I used to live in Aberdeenshire and we certainly grew damsons and greengages very successfully. Plums were not so great but put it down to them being a lot younger. My sister in Inverness has a very old prolific Victoria plum tree so no reason to think you cannot grow plums.Could your leaf problem be lack of water? I am in Northumberland now and only planted plums, damsons, greengages, apples and pears last year. Think we will get lots of pears but the rest will be hit and miss as there wasn't a lot of blossom on them and then got a late frost.

I don't think it's a disease or a pest. Down south we had late frosts which nipped the new growth from the shrubs and trees. On the other hand it could be leaf scorch; when the sun comes in the morning after a dew or frost that has settled on the leaves.

in addition to the comments above is there another plum tree nearby to help with pollination. That could also be a contributing factor.

I think the above comments have it, one of them anyway! Leaf scorch from too much sun, wind scorch which I have on a lot of my younger trees, all types, or a nippy frost. Watering will play a big part, my newly planted this year trees have had drooping leaves, browned on the ends and looking really sad. A full dose of water, loads and loads, picks them up, but we have desperately needed the rain which came yesterday. Another week's worth would be great!