Hi Autumn - I'm probably not the best person to ask since my
local knowledge is more about the 'soft south', being just a few miles away from 'That London', plus obviously I've not seen your site and don't know what your preferences are, etc. I did find a few interesting web sites with info about fruit
trees suitable for growing in northern Scotland,
Scottish Heritage Fruit Trees,
Hardy Apple Trees for the North & Scotland,
Scottish Orchards,
Fruit trees for North West Scotland, which I hope are useful or at least a basis for further research.
This also looks useful, type in your post code to find what fruit trees are suitable to grow in your area.
I'm sure you know far better than me that northern Scotland is one of the least suitable areas for growing tree fruit in the UK so establishing a forest garden will have its challenges, so I'd prioritise creating a hedgerow shelterbelt of hardy trees and shrubs around your site first, that will provide protection for higher value specimens such as fruit or nut trees whose blossom may be susceptible to damage by late frosts and cold winds that can seriously effect yields. The height of the hedge
should be at least one eighth of the size of the area to be protected and needs to be dense in composition in order to provide full protection. Hedging trees and shrubs should be planted at least a year or so before more delicate species go in in order to allow time to get established. Choose multifunctional species that provide wildlife benefits, edible crops or other yields, e.g. crab
apple, field maple, hawthorn, hazel, Rosa rugosa, as well as nitrogen fixers such as alder, broom, elaeagnus, etc.
I hope this helps, good luck with the
project!
