Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Midges in September — Risk, Peak Times, Kit
Noticeable at dawn and dusk. Repellent recommended. 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 September: Moderate. Noticeable at dawn and dusk. Repellent recommended.
When they bite
Peak biting windows are dawn 6–8am and dusk 6–9pm. First proper cool nights typically in the second week. Population dropping rapidly through the month. Loch Lomond east-shore and Trossachs woodland slower to clear than open ridges.
What to wear
- Smidge repellent (75ml)
- Light-coloured long-sleeve baselayer — midges have a strong preference for dark clothing.
Tactical notes
September is the recovery month in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs. The first week typically still has summer-tier pressure on the Inversnaid stretch and the Trossachs woodland; the second week sees the bracken starting to colour and the midge density beginning to drop; by the third and fourth weeks the trips are back on the table on midge grounds. The [camping management zones](/blog/loch-lomond-camping-management-zones-guide) on the east shore relax on 30 September each year, giving the same lochside pitches back to free wild camping just as the midges are leaving.
This is the connoisseur's window for the long WHW north sections and the southern-Highland Munros. The [West Highland Way](/long-distance/west-highland-way) Drymen-to-Tyndrum section in mid-September is one of the best multi-day walks in Britain: dry firm ground, bracken colour, manageable daylight (still 12+ hours mid-month), and a midge population already in steep decline. The [Rob Roy Way](/long-distance/rob-roy-way) full-route trip and the [John Muir Way](/long-distance/john-muir-way) are similarly excellent.
For hill days, the Arrochar Alps Munros — [The Cobbler](/hillwalking/corbetts/the-cobbler), [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) — are at their best of the year. The Crianlarich Munros [Ben More](/hillwalking/munros/ben-more-arrochar-trossachs), [Stob Binnein](/hillwalking/munros/stob-binnein), [Cruach Ardrain](/hillwalking/munros/cruach-ardrain), [Ben Lui](/hillwalking/munros/ben-lui-beinn-laoigh), [Ben Oss](/hillwalking/munros/ben-oss) and [Beinn Dubhchraig](/hillwalking/munros/beinn-dubhchraig) all give the kind of clear cool September days that the southern Highlands are famous for. [Ben Lomond](/hillwalking/munros/ben-lomond) from Rowardennan with autumn colour on the lochside birch is the most-photographed September Munro in Scotland. Trossachs viewpoint hills — [Ben Venue](/hillwalking/grahams/ben-venue), [Ben Ledi](/hillwalking/corbetts/ben-ledi), Ben A'an — at their visual peak. Head net stays in the pack as insurance only.