Hiker Swarmed by Tornado of Midges in Viral Video

A man in Scotland was given a nasty surprise on his July 27 hike, when he was swarmed by a tornado of midges.

Colin Ibbotson, 48, took to Twitter that day and posted a video of the terrifying cloud of blood-sucking insects.

The horrifying video went viral, garnering more than 376,000 views as of Friday. It has been retweeted more than 1,700 times.

It was taken on Ibbotson's hike at Loch Monar, at the head of Glen Strathfarrar.

In the video, Ibbotson explains he saw the cloud of midges when he woke up from his camping spot and that they were covering his body and backpack.

Hundreds of thousands of midges are flying in the background, all over his bag and his clothes.

"Look at my pack! Look at how thick the midges are on my pack! It is absolutely covered. I've seen a lot of midges before but this probably a different level. Just look at all these, this is ridiculous," Ibbotson says in the video.

Fortunately, Ibbotson used all the protection he could, wearing long sleeves and keeping skin exposure minimal.

"I'm wearing every bit of protection I've got, I've got Smidge on and I've got a head net on and I'll still take a lot of bites," he said.

"Around my ankles, even though everything is sealed, some are getting in.

"Just to finish off to make you itch that last little bit, just look at all of them.

"I've got the pleasure of putting that on in a minute."

Being damp and boggy, Loch Mona is perfect for the midges to lay eggs in.

According to The Midge Report, the heatwave that swept the U.K. earlier in July will have caused a "mega hatch" of midge eggs.

"This year there's due to be a bigger hatch than ever of Scotland's famous highland midge," Midge expert Dr. Blackwell told The Scottish Sun.

"Each year the season is becoming even longer."

Scotland is home to an estimated 180,750 trillion Highland Midges, which are all capable of biting and causing an itch.

The midges tend to hunt in packs, but there are tricks to avoid being bitten by them, such as covering up all skin, using insect repellent or lighting a fire nearby.

The worst time of year for midges in Scotland is considered to be in July and August, according to Highland Titles, but they can be seen as early as April and as late as October.

Midges play a role in driving people away from the Highlands and can be disruptive to local workers. The Forestry Authority has estimated that of the 65 working days each summer, as much as 20 percent can be lost due to midge attacks preventing workers from doing their jobs.