weather or not..

[BUFFS]

having come unstuck before by accepting the sales blurb given by suppliers,i was thinking which of the damson trees would be best for the west coast of scotland?,given that we tell when summer is here by the temperature of the rain,or as told by a local lad,a man says to a youngster "how do you like lying in the sun?"and the lad replies "dont ask me mister,im only 11",that just about gets it spot on these days......i read various descriptions and they do vary a lot,so whats best?...........ta.

[BUFFS]

just been on the orange pippen site and it seems the best option for me is merryweather ,given its hardiness and large fruit and it was always a special fruit when we were kids,left to ripen on the plant and that lovely sharp taste,drooling already...

[Marcher]

Shropshire damsons should be fine, or one of the tougher plums such as Victoria or Opal in a more sheltered spot.
Stay away from any continental varieties - in colder / wetter areas, English and Scandinavian varieties are almost always hardier and easier to ripen whether its damsons, plums, apples, pears or cherries. They're better suited to UK climates.
Scotland has a few varieties, but most are old heirloom varieties which must have something going against them which is preventing more widespread adoption.

Shropshire Damsons actually hail from Shropshire and through Cheshire all the way to Cumbria. This is the wettest, windiest part of England but they grow well around here and are found all over the place.