Dunmore Park House

Dunmore Park house sits within Dunmore Park. The once-majestic mansion was built in 1820 alongside a large stable opposite the house. Unfortunately, what once would have been the grandest site in the area has now been reduced to ruin. For suspected tax reasons, the property was partially demolished in 1972, with the roof removed. As a result, the house is filled and surrounded by large piles of rubble. Despite this, it is possible to walk around the remaining structure, which is still impressive.

A path at the rear of the property leads to the wine cellar, which is surprisingly well preserved. Unfortunately, any rare vintages once stored here are long gone. A common misconception is that this area was the mausoleum, unsurprising given the large shelves that wine bottles would have been stored on.

The main entrance still stands, with its grand doorway that was built to impress. You can still see remnants of where the old rooms would have stood through old fireplaces and carved decorations high above the ground level. The house has now been taken over by nature, and a number of trees now sprout from the walls.

Since the house fell into disrepair, a number of proposals have been made to redevelop it, ranging from a golf course to a leisure complex to a hotel—but nothing has become of them yet. It seems only a matter of time before the house is fully swamped by the surrounding vegetation. Interestingly, the building was used as a filming location for the series Outlander, acting as a World War II-era hospital.

Perhaps the best-known building on the estate is the Dunmore Pineapple. This is one of Scotland’s most remarkable buildings as it is topped off by a huge stone depiction of a pineapple. Interestingly, it is relatively unknown compared to other equally as impressive architectural structures in the local area. You can book online to stay as well.