There's a new weapon in the fight against the scourge of Scottish mountains.

No, it's not a pronunciation guide to Gaelic toponomy, though that would be useful enough. Help is at hand for those of us who love the Munros but hate their most irritating inhabitants – the mighty Scottish midge.

A new website will give you a forecast of the likely infestation of the blood-sucking blighters, which can ruin a trip to the highlands more than the after-effects of a night sampling the distilleries' finest products.

The site breaks the Highlands and islands into six regions and rates them by five levels of nuisance. Clicking on forecasts for certain towns or areas within the regions reveals a daily breakdown of the forecast.

For those on the move in the mountains, you can also get a forecast texted to your mobile - if you can get a signal, that is.

You can also use the website to gen up on a few vital facts about the midge. One which will surprise no-one who's spent an otherwise pleasant summer in the uplands of Scotland is that, of the 40 species of biting midge in the UK, the Highland midge, Culicoides impunctatus, is the most bloodthirsty. And it's only the female that's after your blood.

The male of the species prefers plant sugars.