Scotland Tick Warning

The Tick Alert campaign group is warning anyone planning to camp in Scotland of the dangers of contracting Lyme disease from tick bites.

To put things in perspective, according to the BBC, there were 285 cases of Lyme disease in Scotland in 2008 compared with only three cases in 1999, so while it's a real danger it's still relatively unusual. The disease is spread by tick bites and begins with a slowly expanding rash along with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache and tiredness. Left untreated, the disease can spread to joints, heart and the nervous system with serious results, though it's treatable with anti-biotics.

Ticks lurk cunningly in vegetation before latching onto passing animals including humans, digging in and having a good glug of blood. There are plenty of myths surrounding tick removal, but the best method is a proper tick-removal tool which can be bought online or from vets who sell them for use by pet owners.

These remove ticks with a twisting action ensuring that none of the tick's mouth parts are left embedded in the skin with the potential to cause infection. Ticks are by no means confined to Scotland in the UK and we'd suggest that you carry a tick removal tool in your first aid kit and keep your eyes peeled for the little critters, particularly when wearing shorts in the summer months.

For more information on the dangers of ticks both at home and - potentially fatally - abroad and how to deal with them see www.tickalert.org