Gardens
Dunninald is best known for its gardens. See the Historic Scotland web-site. The wild garden was laid out on a grid pattern
in the early 18th century. The centrepiece is the magnificent beech
avenue which was part of the landscaping around the Second
Dunninald. It is shown on General Roy's map of 1750.
The new house, the Third Dunninald, is at one end of the beech
avenue.
At the other is the walled garden, first created around
1740 and extended with stone from the Second Dunninald a century later.
Numerous paths intersect the beech avenue, providing the visitor
with views of specimen trees, shrubs and woodland flowers in season.
The walled garden has a curved
South wall which gives the visitor a view of colourful borders and
fruit trees. The garden provides a supply of vegetables, fruit
and flowers throughout the year and there is an 18th century
greenhouse. There
are many interesting features,
including "Union" gates, made by James Ross Brown in Montrose in 1906 of wrought iron, with thistles, shamrocks, roses and dragons.
The management plan for the wild garden aims to restore the landscape
to its 18th century planned form. Thomas White prepared a wildly ambitious plan when he visited in
1789.
There are several recognisable present-day features on White's plan, including a mound at one
end of the avenue, which has sited a water tank since 1898.
Visitors may speculate on the original purpose of the mysterious
mound; perhaps it was one of a line of signal beacons. Its position in a treeless landscape could have offered line of sight
to landmarks in Fife, East Lothian, Dundee and Aberdeenshire.
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