In August 2011 we asked members of the public to let us know where apple trees were to be found in the Highlands. We will keep updating the map as records come in, the latest update was in May 2012 this took the number of sites with apples trees to 86! Click on the map on the right to enlarge it and see all the locations.
Of the 86 sites, 15 had ancient trees (over 80 years old), 20 had trees over 20 and 39 had trees under 20 years old. This shows that there are quite a few new apple trees being planted in the Highlands, there are even some orchards being planted. One orchard with 256 trees has been planted just near Strathpeffer, it includes 7 cider varieties. With the south of England getting less rainfall, new orchards will planted further north as apple trees need plenty of moisture to grow and set fruit. Our survey discovered here are only a handful of commercial orchards in Highland.
As well as seeking locations of apples we also want to know what variety, how many and how old the apple trees are. Many of the most diverse orchards are in the walled gardens of the big houses of the Highlands, but in the last ten years many people have been planting trees in their own gardens or on their crofts as the map shows.
One Highland speciality we are interested in is the Coul Blush, this is the most northerly apple variety in Scotland. It was raised at Coul House in Contin by Sir George Mackenzie in 1827. This apple is a sweet dessert apple with a yellow skin with a faint blush of red, hence the name. We have found out that there are a few young trees that have been planted but we would like to know if there are many old trees of this variety still in existence. One old tree of this variety has been found near Coul House, with some more probable Coul Blush trees to be checked when they are in fruit.
Apples have been in the Highlands for at least 500 years and quite possibly 800! Cultivated apples were brought in from France and were often closely associated with monks who tended gardens that provided food for the monasteries. The Valliscaulian Monks from Burgundy who set up monastaries in Beauly, Pluscarden and Archattan in 1230 were most likely those who brought apples to the Highlands, although the Norman overlords who came into the Highlands in the 12th century may have brought them in first, although there is no record of this. There are records from Kinloss Abbey from the late 1400's of apples being grown there and monks expert in apple cultivation moving down to Pittenweem in Fife to revive the orchard there.
If you have any apple trees in your garden or know of any locally then please do let us know. Contact Jonathan Willet on 01463 702274 or email jonathan.willet@highland.gov.uk . We would like to know the following information; location, street/ house name, postcode, variety of apples (if known), number of trees and an estimate of the tree's age. We will only use the postcode and number of varieties of apples to add detail to the Highland apple map. The other information submitted will be held securely and not shared with anyone without your prior permission.
If you have an apple you would like identified, then contact Jonathan and he can give you the name of some apple experts who can do that.