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That damn'd elusive Pineapple
Aug. 11th, 2020 05:35 pmYesterday's drive from the ferry to our cosy overnight hut (they call it a glamping pod, but it's a luxury version of the 'huts' that made camping in Norway so comfortable, long ago) had space for a diversion: we considered a trip to Bannockburn, but decided that could wait until the visitor centre reopened, and instead we would have a look at the Pineapple. Easier said than done.
First off, our satnav threw a wobbler: she steered us over the Clackmannanshire Bridge, across the Forth. After previous disasters, we have now revered to keeping a road atlas in the car, and the Pineapple was clearly marked, south of the Forth: what was she up to? I wondered if she had another destination in mind (we kept passing road signs to historic towers, and other sites of interest) and we had time in hand to find out, but her instructions grew more and more erratic. We'd turn right as instructed, to be told to make a U turn when possible, and then turn right - she seemed to want us to turn right along the railway line - eventually I swear she told us "turn left, then make a U turn ..." Rather than keep driving round in circles, we referred to the map, crossed the Forth again, found what we were pretty sure was the right road - and even this wasn't straightforward. A sign directed us to the Pineapple, and we came to a promising gateway, with lodge - but here another sign told us that the entrance was from the main road, and it was only after a loop of several miles that we realised this referred to the entrance to the rectory next door.
Fortunately, after this protracted build-up, the Pineapple turned out to be worth it:
It was built in 1761 by the Earl of Dunmore as a summerhouse where he could appreciate the views from his estate. The Landmark Trust explains "It probably began as a pavilion of one storey, dated 1761, and only grew its fruity dome after 1777, when Lord Dunmore was brought back, forcibly, from serving as Governor of Virginia. There, sailors would put a pineapple on the gatepost to announce their return home. Lord Dunmore, who was fond of a joke, announced his return more prominently," - which is an explanation of sorts, though it's a pretty elaborate joke. It is now - as well as being a holiday cottage which you can rent from the Landmark Trust - a viewpoint from which you can admire Lord Dunmore's estates (on a clear day, which this wasn't) and the centre of a tangled and overgrown garden in which bees buzz from spearmint to sweet peas, and teazle's tangle with fig trees.
To anyone familiar with pineapple varieties it is immediately obvious that the cultivar 'Jamaica Queen' must have been used as the model,
First off, our satnav threw a wobbler: she steered us over the Clackmannanshire Bridge, across the Forth. After previous disasters, we have now revered to keeping a road atlas in the car, and the Pineapple was clearly marked, south of the Forth: what was she up to? I wondered if she had another destination in mind (we kept passing road signs to historic towers, and other sites of interest) and we had time in hand to find out, but her instructions grew more and more erratic. We'd turn right as instructed, to be told to make a U turn when possible, and then turn right - she seemed to want us to turn right along the railway line - eventually I swear she told us "turn left, then make a U turn ..." Rather than keep driving round in circles, we referred to the map, crossed the Forth again, found what we were pretty sure was the right road - and even this wasn't straightforward. A sign directed us to the Pineapple, and we came to a promising gateway, with lodge - but here another sign told us that the entrance was from the main road, and it was only after a loop of several miles that we realised this referred to the entrance to the rectory next door.
Fortunately, after this protracted build-up, the Pineapple turned out to be worth it:
It was built in 1761 by the Earl of Dunmore as a summerhouse where he could appreciate the views from his estate. The Landmark Trust explains "It probably began as a pavilion of one storey, dated 1761, and only grew its fruity dome after 1777, when Lord Dunmore was brought back, forcibly, from serving as Governor of Virginia. There, sailors would put a pineapple on the gatepost to announce their return home. Lord Dunmore, who was fond of a joke, announced his return more prominently," - which is an explanation of sorts, though it's a pretty elaborate joke. It is now - as well as being a holiday cottage which you can rent from the Landmark Trust - a viewpoint from which you can admire Lord Dunmore's estates (on a clear day, which this wasn't) and the centre of a tangled and overgrown garden in which bees buzz from spearmint to sweet peas, and teazle's tangle with fig trees.
To anyone familiar with pineapple varieties it is immediately obvious that the cultivar 'Jamaica Queen' must have been used as the model,
