The Dunmore Pineapple
Quirky Holiday Accommodation and Georgian Folly in One
Whether staying a week or just visiting, the Dunmore Pineapple would have to be one of Scotland's most unusual tourist attractions.
You wouldn’t expect to see a giant pineapple in the lowlands of Scotland. And you certainly wouldn’t expect to be able to stay there. But that’s exactly what you’ll find in Dunmore, less than an hour's drive from Edinburgh. The Dunmore Pineapple delights visitors who drop in for a look, as well as those who choose to stay one or more nights in this decidedly quirky holiday accommodation.
A True Georgian Folly
Managed by The Landmark Trust through the National Trust of Scotland since 1974, the Dunmore Pineapple began life as the brainchild of the 4th Earl of Dunmore, John Murray. A folly for his wife, the Pineapple was created to sit atop a pavilion, in which she could sit and admire her garden. There to be admired were, of course, pineapples, thanks to the ingenious use of chimneys to warm the garden’s hothouses (all four of which are disguised as urns, adding to the eccentric nature of the building.
The choice of fruit may seem a little bizarre in decidedly un-tropical Scotland, but the fact that Murray was once Governor of the Bahamas sheds some light. No doubt wanting to bring a little of the sunny flavour of his former home to chilly Dunmore, and aware of the cachet afforded by being asociated in some way with this exotic and expensive plant, he commissioned an architect (believed to have been Sir William Chambers) to design an impressive pineapple-topped pavilion in the grounds of his home, Dunmore House.
Skilled Craftsmanship
Towering 45 feet over rolling lawns and an attractive orchard, the stone fruit astounds in its detail. Most of the locals would no doubt have never seen a pineapple in their lives, and were presumably educated by this highly accurate rendering. Each of its spiky leaves curls realistically, and the sharpness of the carving suggests the prickly nature of the real thing. Channels have been discreetly cut into the leaves, creating a drainage system that has no doubt helped to maintain the sculpture in good condition, even when the buildings surrounding it were on the verge of collapse.
Restored in the 1970s after being given to the National Trust by its then owner, the Countess of Perth, the Dunmore Pineapple is located one mile north of the village of Airth, between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and just a few miles south of Stirling, home to the monument to William Wallace, of Braveheart fame. The house is available for holiday lets and sleeps four - rates vary according to season. For more information contact the Landmark Trust. Visitors are welcome to visit the house and stroll through the gardens. Open daily from 9.30am to sunset. Admission is free.
