Page 46 - ALG Issue 2 2025

SCOTLAND Scottish varieties for
Scottish plots
IT'S ALL IN
THE NAME
Scottish gardeners can feel like poor relations compared to those living further south.
We are often reminded that our seed sowing times need to be several weeks later than
in the south of the UK and late frosts can wreak havoc with fruit blossom. I want to sing
the praises of some of the advantages of gardening north of the Border. Our summer
daylight hours are significantly longer than down south – I can still be on my plot when
southerners are tucked up in bed! The further north you go, the more noticeable is this
advantage. Our summers may be cooler but lower temperatures favour some popular
fruit and vegetables. Clues to those varieties which flourish in the Scottish climate can
often be found in their names.
"In times past, a kailyard was a little garden
attached to a house."
46 | Issue 2 2025 | Allotment and Leisure Gardener
Welcome to…
1 individual
My allotment plot is adjacent to the
land where Robert Scarlett developed
the famous Musselburgh leek in the early
20th century. The tower of Sweethope, his
handsome mansion, still dominates the local
landscape. Musselburgh leeks are favourites
among local plotholders. Local history says
that Scarlett liked to keep a watchful eye
on his workers and crops from the tower
windows.
Kale has long been a staple vegetable in
the Scottish diet. In times past, a kailyard
was a little garden attached to a house.
I wouldn’t be without Pentland Brig, a
variety named after the Pentland Hills
near Edinburgh. It’s a hardy variety usually
ready for eating from November onwards.
The leaves have a lovely buttery texture
and when, spring comes, it puts forward
delicious edible shoots. Further north,
Sutherland kale is popular.
Scotland has a proud record as a
producer of high-quality seed potatoes
and some of their names give away their
credentials. While southerners relish first
early potatoes such as Jersey Royals, here
the flavour of Ayrshire potatoes takes some
beating. My favourite early potato, Arran
Pilot, is named after a Scottish west coast
island. Pentland Javelin is another variety
popular here on our plots in Musselburgh.