Western Isles questions (3 Viewers)

[Mendobirder]

We're sketching out a trip to several of the western Isles from mid-May through the first week of June. If I can work out the logistics, I hope to visit Arran, Islay, and Jura, then a few days on Mull, and then devote the remaining time to the Outer Hebrides. Our usual MO is to bird in the morning, then do touristy things in the afternoons. We've been in Scotland many times but never have visited the Isles.

First question is concerning the timing of the Midgies! My wife is a magnet for such things and reacts badly to insect bites, so we are a bit worried about the timing of this trip. Our last tour in Scotland was April to early May in the Highlands, and towards the end we started getting midgies out in West Lochaber. Can anyone here give me an indication of when they start getting bad out in the Isles?

There will be more questions I'm sure but let's start there.

 

[JTweedie]

You can actually find midges on any calm warm day in Scotland throughout the year, but I think May to early June wouldn't particularly be the worst time for them. July and August are probably the worst.

Best thing to do would be to avoid sheltered areas on warm, calm days, such as in woodland alongside rivers and ponds or out on boggy moorland. One of my worst experiences with midges was in Arran, but it was on a really warm August day and I've never really experienced them there that badly on other trips at other times of the year.

 

[Prestdj]

this app was really usefull on our scotland trips

the SOC app dont use many apps but this was great

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Midges are more weather dependent than seasonal, as was mentioned above. They're also less bad in dry periods. I lived in Islay for a couple of years and the second summer I was there was unusually dry and there were very few midges during that period even in 'midgey weather'. If the weather is windy (and it often is a bit) then midges shouldn't be a big problem.

 

[Owene]

We're sketching out a trip to several of the western Isles from mid-May through the first week of June. If I can work out the logistics, I hope to visit Arran, Islay, and Jura, then a few days on Mull, and then devote the remaining time to the Outer Hebrides. Our usual MO is to bird in the morning, then do touristy things in the afternoons. We've been in Scotland many times but never have visited the Isles.

First question is concerning the timing of the Midgies! My wife is a magnet for such things and reacts badly to insect bites, so we are a bit worried about the timing of this trip. Our last tour in Scotland was April to early May in the Highlands, and towards the end we started getting midgies out in West Lochaber. Can anyone here give me an indication of when they start getting bad out in the Isles?

There will be more questions I'm sure but let's start there.

I’m not suggesting you put too much store by what I’m saying as others here will have a lot more experience but I was on Skye and the fort William area last May and found then a lot less midgey than our last July visit.

We also found mull a lot less midgey than the nearby mainland the last time we went there. A bit of height and exposure to a breeze goes a long way I find. Never done the actual outer islands though so not sure about them.

 

[earthdragon64]

As others have said, mid-May to early June shouldn't be too bad for midges, especially if it's dry and windy. You might want to think about using a midge repellent, anything with Deet is probably the best, if you can use it. However, if you or your wife can't use Deet, then the best alternative I've found is a product called Smidge which is specifically designed for midges. You should be able to find it at supermarkets and outdoor shops in SCotland. Some people swear by Avon's "Skin so Soft", but I've never had any success with it and can't stand the smell of it.

 

[Mendobirder]

Thanks for the replies, though I'm now I'm struggling to comprehend the idea of "calm, warm days in Scotland" !
Still working on details and hoping we are not getting too late for booking things like sea tours.

 

[JTweedie]

We have been known to have 30+ degrees C days!

I think you'll be OK booking boat trips. Many of them run daily and some even sell tickets on the day. Buying in advance is advised though.

 

[Mendobirder]

Thanks everyone. It now appears that we are going to shift our plans to visit Shetland and Orkney instead. We will continue working on plans for the Isles trip and maybe do that next year, so this information is still useful.

 

[Mendobirder]

I was wrong about the shift in plans... we're back to the Western Isles for this spring. Current plan is a week+ on Mull, then two weeks in the Outer Hebrides.
I'm hoping we can fly to Glasgow and get to Oban by train or bus, then take the ferry to Mull before getting a car; but we could just get a car at the airport and drive up to Oban. In any event we will have a car on Mull and so the question I have now is, will it work to stay somewhere for the duration and travel around the whole island - with a trip to Iona - or should we plan to divide our time between two places?

 

[JTweedie]

If you have a car then basing yourself in one location in Mull will be fine.

 

[delia todd]

Salen, of course, makes a good base, as you can go in all directions from there.

Here's a link to our Mull Opus article, with some useful links on it: Isle of Mull - BirdForum Opus

 

[Mendobirder]

Wow, Mull is quite popular... we are not finding any places to stay in the time period of 15-25 May. Did we dither too long to make this work?

