Outlander's Caitriona Balfe shares encounter with midges

Caitriona Balfe and her midgie bites

The notorious Highland biting midge has been feasting on the cast and crew of the Outlander TV show while filming new episodes in the Highlands.

Caitriona Balfe, who plays one of the leading characters, time-travelling 1940s nurse Claire, has shared an image of the aftermath of one encounter.

Last year, it was estimated that there could be 21 billion of the biting tiny insects in the Highlands and Islands.

The figure was for females, which feed on blood.

Their bites can leave itchy red lumps on skin.

Female biting midges need blood to mature the eggs they carry. Males feed on nectar and other natural sugars.

Caitriona Balfe plays the character Claire Randall in the Outlander series

Scotland is also home to Chironomids, a "family" of non-biting midges that worldwide numbers thousands of species.

The greatest threat these beasts pose to humans is landing in drinks at a barbecue.

Globally, there are about 10,000 known species of Chironomids inhabiting all types of environments.

The Outlander TV show is based on books by the American writer Diana Gabaldon.

The stories follow Claire Randall, a World War Two nurse swept back in time from 1945 to 18th century Scotland, where she encounters Scottish soldier Jamie Fraser.