“Remarkable Folly” – The Dunmore Pineapple

This place has two things going for it, as far as I can see.  One, it’s in Scotland, which is a heavenly place.  Two, it’s really old, and you know how we love OLD stuff.  One thing that is questionable, however, if the ginormous pineapple that sits atop its central tower.  What is that thing for?  Who thought that was a good idea?

Apparently John Murray, 4th Earl of Dunmore, thought it was a fantastic idea.  The structure was built on the grounds of Dunmore House as a garden retreat and greenhouse – where they grew (wait for it) PINEAPPLES!  The place was built in 1761, and cheered Murray so thoroughly that he tottled on over to the US and became the Colonial Governor of Virginia.  Pretty neat, huh?

Quick factoid about John Murray – his first wife’s name was Catherine, and her maiden name was Murray.  So that was really easy for her to remember.  Another quick factoid is that Shenandoah Valley in Virginia was named Dunmore County from 1772 to 1778.

Anyway, back to the pineapple. Pineapples symbolize hospitality, which is why so many people decorate with them even today.  This probably comes from the fact that pineapples were a little harder to get in the 1700’s, and probably the reason why Murray wanted to grow them.

The stone pineapple on the Dunmore property is beautifully carved and together with the cupola stand about 14 meters (that’s more than 45 feet to those of us who never learned the metric system).  Nowadays the building is a Landmark Trust property, and you can rent rooms for vacation.

photo by j howie