I agree with your choice karen! we have it here [not Scotland of course] but it's exposed site and we have been through some awful Winters and its fast growing and very hardy.We don't have it in a barrel though it's in the ground [or do you mean IN the ground in barrel?]No special attention, but we do make sure it's well watered as we live in dry area.

Thanks Freeas...I did mean in the barrel in the ground. I've found out that Fargesia Murielae is even tougher and doesn't need a barrier, so it could be even better. Thanks though!

How about going to the other end of the earth and getting a South American bamboo Chusquea Culeou.

Fargesia Murielae is one of the most common but is supposedly hardy down past -20 degrees. There's a specialist grower -Scottish Bamboos (mail order only) based a few miles from Fraserburgh ( not as far north as Tongue but worth a look at their website.

ps perhaps they could sell any surplus to Edinburgh Zoo for the pandas ;o)

Will it get that cold, Karen? Being on the coast and getting the benefit of the Gulf Stream should help. I would expect both of us to get colder weather.

Its an escapologist you know......it could come over the top or from below.
Ours are in pots with an outer pot that can be insulated, it bent the plastic pot out of shape.......

Nah...I don't think it does gat that cold BA....but we'll see! I'm hoping I won't be getting colder weather than either you OR Rachel! Lol! In fact, I'm hoping it will be like 2007 and we won't have a single frost....it could happen again! :))