Follies · Central Scotland
Britain's secret follies
Ten eccentric Georgian and Victorian architectural jokes.
Britain's landscaped 18th-century estates produced more follies — purpose-built architectural eccentricities — than anywhere else in Europe. The Folly Fellowship lists over 1,500 in the UK alone: pineapple-shaped pavilions, Gothic gateways, sham castles and Etruscan temples. We've picked ten you can visit (most are inside National Trust grounds or country parks).
Places in this guide
★ Iconic📷 2Follies · Central Scotland
The Dunmore Pineapple
An 18th-century garden folly topped with a giant stone pineapple — Scotland's strangest building.
★ Iconic📷 3Follies · Scottish Highlands
McCaig's Tower
Oban's Colosseum-inspired granite folly (1897), never quite finished.
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📷 3Viewpoints · West Midlands
Old John
Old John is a viewpoint in the United Kingdom.
📷 3Memorials & monuments · Yorkshire & the Humber
Wainhouse Tower
Wainhouse Tower is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
★ Iconic📷 3Follies · Scottish Highlands
McCaig's Tower
Oban's Colosseum-inspired granite folly (1897), never quite finished.
★ Iconic📷 2Follies · Central Scotland
The Dunmore Pineapple
An 18th-century garden folly topped with a giant stone pineapple — Scotland's strangest building.
📷 5Follies · South East England
Midford Castle
Midford Castle — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 3Follies · South West England
Temple of Harmony
Temple of Harmony — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 3Follies · South West England
The Storm Tower
The Storm Tower — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 5Follies · South East England
Beckford's Tower
Beckford's Tower — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 3Follies · North West England
Pikestones
Pikestones — Historic tomb, BC 3400-2400.
📷 3Follies · Central Scotland
William Henry Miller Mausoleum
William Henry Miller Mausoleum is a folly in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Follies · South East England
Browne's Folly
Browne's Folly — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 5Follies · London
Burton Mausoleum
Burton Mausoleum is a folly in the United Kingdom.