£5 million plan for visitor centre and houses at The Pineapple

A building firm is planning a £5 million development that will see a visitor centre and 22 bungalows created in Dunmore, near Airth.
An artists impression of the proposed visitor centre at The PineappleAn artists impression of the proposed visitor centre at The Pineapple
An artists impression of the proposed visitor centre at The Pineapple

George Russell Construction has lodged an application with Falkirk Council to build at The Pineapple – a proposal the company views as “a fantastic opportunity” to promote the historic site.

The Denny-based business has identified land to the north of East Lodge, in Dunmore Park, for the site, which would be named Hill of Airth.

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Incorporating a coffee shop selling locally grown produce, as well as the bungalow complex for those looking to downsize, the firm’s director, George Russell Jr, believes The Pineapple Visitor Centre could follow in the footsteps of other tourist attractions in Falkirk district.

He said: “The Pineapple is a historic garden wall and is probably one of those understated tourist attractions that’s not being promoted to its full potential.

“We see this as a fantastic opportunity to create something to promote The Pineapple and be a positive for the community around Airth and we feel it’s a fantastic opportunity to build on the successes of The Falkirk Wheel and The Kelpies.

“There’s also going to be a development of 22 bungalows aimed at the 55-plus bracket which are intended to address an area-wide shortage for those looking to downsize. The bungalows enable the funding for the visitor centre.

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“Both the visitor centre and the bungalows complement each other and bring positives to the area. We will also be running an apprentice programme for the site and taking on people from the village.

“We would like to see the historic wall and The Pineapple become a stopping-off point and we see it as an opportunity to highlight the many good things about the Falkirk area.”

A community consultation will be carried out to gauge the opinions of those who currently live in the area on the development. The results of the survey will be collated next March, when the firm will re-evaluate its proposal.