Bastonjock wrote:Often I wonder what the old Highlanders did to keep the midges ,ticks and clegs at bay
I too have wondered that. You pass shielings in the glens and realise that families lived there. Even the ones only occupied during the summer would be occupied in peak midge season. I also marvel at sheep and cows (and deer if I get close enough) who graze apparently unaffected by midges.
I wonder if our modern levels of cleanliness make us more susceptible to beasties. If your morning wash is a splash at the burn and you put on your smoke drenched clothes, maybe the midges are naturally repelled.
Or maybe it is maintaining a natural, additive free diet and developing immunity.