6 days ago
Where to find 10 of the world's most spectacular sundials in Scotland
This 55-acre art land, designed by the late Charles Jencks to mirror the celestial bodies that travel the heavens above it, is a fitting place to reflect on the passing of the hours, but there are others and they can be found on church walls, at mercat crosses and in gardens across the country.
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Sundials, with their etched dials and inscribed aphorisms such as 'tempus fugit', are an intriguing mixture of alchemy and science. Using a gnomon they cast a shadow that traces the elliptical path of our nearest star and from the 17th century onwards they began to proliferate, forming a gentle precursor to the industrial age with its railway timetables and factory whistles.
The finest dials were the property of wealthy landowners who vied with their peers to show off their knowledge of the newly-emerging sciences, commissioning ever-more elaborate sundials to grace their gardens.
The result of this mania is that today Scotland is home to some of the world's finest sundials, both historic and contemporary, and the solstice - this Saturday, June 21 - is the perfect time to discover them.
Greenbank Garden, Flenders Road, Clarkston G76 8BB
Greenbank Garden Sundial (Image: unknown)
At Greenbank Garden on the outskirts of Glasgow, the passing of time is marked by both a 17th century sundial and a contemporary new design by modern sundial makers Macmillan Hunter. Created 400 years apart, these beautiful instruments are a reminder to visitors that time doesn't stand still.
Attadale House, Strathcarron, Wester Ross IV54 8YX
The largest sundial in Scotland can be found at Attadale House in Wester Ross. The dial, which measures almost 11 metres in diameter, features a gnomon supported by a wild cat rampant, the heraldic sign of the Clan Macpherson.
Dunvegan Castle, Dunvegan, Isle of Skye IV55 8WF
Dunvegan Castle's 18th century lectern dial, with its four-pointed star and adjacent hemicylinder with polar dial, where the hour lines are on the plane of the polar axis, has gnomons that point to the North Star. Each sundial must be specifically made for the latitude of its site and at Dunvegan (57⁰N) the gnomons make an angle of 57⁰ to the horizontal.
Drummond Castle, Muthill, Crieff PH7 4HN
Drummond Castle Sundial (Image: unknown)
The multi-faceted obelisk sundial that sits at the centre of Drummond Castle's great parterre, was carved in 1630 by master mason John Mylne III. It has 61 dials and provides 131 ways to tell the time.
Aberdour Castle, Aberdour KY3 0SL
Aberdour is Scotland's oldest-standing castle, with a history that dates back to the 12th century, and the passing of time is marked here in not one, but three sundials including a 17th century obelisk, a horizontal sundial and, high on the eastern range, a wall dial that catches the rays of the rising sun.
Inveresk Lodge Garden, 14 Inveresk Village Road, Musselburgh EH21 7TE
With its Roman Fort and impressive villas built by prosperous merchants, the village of Inveresk reflects significant periods in the history of Scotland. Step through the gate of Inveresk Lodge and, on a south facing lawn overlooking the River Esk, there stands a 17th century sundial that would have marked out its original owner as a man of wealth and learning.
Hugh Miller's Cottage, Church Street, Cromarty IV11 8XA
Hugh Miller was a 19th century fossil hunter and geologist, as well as a writer and campaigner for social justice. He was a man of science and a craftsman and in the garden of the whitewashed cottage in Cromarty, where he lived, is a sundial plinth carved by the man himself.
Little Sparta, Stonypath, Dunsyre ML11 8NG
Little Sparta Sundial (Image: Robin Gillanders)
At Little Sparta in the Pentland Hills, a sundial bench bearing the motto 'Dividing The Light I Disclose The Hours' is one of more than 200 artworks created by poet and maker Ian Hamilton Finlay, who used his garden to explore ideas of politics and philosophy.
Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute, PA20 9LR
The obelisk sundial, carved in the 1600s, that stands at the centre of Mount Stuart's 'Wee Garden' predates the magnificent gothic mansion by 200 years. The entire gardens cover 300 acres and include a walled garden, a huge rock garden and a productive kitchen garden.
Glamis Castle, Castle Road, Forfar DD8 1RJ
The impressive sundial at Glamis Castle was commissioned in the 1670s by Patrick third earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. It features four massive lions carrying sundials in their claws and, at the very top of the obelisk, 80 individual dial faces. It is one of the tallest sundials in Scotland.
In association with Discover Scottish Gardens
