This unique residence was constructed within a walled garden and served as a summer retreat for John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, on the expansive Dunmore Estate. The structure was designed with a blend of architectural styles and featured an underground hothouse where the family cultivated tropical fruits such as pineapples.
The main feature of this folly is, of course, the dramatic pineapple cupola, which stands at 37ft and is intricately carved by a local stonemason. Unfortunately, it was not recorded by the family who the architect was. However, some have attributed it to Sir William Chambers, who is known to have produced several distinctive buildings in London's Kew Gardens.
A line of four large stone vases tops the wall, two on either side of the Pineapple. These are concealed chimneys, which originally topped off a heating system within the garden walls. This was intended to promote the growth of exotic specimens (likely including pineapples) in the greenhouses that originally lined the inside of the garden’s north wall.
The original Dunmore House, the pineapple folly, the walled garden, and the Elphinstone Tower (Dunmore Tower) were all part of the extensive lands owned by the 4th Earl of Dunmore.
The pineapple symbolises his life well. After completing the Dunmore Pineapple, he set sail for America to take on the role of governor of Virginia in 1770. Sailors would place pineapples on their gateposts to signal to their community that they had returned home!
Later, the Countess of Perthshire purchased the Pineapple and donated it to the Trust in 1974.
