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What to grow in the Scottish Highlands

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kyleighterry:
Hey guys,

I've moved to Scotland from Australia and I'm situated in quite a remote town called Roy Bridge.

Back in Australia, I used to grow quite a lot of vegetables (tomatoes, chillies/peppers, eggplants, etc) and instead of ordering vegetables/fruit from ASDA, I'd like to continue this passion here to save some money have some fun by growing food.

This brings me to my main question - what can I grow during the Spring and Summer seasons in the Highlands?

arisaema:
Do you have a greenhouse? I've lived in a similar climate (Southern Norway), and neither chilies nor tomatoes do well in the open. What does do well are leafy vegetables, brassicas, neeps/swedes, potatoes... Marrows/zucchinis might work?

Get a few everbearing strawberry plants (I like 'Mara Des Bois'), some red and black-currant shrubs, and a couple of early fruiting, self-fertile plum trees (no idea what is available in the UK; Scandinavian favourites would be 'Czar' and 'Opal'). Depending on the local bird population cherries might be an option, and obviously apples and early ripening pears.

Vinny 123:
I would be surprised if any Prunus would produce fruit very often, if at all. Prunus flower early and even in the south of England, late frosts frequently hit the blossom, resulting in no crop, not even sloes.

Some areas of Scotland are famous for soft fruits, but so far north, and presumably altitude as well? ?
(People also forget or are unaware, that in terms of temperature, Scotland has some very pleasantly warm, and usually wet, spots - not least along the west coast, where the Gulf Stream hits.)

There are good reasons why the traditional Scot's crops were potatoes, swedes, oats and barley.

Best option would be to find and join a local gardening/allotment-holder organisation, as well as keeping an eye open on what everyone else is already growing.

Keep an eye on local free ad's and ePay for either poly-tunnel hoops or a greenhouse - they are a pain to get rid of in most cases (usually when someone moves into a house with one in the garden that they have no interest in), unless they are skipped, so usually sell for peanuts. They do need to be close though, for obvious reasons of transport.

arisaema:

--- Quote ---Some areas of Scotland are famous for soft fruits, but so far north, and presumably altitude as well? ?
--- End quote ---

You'd be surprised to see how far north in Scandinavia plums are grown, and altitude would if anything likely just be beneficial, as it'd delay flowering. 'Czar' and 'Opal' should both do fine, 'Victoria' was hit and miss in my childhood as it often ripened too late.

Vinny 123:
I live in the UK (English) midlands and plums are very hit and miss here (I inherited two neglected but young trees when I moved in 25 years ago). I have no idea of variety here, but Czar is certainly grown in the UK (possibly a commercial variety???).

Further north than here, I can only repeat what gardening programmes tell me and that is that stone fruits any further north than here are a lottery.

There is actually a very wide, active choice online, about gardening in Scotland - just a couple of examples - https://thecaley.org.uk/gardening-hints-tips/
https://ninewellsgarden.org.uk/2021/04/29/get-growing-a-scottish-vegetable-growers-guide/

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