/grahams/ben-venue), [Ben Ledi](/hillwalking/corbetts/ben-ledi), Ben A'an and [Doune Hill](/hillwalking/grahams/doune-hill). Head net stays at home; pack waterproofs and weather-window discipline.