Tara on the 2006 vintage

Growing conditions

2006’s summer was a bit like 2005’s but with more fog. Whilst the rest of the UK – and indeed Europe – basked in glorious sunshine, Shetland suffered flight and ferry delays due to four almost continuous weeks of dense fog. It’s fair to say that, apart from a few amazing gifts of still, calm, sunny days, it was mostly cold, wet and windy. So sun-seekers like me had to head south, but we had perfect growing conditions for a bounty of herby botanicals, especially the Wild Water Mint, Meadowsweet and the Coriander that we grow under glass at Tingwall, in the heart of mainland Shetland.