THE MORAY MAN who is holder of the only license to sell an American-made insect repellent that has shown to be effective against the dreaded Highland midges is offering to assist a group of naked ramblers.
Willie Petrie has delivered over 100 bottles of his Bug Soother product to a group of nudists who are planning a Bank Holiday hike today.
The group intend to troop out in the altogether from the Glenmorag Hotel in Dunoon wearing no more than boots and hats – and now, thanks to his sponsorship of their cause, Willie’s magic potion.
Mr Petrie learned of the group’s plight on social media and quickly moved in to offer his assistance, saying: “I saw this group were going on a naked walk and thought I might be able to offer some protection.
“Bug Soother is really all they need to be wearing for their walk. It will prevent midge bites, it repels wasps and if they are unlucky enough to get any nettles stings, it will help sooth them as well. It’s like magic on flies and evidence is emerging that ticks aren’t fond of it either – it should be all they need in their backpacks.”
Willie, who operates from Pluscarden, added: “Bug Soother was made by Simply Soothing a family-owned business who live by the banks of the Mississippi. It’s all natural – without even a preservative.
“It’s made with lemon grass, vanilla, castor oil, soya lecithin, lemon, vitamin E and purified water. It’s sold in a spray but goes on like a lotion. It was made by Freda Sojka who wanted to create something for her five-month-old grandson and was an overnight success – it has sold over 1.6million bottles in two years.
“As has been shown in the States, because the product is non greasy, contains no harmful chemicals at all and smells great it can be used for a whole variety of outdoor activities from horse riding to fishing and golf and of course naked walking.”
Ivan Gill, the naked event’s organiser, said: “This is a very generous offer from Willie to supply us with Bug Soother.
“He is now our official sponsor as it’s such a generous gesture – the product conforms really well with our ethos of using natural products. In the true sense, it’s suitable for naturists to get all over protection.”