 

[StephenL]

Yep Mull is a popular place and accommodation and the ferries are generally booked well in advance.

Stephen

 

[earthdragon64]

My husband and I holiday a lot on the Western Isles or Orkney, staying in self-catering cottages. We usually book about a year in advance just to be sure of getting accomodation but I think the last time we stayed on Mull we booked about 18 months in advance as it is really popular. What sites have you used to look for accommodation? Visit Scotland is probably the one most used, but Air BnB, Cottages.com, Cottages & Castles and Sykes Cottages are also quite useful and may have some different options. A lot of the islands also have their own websites which have accommodation listed on them, these are what I often use as a starting point.

For birding, personally I prefer Islay to Mull, you'll get the Golden and White-tailed Eagles same as on Mull, and often better views and you have Choughs as well! It's a smaller island, easier to get around and accommodation is easier to find and often less expensive than Mull, apart from the last week in May which is the Islay Festival and probably booked up years in advance!

 

[Mendobirder]

My husband and I holiday a lot on the Western Isles or Orkney, staying in self-catering cottages. We usually book about a year in advance just to be sure of getting accomodation but I think the last time we stayed on Mull we booked about 18 months in advance as it is really popular. What sites have you used to look for accommodation? Visit Scotland is probably the one most used, but Air BnB, Cottages.com, Cottages & Castles and Sykes Cottages are also quite useful and may have some different options. A lot of the islands also have their own websites which have accommodation listed on them, these are what I often use as a starting point.

For birding, personally I prefer Islay to Mull, you'll get the Golden and White-tailed Eagles same as on Mull, and often better views and you have Choughs as well! It's a smaller island, easier to get around and accommodation is easier to find and often less expensive than Mull, apart from the last week in May which is the Islay Festival and probably booked up years in advance!

That's really good information about Islay. It was in the plan as well, and I wasn't sure how much time to give it. Was thinking of 2-3 nights but maybe should allocate more?
We've decided to put this trip off since it's clear we needed to do the booking much earlier. So now we are going to Ireland this spring, and will work on planning for the Western Isles trip next year, or maybe this fall.

 

[delia todd]

That's really good information about Islay. It was in the plan as well, and I wasn't sure how much time to give it. Was thinking of 2-3 nights but maybe should allocate more?
We've decided to put this trip off since it's clear we needed to do the booking much earlier. So now we are going to Ireland this spring, and will work on planning for the Western Isles trip next year, or maybe this fall.

Just be aware that there is a motor rally held on Mull in October every year and everything is full and the Oban/Craignure ferry booked well in advance.

This year it is to be held from the 11-13 October. So the ferry is likely to be full the day before and the day after.

Best, probably to avoid that weekend, but if you can get accommodation, the other option is to go via the Lochaline / Fishnish ferry. They don't really run to a timetable, but just ply backwards and forwards all day - it's a much shorter crossing and you don't need to book.

I don't know what roads are used, but you might get more info on this link: Mull Rally

I almost agree completely with Audrey about Islay. It is a lovely island to go to and Autumn (Fall) is a brilliant time with all the hundreds of thousands of geese arriving for the winter. Give the island as long as you can manage - 2-3 days isn't long enough to visit all the distilleries and go birding as well!

 

[earthdragon64]

I agree with Delia, give Islay as long as possible, as well as birding and distilleries, the scenery is pretty spectacular and I highly reccommend a walk out to the American Monument on the Oa peninsula. We mostly go in late October, but have been once in summer, in 2021. Unfortunately I was having problems with my back that week and wasn't able to get in all the walking I wanted to, so we've booked a week for June 2025. It probaly won't be as good for birds then, but hopefully there will be better weather for walking. I first visited Islay back in the 1970s when my brother was a lighthouse keeper there.

 

[Scozmos]

Wow, Mull is quite popular... we are not finding any places to stay in the time period of 15-25 May. Did we dither too long to make this work?

All of Scotland has become super popular these days and prices are being hiked to match it, sadly. I do hope you get a really good trip booked though. A car from Glasgow airport would be no bad thing, I'm guessing you have experienced the roads

 

[JTweedie]

Hopefully there will be more stability getting to various islands when the new ferries are in service. I think there's one going through trials now with others due to launch very soon. Unfortunately there's been a lot of strain put on the ferries over the past year or so with stripped back, and in some cases, fully cancelled timetables.

So if you're thinking of travelling by ferry, keep an eye on this too so you're not disappointed.