Scattered around Shetland, mostly near places of residence, are these small walled round enclosures (sometimes they can be square).

I have four directly behind my house and Clothie (my separate five acre croft) in the open hill (scattald).  The planticrubs are all fairly close to each other but the walls are broken in places.  They don’t have any door-ways so I guess folk would scramble over the walls to get in.

They are very old and originally built for growing young kale and cabbage plants, protecting them from the harsh Shetland wind before planting them out.  That makes sense.  You can see the higher level of earth inside so it would make an excellent planting place – beautifully sheltered.

Apparently, and I did not know this, Shetland kale/cabbage is the oldest known Scottish local vegetable variety. It has been grown on Shetland since at least the 17th Century.

(I am not a fan in any form).

These days, the sheep use them for shelter in winter jumping over the now rumbled dry-stone walls while the immense bunny population make their homes in the soft peaty earth inside.  The dogs love investigating them.  I often wonder how old these planticrubs are and to which croft they belonged.  I find local history fascinating.