Can someone tell me what these trees are?

I’m in Shetland and I see these trees quite a lot and I think they’d make some nice privacy at the end of my large garden. I’ve been looking for trees that don’t grow TOO big and these look ideal. Does anyone know what they are? Or even suggest something similar? Cheers

 

Maybe Korean fir?

Small size, layered branches and triangular shape.

Compare with these photos, especially the ones lower down on the page.

https://garden.org/plants/photo/263624

 

Obviously some kind of conifer but without a close up of the leaves/needles and branches not easy to guess.

 

I have a cousin in Westray and the weather conditions up there are pretty fierce.
Just a guess, but maybe it's a common type of conifer and that's how it grows in quite a harsh environment.

 

I'd agree that you'd need a close up to determine the particular variety, but someone local should be able to advise.
Conifers/firs of all sorts grow easily all over Scotland, including the islands, if they have the right care to get them established, but - and it's a big but, they won't grow quickly in exposed sites due to the conditions. You need to give them shelter for a fairly long time. In an exposed site, that's vital.

 

Strangely, in Korea, Korean firs are on the red endangered list because of climate change. Winters too warm!

 

Monkey puzzle trees [Araucaria] are now on the endangered list in Chile. There's a new project here which is collecting the seed to send over there.
Climate change may be the reason for that too, in the same way that snow melt isn't just happening on lots of hills/mountaons all over the world, it's happening on Everest. The good thing about that is that they may find Sandy Irvine's body, and that could change history, if they can retrieve his photos proving he and Mallory were at the summit first.

 

Araucaria tree seeds are edible (taste of chestnuts), the timber has a lot of uses and throw in overgrazing preventing the recruitment of young trees and there you go towards endangered status.

 

I was under the impression that Araucaria araucana seeds were not fertile from trees grown in the UK, but I have a seedling that is in its second year now from a local tree.
Not sure how the seeds taste.

I've also grown Korean fir and found it a small upright tree that cones at an early age, I dont think they are fast growing and would take many years to reach the proportions of the trees in the picture.

 

There was an item on our Radio Scotland Out of Doors programme yesterday morning about the monkey puzzles. I can't remember the place that's doing the growing and sending out, but it was very interesting.
I believe they already have a programme in place at Edinburgh Botanic to grow trees from seed sent over from Chile, but that's basically to ensure the survival, and for distributing around the UK, rather than for sending back to Chile itself.
They're pretty common up here, and our climate suits them very well.

 

They seem to be a favourite in cemeteries down here for some reason, I remember a row of them next to a main road locally but all gone now due to housing developments.

 

That's interesting @pete. You'd wonder why they'd be popular for that kind of location though. Perhaps because they have an airy canopy, but are evergreen, so it gives protection, but not oppressive, dense shade.
Or do they ever think like that when planting....

 

Well I wouldn't say they are in all cemeteries around here but the ones that I have seen are mostly old trees, so maybe they were in fashion at a certain time and cemeteries tend not to get built on or disturbed.
I know of young one in the park about 15 yrs old but not widely planted, all emphasis these days is on slightly boring native stuff.

 

There are a number of young ones around the estate here, generally planted in a relatively small front garden so 10 to 15 ft from the house. I walk along thinking I hope you move before you regret planting that.

 

I’m confused? Have we moved on from the OPs request for an ID to a general discussion on Araucaria/Monkey Puzzles (which the OPs photo doesn’t show) or are we discussing Korean Pines … which might be the trees in the pic?

I’d hate to see anyone attempt to grow a shelter belt of Araucaria on the Shetlands!