Gartmore is a planned estate village dating from the early 18th century, strongly shaped by the topography and landscaped grounds of Gartmore House. The village was planned to fit the Highland mountain landscape; the landscape and settlement pattern are therefore closely linked. For your stay, you might consider whether you want to focus primarily on settlement history, buildings or the village’s setting in the landscape. Gartmore offers specific points of reference for each of these themes.

Landscape and Townscape

Gartmore House lies northeast of the village on a hill overlooking the Forth Valley. From the south, you can experience the village along Old Gartmore Road, which forms part of National Cycle Route 7. In the village, the Village Gateway frames the view from Main Street. This identifies three spatial reference points: the valley view from the house, the southern approach to the village and the framed view from Main Street. Each offers a different perspective on Gartmore—as a landscape, through the approach or by way of its streetscape.

Village History and Buildings

Gartmore House originally dates from the mid-18th century. Gartmore Church was built in 1790 as a rectangular five-bay Chapel of Ease and was constructed at the same time as much of the planned estate village. The detail of its five bays adds a more precise description of the church’s layout to its rectangular ground plan. The walled churchyard contains various gravestones; the oldest date from 1793. These dates relate to different features: 1790 marks the construction of the church, while 1793 marks the oldest gravestones. Together with the village’s early-18th-century planning and the origins of the house in the mid-18th century, they provide a picture of the village’s history unfolding over time.

Walks and Craft

Lady’s Walk is the main path in Gartmore and a clear point of reference for anyone who wants to include a walk in their exploration of the village. Gartmore House offers a different experience with its Taster Craft Week: the four-day arts and crafts programme lets participants try and learn a different craft each day. The difference is clear when planning your time: Lady’s Walk is a path in the village, while Craft Week offers four days of changing craft activities.

Food and Planning Your Stay

The Black Bull Gartmore serves traditional Scottish dishes, adding a culinary point of interest to the village’s architecture and landscape. When looking for a hotel for your stay in Gartmore, you can focus on what brings you here: are you more interested in the village’s history and townscape, or would you like to plan around the Taster Craft Week and its four days of classes? In the latter case, it is worth checking that the programme dates fit your travel dates.

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