The Dunmore Pineapple

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Dunmore Pineapple
Dunmore Pineapple
This is a lovely, short loop (under 3 miles) starting at the Dunmore Pineapple. The 4th Earl of Dunmore gave this eccentric building to his wife as a birthday present in the 1770s. Pineapples were exotic and highly prized delicacies symbolising power, wealth and hospitality, so I can see the point he was trying to make – but it must have been rather a large gift to keep a secret. These days, it belongs to the National Trust for Scotland which rents it out as a holiday home.

Dunmore Pineapple
Dunmore Pineapple
Dunmore Pineapple
Dunmore Pineapple
Dunmore Pineapple

After leaving the Pineapple’s grounds, we walked through an avenue of Giant Redwood trees. A detour uphill took as to the ruined Elphinstone Tower (1510) and its overgrown graveyard. I found it sad to see the tombs so neglected.

Giant Redwoods
Elphinstone Graveyard
Elphinstone Graveyard
Elphinstone Tower
Elphinstone Tower

The path then led us through farmland and an avenue of much smaller trees before crossing a road into the Conservation Area of Dunmore Village. What a pretty little place! It was rebuilt in the 19th century by Catherine, widow of the 6th Earl, in an English style with houses round the village green. The fountain was brought specially from London and has recently been restored. The house with the horse-shoe shaped door (bottom left, click to enlarge) used to be the blacksmith’s, or smiddy.

Fields near Dunmore
Dunmore Village
Village fountain
Former Smiddy
Relaxing!

The path continued with fields of oil-seed rape on one side and the Firth of Forth on the other. Across the water, we could see Clackmannan Tower.

Rapeseed fields near Dunmore
Clackmannan Tower

After the quaintness of the conservation village, it was then a surprise to come across a brand new and very modern house.

Modern house near Dunmore
Modern house near Dunmore

Finally, we crossed the road again and returned to the Pineapple via Dunmore Park. This was built as a family home in the 1820s, became a school in the 1960s and is now practically derelict. According to the route notes there are plans to turn it into luxury apartments, but it may be too far gone for that.

Dunmore Park
Dunmore Park
I loved this impressive array of buildings from different eras in a very short walk, and the views weren’t bad either. Pop over to Jo’s Monday Walks to see where everyone else has been.  

 

 

Scotland, UK , , ,

42 Comments »

  1. I attended a book signing/sale at the Tamarack District Library in Lakeview Michigan, and the author, Randy, a lady whose last name I cannot remember, wrote and was selling a book about holiday homes in Ireland. She told about the pineapple house, and the name of her book was “I lived in a Pineapple”. She said those homes are much cheaper to stay in than hotels or B&Bs. I don’t remember the price, but I think she told in the book.

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  3. The Pinapple building is quite impressive, but I love that last photo. That building looks like something out of a fantasy story. Maybe a steampunk one.
    It’s inspiring 🙂

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  4. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Egton Bridge | restlessjo

  5. I love the pineapple house! I don’t even want to think of how much it would cost to rent it out for a holiday home… The color on the hills behind the “Fields near Dunbar” is amazing. I would love landscaping like that by the “Former Sniddy”, I’m completely embarrassed by my yard. That modern house looks very familiar. The neighborhood I work in is full of old houses being torn down to be replaced by quickly put up McMansions.

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    • Trouble with landscaping like that is it’s a lot of work! It was a very pretty walk altogether – I liked the modern house too, but felt it was a bit out of context. It had great views though, I can see why they wanted to build there.

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