Exotics in Scotland
I became interested in exotics after living in the Midlands and in Asia - where I grew bananas, palms, tree ferns etc with relative ease.
Now I have moved back to my native Scotland I still wanted the same look and feel in my garden. I still have the bananas but they don't stay out long, they are banished to the greenhouse for seven months of the year!
I live in a particularily windy situation so the plants have to be hardy. A particular favourite has to be Chamaerops humilis which has been a huge success in withstanding howling gales without looking battered - as the Trachycarpus fortunei (or Chusan palm) sometimes does.
There are a large variety of plants that can cope with the Scottish weather with minimal work involved.
Trees
I am a firm believer in having structure and balance in the garden. One of the best ways to do this is with trees, depending on your garden size and position. Sometimes it is just a small apple tree but other situations demand a large silver birch. Equally these can be disastrous if put in the wrong place - so make sure you know the eventual size of the tree being planted!