The site:
Planted in 2011 the 6+ Ha orchard is made up of mainly Oak & Hazel trees inoculated with our native summer truffle, also known as Tuber aestivum syn. Uncinatum.
Results so far:
The orchard first produced in 2017, which was 6 years from planting. The site continues to produce incredibly well, annually. In 2022 an extensive amount of pruning took place, allowing access to areas of the orchard that were inaccessible to truffle hounds & hunters unearthing a lot more truffles than were thought to have been there. In 2023 This site produced over 80kg per Ha and the largest truffle we’ve cultivated, at 520g!
This site continues to produce fantastic truffles that are sold to many fantastic restaurants, including Michelin star restaurants across Scotland and the UK. There is a fantastic, small team of truffle hunters & hounds that work onsite throughout production months. They also offer dog and handler training on site.
Outlook:
The success of this orchard has really driven the establishment of more Scottish truffle orchards. It is also very clear that truffle hounds and hunters are really one of the most valuable aspects of truffle cultivation. Orchards need to be hunted regularly and consistently.