# designed landscape at Portmore

> designed landscape in Scottish Borders, Scotland, UK

**Wikidata**: [Q108880309](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108880309)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/designed-landscape-at-portmore

## Summary
The designed landscape at Portmore (also known simply as "Portmore") is a heritage-designated garden and designed landscape situated in the Scottish Borders council area of Scotland, United Kingdom. It is formally recognized on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland (reference GDL00318) and connects directly to Portmore House. The property is a member of the Historic Houses Association.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type:** Designed landscape; garden
- **Also Known As:** Portmore
- **Location:** Scottish Borders (council area), Scotland, United Kingdom
- **Coordinates:** 55.73483°N, -3.1930267°W
- **Historic County:** Peeblesshire
- **Heritage Designation:** Inventory Garden and Designed Landscape (ID: GDL00318)
- **Heritage Grid Reference:** NT 25183 49693
- **Heritage Record Start Date:** June 30, 2011
- **Connected Structure:** Portmore House
- **Membership:** Historic Houses Association
- **Website:** https://www.portmoregardens.co.uk
- **UK Parliamentary Constituency:** Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale (as of July 2024)
- **Source Authority:** Historic Environment Scotland (portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00318)

## FAQs

**What is Portmore?**
Portmore is a designed landscape and garden located in the Scottish Borders region of Scotland. It is recognized as an Inventory Garden and Designed Landscape by Historic Environment Scotland and is connected to Portmore House.

**What heritage protections does Portmore have?**
Portmore is listed on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland under the designation ID GDL00318, assigned by Historic Environment Scotland. The designation was formally recorded starting June 30, 2011, with the grid reference NT 25183 49693.

**Where is Portmore located?**
The designed landscape is located in the Scottish Borders council area at coordinates 55.73483°N, 3.1930267°W. Historically, it falls within the county of Peeblesshire. For parliamentary representation, it falls under the Dumfriessshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency.

**What organization manages or represents Portmore?**
Portmore is a member of the Historic Houses Association, an organization that represents independently owned historic houses, castles, and gardens across the United Kingdom.

## Why It Matters
Portmore serves as a significant example of Scotland's designed landscape heritage, meriting formal inclusion in the national Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes maintained by Historic Environment Scotland. This designation identifies sites of national importance for their historic, architectural, and horticultural value. The preservation and recognition of such landscapes contributes to understanding Scotland's cultural relationship with land use, aesthetics, and estate design. As a member of the Historic Houses Association, Portmore participates in a broader network of heritage properties that maintain standards of conservation and public engagement. The site's documented coordinates, grid reference, and formal heritage listing ensure its protection and study within Scotland's framework of historic environment stewardship.

## Notable For
- Being included on the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland (GDL00318), a designation reserved for nationally significant sites
- Dual classification as both a "designed landscape" and a "garden" in formal heritage records
- Association with Portmore House, indicating a cohesive historic estate design
- Recognition and membership in the Historic Houses Association
- Having precise heritage documentation including Ordnance Survey grid reference NT 25183 49693
- Location in the historic county of Peeblesshire within the Scottish Borders

## Body

### Location and Geography
The designed landscape at Portmore is situated in the Scottish Borders council area of Scotland, within the United Kingdom. Its precise coordinates are 55.73483 degrees north latitude and 3.1930267 degrees west longitude. Historically, the property is located within the county of Peeblesshire. The designed landscape connects directly with Portmore House, indicating an integrated estate where the house and landscape were conceived as a unified design. This connection is documented through Historic Environment Scotland records.

### Heritage Designation and Status
Portmore holds formal recognition as an Inventory Garden and Designed Landscape, a heritage designation administered by Historic Environment Scotland. The designation is recorded under the identifier GDL00318. The Ordnance Survey grid reference for the site is NT 25183 49693. Formal documentation of this heritage designation began on June 30, 2011, according to the source records from Historic Environment Scotland's online portal. The inventory designation is specifically for "Portmore," the name used in the heritage record. This designation ensures the landscape receives consideration in planning processes and is recognized for its contribution to Scotland's historic environment.

### Organizational Affiliations
Portmore is a member of the Historic Houses Association, a membership organization representing over 1,500 independently owned historic houses, castles, and gardens across the United Kingdom. This membership indicates the property's status as a recognized heritage site and connects it to a network of similar properties dedicated to preservation and public access.

### Administrative Context
Within the United Kingdom's administrative geography, Portmore falls under multiple jurisdictions. At the local level, it is part of the Scottish Borders council area. For national representation, the property falls within the Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale constituency of the House of Commons, as recorded in July 2024.

### Classification and Concept
Portmore is classified as an instance of both "designed landscape" and "garden." In the broader context of landscape classification, a garden is defined as a planned space set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants, primarily used for pleasure. Gardens are considered a subclass of landscape, exterior space, workplace, artificial geographic object, and architectural structure. As a designed landscape, Portmore represents intentional human intervention in the natural environment to create an aesthetically and functionally significant space.

### Digital Presence and Public Access
Portmore maintains a public website at https://www.portmoregardens.co.uk. Information about the site's heritage designation is available through the Historic Environment Scotland portal at http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00318. These digital resources provide access to information about the landscape's significance, features, and visiting opportunities.

## References

1. [Source](http://portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00318)