 I'm planning a trip to Ben Alder via corrour in august - I've heard the cairngorm miggers are not so bad. Is that true ? On a warm still night (as if !!!) will they be insufferable ?
Also, have any londoners used the sleeper seats on the caledonian sleeper ? They are supposed to be reclining, like aeroplane seats but I wonder if we'll turn up at corrour feeling like we've already been round the plateau twice !
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 They have a reputation for being less bad in the east - there was a tourist board rumpus about it last year when the eastern highland fellas ran a campaign with a giant midge saying just that... It's somewhere in the news archive, hang on...
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Thanks Jon - What a great costume !. I think dick B 's follow up comment says a lot though.
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When I was at Corrour to do Ben na Lap I don't recall midges being a problem, and that wasn't a particularily windy day.
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 Ecco - Yes, biting midgies are alive and thriving in the Cairngorms. Perhaps not to the same extent as the west, but definitely out there.
However, I wouldn't let that put you off. If you have a good repellant that works for you, you shouldn't have any problems.
So far this year I've only been bothered by then twice in the Gorms, and both times they were gone after a few minutes.
I'm sure others will have their own horror stories, but as I said above, I wouldn't let it put you off going.
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 I'm sorry to disagree with everyone but the midges are as bad at Ben Alder as anywhere else. I was recently outside Loch Ossain Youth Hostel in a slight breeze and they were still attacking me.
As well as a repellant, and they don't work that well, get a midge net and put it on before going outside. No good putting it on once the little buggers start attacking you.
There is also a benefit sleeping high up although they will even get you on the summits.
Don't be put off. You just have to learn how to avoid them.
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 Ignoring for a moment that Ben Alder isn't in the Cairngorms. . . . .
I did a through route from Dalwhinnie to Bridge of Orchy once and saw the most midges I'd ever seen. It was so bad that I couldn't prepare my meal and ended up having the remains of lunch as dinner. I woke up when it was dark and, midges now gone, cooked and ate "dinner" at 1 am.
That area is also the worst I've ever come across for clegs. I made the mistake of taking my boots off while scoffing an ice cream at Rannoch Station, got three bites on one ankle and ended up getting te train home from there. Never did complete the Rannoch - Corrour bit.
However, as always, conditions vary and if you camp in a windy spot, you can hope to avoid the b*gg*rs.
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 It's best to avoid the Highlands altogether in July and August. The walking season starts in September and continues till June.
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 Hi there, I have not recently used the sleeper seats on the Caladonian service from London. However, the last time I did it was quite uncomfortable. You have to remember,there are only a very limited number of seats and a lot of people want one. Space can be at a premium. However, it is still the cheapest option and i would say go for it. As for midges in the Ben Alder area, yes they are alive and welll, take plenty of midge repellant, mosquito coils for when you camp are helpfull too, camp high wherever you can catch a breeze. There are some superb places for wild camps. By the by, the Ben Alder area is not in the Cairngorm area. Have fun and enjoy.
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As Jim says, avoid the highlands in July and August because of the midges. Also, avoid the highlands in September and October as there are lots of people with big guns shooting things. In November and December, the weathers crap and it gets dark. In January to March, avoid the highlands as there is loads of snow and all the roads get blocked. In April to June, avoid the highlands coz it's full of stupid tourists.
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 Reminds me of the sign on the gate at Invervar a few years ago that went along the lines of, Walkers Welcome. However access will be restricted during the lambing period (Apr-May), nesting ground birds (May-Jun), deer calving (Jun-Jul), grouse shooting (12 Aug - 10 Dec), stag cull (1 Jul - 20 Oct) and hind cull (21 Oct - 15 Feb). At least the dates available are free from the midge…
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 IMHO Cairgorms and East Highlands definitely suffer less from the midges, I've never been bothered with them there even in the height of midge season.
Ben Alder though as mentioned above isn't in the 'Gorms and is more central. I've certainly been pestered with the damn things at the bothy below Ben Alder (Culra?)
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 I was thru the Laraig Ghru last weekend and the wind was coming and going. We were only bothered when we pitched tents but the wind drove them off so often that it wasn't a real problem.
Wee hint - dont act smart by covering your eyes and spraying your face - it tastes foul!
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 I've been bothered by midges in the Cairngorms many times. They can be as bad here as anywhere. They can be bad in my garden! (I live in Strathspey).
Chances are though that any camp in the Cairngorms will be higher than in the west, where you're often camping at or near sea level, and so more likely to be windy, which keeps the midges away.
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Went to Ben Alder last bank holiday weekend. It was quite possibly the worst midge experience of my life - very warm and totally still, tons of midges even at 700m camping. they are generally worst on the west coast but can also be bad in the east if the conditions are right.
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my girlfriend and i stayed in culra for a couple of nights at about this time last year and i remember the midges being pretty bad. We pitched out tent inner on one of the sleeping platforms because even inside the bothy they were annoyingly abundant. i spent ages trying to figure out how they were getting in but to no avail.
Overall, i think the midge problem in the ben alder region aren't as bad as in the glens further west, but when they're about they're still about in big enough numbers to be very annoying
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