I've heard that there are areas along the west coast of Scotland that are actually very warm with palm trees, etc due to the winds/tides etc? Does such a place really exist? My idea of Scotland was always rather cloudy, cool and drizzling.

Hi

I believe that you are thinking of Ireland. It is warmed by the Gulf Stream.

The west of Scotland is also warmed by the Gulf Stream, but it is not tropical and there are no palm trees. It is a lot warmer than similar latitudes in, say, north America.

There most certainly ARE palm trees in many west coast towns.

Inverewe Gradens has many sub-tropical plants.

All this means, really, is that it rarely freezes, if at all and there's not much snow. It is wet, however.

Mind you we're certainly not ALWAYS "coudy, cool and drizzling". Just USUALLY.

I can't remember the name of the town but right across Holy Loch there is a small place with lot's of palm trees.

I remember them from my days at the old U.S. Navy base outside of Dunoon.

MM

Sheila's right... This garden is astonishingly beautiful, laid out in a terraced curve to capture the sunlight and mild breezes off the Gulf Stream. There are extensive vegetable gardens attractively arrayed. And look at how far north it is on the globe!

Inverewe is wonderful. Of course, it is bordered by trees that were planted as a windbreak before the garden could be planted.

The last two times I was in Scotland were in May and June, and both times I got a sunburn.

Sheila -- how could an Islay-lover like you forget to say that there are palm trees on that island?

Also on the main drag in Plockton up in Wester Ross.

KT, mo ghradh, I can't think of Islay palm trees?

Thank you all for the correction.

I just did a search on google and there are over 3800 web pages with Scotland and palm tree in them.

I discovered that "On a sunny day, The Kyle of Tongue has beautiful white sand and Caribbean blue water. Only the palm trees are lacking but then there is one in the Ben Loyal hotel garden. It?s the most northerly palm tree in the world!"

KT, I did another search and can't find anything. There IS one on Gigha. Are you getting muxed ip?

Sheila, I bow to your superior knowledge. I'm indeed muxed ip -- and not just about this!

I can assure you, though, I did get those sunburns in Scotland. Hoping to get one again next spring, too.

going to come and visit me this time?

Sheila, I'll e-mail you. I've heard that when the sun reflects off that Aberdeen granite, it feels quite tropical indeed.

Googling Islay palm trees brings up 248 hits...

The Mariners' Hotel says the island has palm trees: http://www.marinershotel-islay.co.uk/islay_info.html

and here is someone's picture from Kintra: http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~steve...r%20Ardbeg.jpg

Keith

Keith, you are spot on.

I tried and got about 40 hits- none of which had palm trees on Islay.

On a quick scan (because I'm boring enough to find this interesting)there seem to be some mini ones in the Dower House gatehouse garden at Ardbeg. But most of the others (I've scanned the first 30 or so) are somewhere else.