Borders Book Festival 17-20 June
Scottish sundials—a little bit of enlightenment
With summer nearly upon us, I just wanted to draw your attention to the Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival in Melrose, and to one or two other places of interest across Scotland, where you can enjoy a grand day out and see a new and contemporary sculptural sundial. Like everyone, I am hoping for good weather this summer—and, in my case, for sundials too!
From Melrose to Inverewe
The Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival is due to be held on 17th to 20th June in Harmony Garden, Melrose. If you do happen to visit, you will find the Macmillan Hunter sundial in the sculpture exhibition, which will display the work of Borders Sculptors. Although we are a small Scottish business, we also have sundials on exhibition at the National Trust for Scotland’s Greenbank Garden in Glasgow and right up at the Trust’s Inverewe Garden in Ross-shire. The one at Greenbank is our entry into the 2010 British Sundial Society national competition; the sundial at Inverewe was installed just a couple of months ago, just in time for summer time.
Fascinating young and old—inspiring people to find out more
In all locations, the sundials have been intriguing both young and old. Youngsters in particular are fascinated by the scientific principles that underlie the design of a sundial, and are keen to get to grips with what are, in reality, educational ideas, well away from the confines of the classroom.
As a retired engineer, I founded Macmillan Hunter to create highly engineered sundials that are not only scientifically useful but sculptural, whether in private gardens or in public spaces. It’s true, engineers can be aesthetes too!
Whatever you are planning, I hope you have an enjoyable summer.
With best wishes
Alastair Hunter