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- Alastair Hunter
Alastair Hunter
March 2021
Page 18
Page 18
Details the 2018 restoration of the 1890 Kinloch Anderson sundial, a 2.5-metre pillar in Inverleith Park. The work included correcting the sundial's 180° wrong orientation, cleaning the marble dials, simulating lead lines with coloured epoxy, and installing new gilded brass gnomons.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Restoration projects
June 2021
Page 32
Page 32
The third part of the restoration series on the 1630 Drummond Castle obelisk sundial, focusing on the unique Latin scroll carving on the shaft. The article provides the corrected transcription and interpretation of the scroll, explaining how it describes the various hour types (Babylonian, Italian, Seasonal, Common) and astronomical markings (Azimuth, Altitude, Declination) found on the dial, often linking them to astrolabe terminology.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Mathematics of Dialling, Restoration projects
March 2020
Page 2
Page 2
Details the history and recent restoration of the monumental obelisk sundial at Drummond Castle, Perthshire, originally dating from 1630. The article introduces the structure, the discovery of complex gnomonic features, and the reinstatement ceremony in June 2019. The restoration included replacing gnomons and correcting misconceptions about its function.
Dials: Multi Faced, Restoration projects, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members
June 2020
Page 10
Page 10
This is the second part detailing the conservation of the 1630 Drummond Castle obelisk sundial. The work involved dismantling the structurally unsound base and shaft, using laser scanning for documentation, and replacing all the gnomons with new, accurately calculated bronze parts, restoring the dial to full working order.
Dials: Multi Faced, How Sundials Work, Restoration projects, Historical Dials
September 2020
Page 15
Page 15
Details the performance of the Macmillan Hunter dual sundial, Dihelion, during the Summer Solstice 2020 in Edinburgh. The metal dial has a silver finish and features a horizontal rod that marks the passage of the four seasons by its shadow on a curved scale.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual, How Sundials Work
June 2019
Page 17
Page 17
Explains why the latest sunrise (measured in mean time) occurs after the winter solstice (the shortest day). This phenomenon results from the fast-changing value of the Equation of Time near the solstice, causing a nominal delay in sunrise and making evenings appear lighter before the shortest day.
Equation of Time, Mathematics of Dialling
December 2019
Page 37
Page 37
A description of an oak leaf sundial sculpture acquired from an exhibition by Tim Chalk. The piece features life-size oak leaves etched into glass and cast in plaster, creating the hour lines using their shadows. A single oak bud acts as a nodus to show solar time, making it both an artistic and scientific piece.
Construction Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
June 2018
Page 17
Page 17
Details a commission for a vertical sundial incorporating a circular graphic of the Enoch calendar, which follows a 364-day year. The calendar graphic, divided into 52 weeks and 12 months, is superimposed but operates independently of the solar delineation due to the difference between the calendar and the true solar year.
Construction Projects, Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout
December 2018
Page 52
Page 52
A tribute to the BSS Sundial Glossary for providing the necessary formulae to understand and reproduce the complex criss-cross patterns of Babylonian and Italian hours observed on a polyhedral Scottish dial. The writer provides a faithful reproduction of the hour lines.
Dials: Multi Faced, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling, The BSS and Members
June 2016
Page 7
Page 7
Research into the elegant, unusual sundial at Lennoxlove, featuring a statue of a lady carrying the multi-faced dial on her head. Although dated 1679 (DMG) and previously located at North Barr, the author suggests the statue was added later (19th century) by the Blantyre family, possibly modelled on the wax effigy of Frances Theresa Stewart, Duchess of Richmond and Lennox.
Dials: Multi Faced, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials
June 2016
Page 44
Page 44
A report on the 2016 Conference talks, including Geoff Parsons on a polar dial in Darwin, Fred Sawyer on self-orientating dials, John Davis on the Bulletin, and Seb Falk on medieval astronomical instruments. Also covered are the Sundial Awards and Photographic Competition results.
The BSS and Members
September 2016
Page 11
Page 11
Description of the installation of an Orbdial universal sundial, made by Macmillan Hunter Sundials, in a historic garden above Montreux, Switzerland. The design features a meridian ring that was rotated to compensate for the difference in latitude between its Scottish delineation and its final Swiss location.
Construction Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2013
Page 30
Page 30
An examination of a carved stone from Scotland believed to be a very early horizontal sundial. The article describes its discovery, measurements, and restoration.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, Restoration projects
June 2013
Page 52
Page 52
A report on the 2013 BSS Conference in Edinburgh, covering talks, site visits, and the social and scholarly activities of Society members.
The BSS and Members