I am currently evaluating our designs based on daylight and sun angles (azimuth and altitude). Intersting reading here (a word doc file from Heriott Watt University). 'Borrowed' from that file are these diagrams - all for 55N = Edinburgh.

Basically the long aspect of our plot is 26degrees west of due south - or south by south west. Which is okay. The bad thing is we need to locate our house at the westerly end - planning restrictions meaning our garden will be on the east side rather than the west...