Ticks, midges, cattle and dogs
The small hazards of a British hill day and how to deal with each.
Britain has no bears and few snakes. What it does have is small, common and easy to deal with once you know how.
Ticks
Ticks live in bracken, heather and long grass, mostly from spring to autumn, and some carry Lyme disease.
- Wear long trousers in bracken and tuck them into socks. Light colours make ticks easier to spot.
- Check yourself, children and dogs at the end of the day: behind knees, groin, waistband, armpits and hairline.
- Remove a tick as soon as you find it, with a tick tool or fine tweezers: grip it close to the skin and pull steadily without squeezing its body. Clean the bite.
- See a GP if you get a spreading round rash or flu-like symptoms in the weeks after a bite, and say you were bitten.
Midges
The Highland midge is worst in the west of Scotland from late May to September, on still, damp days and at dawn and dusk. They don't fly in bright sun or in a breeze.
- Carry repellent and a head net in summer. Both weigh almost nothing.
- Stop for lunch on a breezy ridge, not in a sheltered glen.
- Camp high and exposed if you can.
Cattle
Most cattle ignore walkers. Cows with calves can be protective, especially if there is a dog.
- Walk round the herd, not through it, and never between a cow and her calf.
- Move quietly and steadily. Don't run.
- Keep a dog on a short lead near cattle. If cattle chase you, let the dog go: it will outrun them and they will follow it, not you.
Walking with a dog
- Sheep and lambs: keep the dog on a lead anywhere near them. A farmer may shoot a dog that is worrying sheep.
- On open access land in England and Wales, dogs must be on a short lead from 1 March to 31 July, and at any time near livestock.
- In Scotland, keep dogs on a short lead or close at heel around livestock and during the bird breeding season, April to July, on moorland, forests and shores.
- Carry water for the dog on dry hills, and check it for ticks.
Adders
Britain's only venomous snake is shy and bites are rare. If you see one, leave it alone. If someone is bitten, keep them still and call 999.
General guidance from the TRXO team, last read through on . It is no substitute for training or for your own judgement on the day.