Ticks and Lyme Disease: A Hillwalker's Guide

Midges get all the attention, but the small biting creature that actually poses a health risk on Scotland's hills is the tick. Ticks can carry Lyme disease, a bacterial infection that is straightforward to treat if caught early and genuinely serious if left. The good news is that prevention is simple, removal is easy once you know how, and the warning signs are recognisable. This guide covers all three.

Where and when you'll meet ticks

Ticks live in vegetation — long grass, bracken, heather and woodland edges — and are most active from spring through autumn, roughly March to October, peaking in the warmer months. On a Munro, the risk is concentrated on the lower, vegetated slopes and the walk-in through glens and forestry, not the bare summit ridges. Deer and sheep carry ticks across the hills, so grazed ground and estate land are prime habitat. Climate change is lengthening the active season and pushing ticks to higher ground than in decades past.

How to avoid tick bites

• Cover up on vegetated ground. Long trousers tucked into socks and long sleeves give ticks far less bare skin to reach. Light-coloured clothing makes them easier to spot.
• Use repellent. DEET-based repellents on skin deter ticks. For higher-risk trips, clothing treated with permethrin is highly effective and lasts through several washes.
• Stick to paths. Brushing through bracken and long grass is how most bites happen; keeping to the trodden line reduces contact.
• Check as you go and again at the end. Do a proper full-body check after the walk — behind knees, groin, waistband, armpits, hairline and behind the ears, where ticks like warm, hidden skin. Check children and dogs too.

How to remove a tick safely

Prompt, correct removal dramatically lowers infection risk — the longer a tick stays attached, the higher the chance of transmission, so remove any you find as soon as possible. Do it properly:

• Use a tick-removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers. A cheap plastic tick tool is worth carrying in your first-aid kit.
• Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible — right at the mouthparts, not the body.
• Pull steadily upwards. Don't twist, jerk or squeeze the body. With a tick tool, follow the "twist" motion the tool is designed for; with tweezers, pull straight out.
• Do not burn it, smother it in Vaseline, or use alcohol — old folk methods make the tick regurgitate into the wound, raising infection risk.
• Clean the bite with antiseptic afterwards, and wash your hands.

It's normal for a small red mark to remain for a day or two after removal. Note the date — it matters if symptoms appear later.

Spotting Lyme disease

Most tick bites do not transmit Lyme disease, but you should know the warning signs. The classic early sign is a spreading circular "bullseye" rash (erythema migrans) around the bite, appearing days to weeks later — though not everyone gets it. Other early symptoms are flu-like: fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches. If you develop a spreading rash or unexplained flu-like illness in the weeks after a tick bite, see a doctor and mention the bite and the date. Lyme disease is treated with a course of antibiotics and, caught early, the outlook is very good. Left untreated, it can cause more serious joint, heart and neurological problems, which is why early action matters.

The bottom line

Ticks should not put you off the hills — they are a manageable, low-effort risk. Cover up on vegetated ground, carry a tick tool, do a proper check after every walk, and know the bullseye rash. Do those four things and the odds are firmly in your favour. For the other summer nuisance, see our guide to midges and summer Munro bagging.

Related guides

• Mountain first aid essentials — what to carry and how to use it
• Midges and summer Munro bagging
• Munro bagging with dogs — check your dog for ticks too
• Munros tracking app — routes and maps for all 282