Nine hundred thousand midges caught in one midge trap in one week:

that is officially an awful lot of biting insects.

News that this year's above-average temperatures and rainfall has resulted in a bumper crop of midges - with numbers up three times on last year overall - will come as no surprise to anyone who has set foot outside their car, tent or other refuge in Argyll.

Grown men have been brought close to tears on the golf course because of the swarming creatures.

There is something almost heroic about Scotland's midges at their peak, but they are not exactly a great boon to tourism, which is why it is a little unfortunate the wee buzzy beasties are having a field day just as VisitScotland launches a bid to attract more tourists to the Highlands on the back of a new film starring Billy Connolly and David Tennant.

What We Did On Our Holiday is released on September 26 and Scotland's tourist agency is teaming up with film company Lionsgate to tempt visitors to Scotland for family holidays using the movie.

For those who decide to come, hopefully it will not be a case of once bitten, twice shy.