Helping Scotland Blossom!
SCOTTISH HERITAGE FRUIT TREES
Making fruit growing a pleasure for people across Scotland
Scottish Heritage Fruit Trees
We are Scotland's specialist fruit tree suppliers - we have apple plum, pear, cherry, nuts such as hazel and walnut and soft fruit bushes, including raspberries, currants and gooseberry. We specialise in old heritage varieties, such as Bloody Ploughman, Galloway Pippin, White Melrose, Lass O'Gowrie, as well as mainstream popular varieties like James Grieve, Discovery and Bramley.
The most important thing in making fruit growing a pleasure, is getting you growing the right varieties for your location. We have many years of experience of growing fruit across Scotland and are happy to help you establish or maintain your trees.
As a social enterprise we support the planting of school and community orchards, and preserve old and rare varieties - as well as planting the orchards of the future. We want to give people inspiration to plant trees and the skills to look after them. By buying our trees you are supporting this work.
We offer a range of services including planning orchards, training people how to maintain orchards, and supporting people looking at developing larger orchards either for personal use, or commercially. We also can undertake pruning and orchard care.
Creating a Fruitful Scotland
We have been working for over 15 years with schools, community groups, charities, housing associations, councils, farmers, foresters, landscape architects, garden designers, permaculturalists, allotmenteers, and hobby gardeners, helping to create a Fruitful Scotland.
We have helped to start up many apple day events and supplied fruit trees to many, including Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Dumfries House, and Glasgow City Council. With your support we can do much more to create a Fruitful Scotland. As a social enterprise, we spend at least 1 day a week supporting school and community orchards. By supporting us and buying our trees, you help support the development of a Fruitful Scotland. We also sometimes get donations, volunteers, and support, which allow us to help with new school and community orchards.
Our fruit trees do well in Scotland's varied climates - from the Borders to Shetland, from Ullapool to the Hebrides, Oban to St. Andrews, Aberdeen to Stranraer. They also thrive in the North of England, Wales and in Northern Ireland
We specialise in old heritage varieties - most of our heritage varieties were grafted from budwood from nurseryman John Butterworth's collection in Ayrshire and from National Trust for Scotland properties. We are grateful to Dr John Hulbert who supplied most of the heritage pear budwood, and to many other friends who have shared their budwood to keep these ancient varieties growing for the next generation.
Please note that our stock complies with Scottish Government plant passport regulations.
John Hancox
our Apple & Orchard Expert.
Supplies finest and delicious fruit trees, nuts and soft fruit to suit Scotland, North England, Wales, and Ireland.
ORDER NOW FOR 2024/2025
SEASON BARE ROOT DELIVERY
How to Plan and Plant Your Orchard (However Big or Small)
The most important thing in making fruit growing a pleasure is getting you growing the right varieties for your location - so that you have healthy and fruitful trees.
We are happy to help you establish or maintain your trees wherever you are and can give advice on the best fruit trees for your area. We have years of experience in planning and planting orchards, and we are delighted to help you to design and plan yours. It's worth taking your time to get it right - but don't leave it too long. The old joke, is the best time to plant an orchard is 20 years ago. The next best time is now.
We can provide an orchard planning consultancy service, including site visits, reports, advice on ground preparation, and we are happy to either plant or to supervise planting. This is well worthwhile for larger planting plans. Ask for costs for these services. We are happy to give free advice by phone or email. If you could download the Planning Your Orchard - answer the questions and get it back to me: email john@scottishfruittrees.com
We supply fruit trees for
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Individual gardeners who just want one or a few trees and/or soft fruit
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Local authorities, housing associations, schools and community organisations
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Landscape architects, garden designers
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Farms and landowners
To discuss your order, please phone or email, or fill in and return our Orchard Planning Form - click on the box below
Our orchard consultancy service includes:
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Site visits and orchard reports, with planting plans
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Advice on ground preparation,
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Either planting and supervising planting of larger projects
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Pruning, restorative pruning and training
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Management plans
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Training
How it works
We send out bare root trees by carrier over the bare root season (late November through to April) when they are dormant. We also sell trees in pots throughout the year.
Our advice and ordering process is designed to ensure you get the most suitable trees that will grow well in your area -why not look at our information page for more details about rootstock and varieties.
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Feel free to contact John to discuss your requirements, or if you know what you want fill in our online order form
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Note that our orchard packs are a simple and economic way of ordering.
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Look through the stocklist and let us know what you want - John will check stock, and then issue an invoice.
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Trees are then sent out in batches, as they are dug from the field. This is weather dependent and can take a wee while.
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We are happy to send you planting instructions when you place your order so you can get the ground prepared prior to your trees being delivered
As a social enterprise we help schools and community orchards to plant new trees and preserve old and rare varieties - as well as planting the orchards of the future.
We want to give people inspiration to plant trees and the skills to look after them. By buying our trees you are supporting this work.
We have helped to start up many apple day events and supplied fruit trees to many places, including Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, Dumfries House, and Glasgow City Council. With your support we can do much more to create a Fruitful Scotland.
We have planted over 600 school and many community orchards across Scotland - to see more take a look at our Case Studies.
There are various good things about school orchards - but one of the best things is how well the cycle of fruit growing fits with the school year. You plant in late autumn to spring, enjoy blossom, and come back from holidays in time for the harvest. It’s perfect for schools.
We can assist schools and community groups to develop their orchard projects, help direct people to funding, and in some cases can help to supply trees via supporters and labour via our volunteers.
Click on the link below to find out more about our orchard packs
