Site History
Early records of Dunmore have not been readily accessible. Dunmore Tower marks the site of the remains of Elphinstone Castle, which had been incorporated into a romantic designed setting by 1810 when it was painted as surrounded by fine parkland trees. The 5th Earl of Dunmore succeeded in 1809 shortly after his marriage to Susan, daughter of the 9th Duke of Hamilton. He commissioned the building of a new house on a site to the north of Dunmore Tower. A new mansion designed by William Wilkins was built between 1820-22 in the tudor gothic style. It was drawn by J.P. Neale in 1826 in a view which shows it raised on a high terrace above the Park. Dunmore was recorded in 1845 as the chief Scottish seat of the 7th Earl of Dunmore, Charles Adolphus Murray, who was then aged four. He owned some 4,620 acres in Stirlingshire. By 1885 the OS Gazetteer records the mansion standing 'amid splendid gardens and beautifully wooded grounds, containing and commanding delightful views'. A photograph of 1917 shows a drive or Broad Walk lined with herbaceous borders all beautifully maintained.
Photographs of 1955 show the house ivy-clad, with the terrace surmounted by urns. A tennis court had taken the place of the cattle park in front of the house. By 1968 all was overgrown, and the estate was split up. The walled garden was purchased by the Earl and Countess of Perth and gifted in 1974 to the National Trust for Scotland. The mansion and park were purchased by the present owner and are farmed today. The house is now derelict and in the process of being demolished.
Landscape Components
Architectural Features
The Mansion House, listed B, is a ruined tudor gothic design by William Wilkins, built c.1820 and currently under demolition. The Stables, also 19th century, are listed B and have been adopted for farm use. Dunmore Tower, of 15th-16th century origin, was restored in the 19th century and listed C(S). The Pineapple and Walled Garden, built in 1761 or slightly later, are listed A (and are the subject of a separate entry). There is also the East Lodge which is listed B.
Parkland
The parkland is farmed today and the outer fields are cropped. However the roundel plantings remain, as does a lime avenue along the main drive to the house. More ornamental trees remain along the former drive from the walled garden to the house and in the area to the south-west of the house. Most of the individual parkland trees have gone and both the West Lodge and the summerhouse recorded on the 1st edition map have since disappeared.
Woodland
The woodland blocks to the south and west of the parks are coniferous plantations today. Formerly there were many woodland walks within the woodlands linking the house and shrubbery with the walled garden, the chapel and Tower, and with other features such as the summerhouse. There was an extensive walled shrubbery planted to the north of the house, which is overgrown today.
Walled Gardens
The large walled garden is divided into two sections: the west section which was subdivided into ten compartments with an ornamental canal at its southern end, and the eastern section which was used as an orchard in 1863. The unique folly gardenhouse, The Pineapple, was built in 1761, not long after pineapples were introduced to Scotland in 1732. It was surrounded on both sides by an extensive range of glasshouses which have since gone. The Pineapple has been restored and is available for holiday lets through the Landmark Trust.